MBA401 Assignment Sample 2

MBA401 People, Culture and Contemporary Leadership 

The Assessment Task

Students will explore and analyse a contemporary leader of their choice, drawn from a list provided by the MBA401 workshop facilitator. Students may not use any other leader, apart from those shown on the list provided.

Assessment Description

Students will explore and analyse a contemporary leader of their own choice, drawn from a list provided by the MBA401 Workshop Facilitator. Only persons on the list provided may be explored for the purposes of this assessment. Students will select a leader that they consider as being someone influential to them in their day to day living and/or career. Students will utilise theoretical concepts explored in the subject to assist them to interpret the actions of the leader they have chosen.

The following should be explored and should be included in the essay:

• The effect of the leader on the top management team of the organisations they have led.
• The effect of their strategic leadership in developing the human resources of the organisations they have led.
• The effect of the leader on the development of ethical practices within the organisations they have led.
• What has been learnt from the analysis of the leader? What might be the implications for the student’s own career?

Please refer to the assessment marking guide to assist in completing the assessment criteria

The essay will be assessed against the following criteria:

• Evidence of research, appropriate sourcing and referencing (see here for further details);
• Evidence of a development of a body of knowledge in the field of contemporary leadership and people;
• Level of analysis;
• Clarity of argument;
• Appropriate use of theory and relevant literature

Solution

Introduction

Leadership is the ability and capacity of an individual to outrigger the work motives from employees in an effective manner coping up with both employee’s satisfaction and achieving organisation’s goals on effective parameters. According to MBA Assignment Expert, Coca-Cola is an international organisation operating from 136 years earning a revenue of about 33.01 billion with 79,000 number pf employees in world. The organisation merits in the its product in such a manner that is considered as most sold drinks in world. The leadership style in the functioning of organisation in context with leader Alison Watkins for Asian specific region functions of Coca cola will be analysed in the above report. Effective of Alison Watkins’s leadership style on the business position in Asian specific region will be analysed in the above report. 

The effect of the leader on the top management team of the organisations they have led. 

The effectiveness of leader is inspired by attempts towards trying and make precise valued products. The effective leadership style that is usually, democratic, supportive and compounding style is used by leaders in the functioning of employees (Collings et al. 2021).Alison Watkins’s leadership style and team working attitudes have been a model to study teamwork which is again regulated by effective leadership style and attitude if employees towards verified aim of organisation. 

The innovation in terms of Coca-Cola is not distinct towards products, rather teaming up and functioning in most effective manner with different managerial strategies is also part of creativity and innovation. The past experience of Alison Watkins’s leadership and management style as Chairperson of Allied Mills Australia, managing director and CEO of Grain Crop and CEO of Berri Limited has paved the way towards leadership position for Coca-Cola in Asian specific region (Abu Mostafa et al. 2021). 

The organisation has 700 million dollar operating income in this region and 12,000 plus workers subordinated. The leadership styles chosen by Alison Watkins is based on a tag line “Lift up and inspire each other” which trigger the nature of leader in perception of team work. Alison Watkinsexplained the manner in which organisations in current time must deal with tough situation like Covid 19 (Lu et al. 2022). She chooses four step solution in application of effective leadership style which is understanding a clear plan, clear vision, relationship with customers on both B2B and B2C parameters and last step is building strong leadership grips on employees. 

In the time of Covid 19, the sales graph of organisation declined which was lifted by innovation, supportive leadership style and motivation practices for employees by Alison Watkins. The additional attributes to sales management govern strategies and mobilisation of communication networks of organisation towards its customers which fabricates strong grip in customer retention as well. She believed in using multiple types of leadership according to situation as stigma towards one leadership style might not be very effective (Banmairuroy et al. 2022). This gave accelerated growth in the graph of revenue collection from Asian region having 3.3 billion customers and revenue of 308 billion in year 2021. 
 

Figure 1: Revenue collection by Coca-Cola in Asian specific region
(Source: investors.coca-colacompany.com 2022)

The effect of their strategic leadership in developing the human resources of the organisations they have led.

The leadership chosen by Alison Watkins is based on situational leadership style theory that explains customisation of leadership practices as per the need to situation and attitude of employees. In Australian region the sales of Coca-Cola product decline during the time of Covid 19 situation whose up lifting was an objective of Alison Watkins as leader in respective region (Cuaresma-Escobar 2021). Situational theory of leadership and management explains the draft of leadership is based on supportive behaviour and directive behaviour of leaders which can be altered according to the situation with steps of directing, coaching, supporting and delegating. The leadership style chosen by Alison Watkins is based on situational leadership style theory as explained below. 
 

Figure 2: Situational leadership style theory
(source:asana.com 2022)

Directing: the style one explained by the theory where in leaders have high directive behaviour and low supportive behaviour (Wuryani et al. 2021). Planning is an effective practice through which business organisations often try to understand the aim and objective of organisation to achieve short term and long term goals. Alison Watkins chose directive behaviour in the parts of work like covid 19 norms, safety of employees and constant aid to people which made organisation function in a secured environment. 

Coaching: Style number two in which the leaders have same amount of directive and supportive behavioural styles so that employees understand change and need of change in the functions of organisation (Munir and Akhter 2021). Alison Watkins uses this style for business level employees as the functions of marketing and communication were to be revamped in the above section.

Supporting: high supportive behaviour of leaders for its employees in such a manner that motivation impulses of employees are triggered (Reed 2021). Alison Watkins chose this leadership style where in training and development towards automation in data managementsystem was applied. The online communication was another part of work where in Alison Watkins evidently made employees train about new communication channels with support. 

Delegating: the last type of leadership style in which the leaders just monitor the employees and give feedback to them so that improved performance can be catered (Dhamija et al. 2021). Strategy of every organisation is different which is built by its vision, customer base, price, quality of product and marketing. Delegation in Alison Watkins’s leadership behaviour was observed for top management employees and in the manner in which they govern team management skills of respective teams.

The effect of the leader on the development of ethical practices within the organisations they have led.

In the perception of Alison Watkins leadership in an individual is not collected by the revenues of organisation rather it is governed by the satisfaction of employees and the business ethics that have been regulated by organisation towards planet earth and society. Risk analysis by studying the attributes like permutations or combination, probability, future demand, fitting sensitivity of product in respective targeted market is managed by managers in Coca-Cola before introduction of any new product in market.every country’s marketing is different in Coca-Cola which governs good sales to organisation (Ramadhanti2022). As innovation is new practice that is discovered by organisation’s research and development which must be advocated to the audience that is customers.

Bushfire donation in Australia was led by Alison Watkins in which 250,000 number of bottles of water and PowerAde to bushfire emergency crews and families were donated. The collection towards donation as a secured and trustable campaign was managed by Alison Watkins which gave huge financial aid to people and government (Lacoste et la. 2022). The leadership ethics chosen by Alison Watkins are based on the functions of volunteered behaviour, taking accountable risks, standing into the boots of stakeholders and making an effective move that solves the issues of problems. The leadership style chosen by Alison Watkins to support external stakeholder was an attempt towards good ethical relationship of Coca-Cola as a brand with its functioning country (Kumar 2022). 

Ethical relationship of organisation fabricates a positive image of organisation that externally grows its sales and profitability. The sense of belongingness of brand with customers is triggered by leaders in Coca-Cola in such a manner thatAlison Watkins’s aims towards effective sales growth was increased (van Eyck and Steenkamp 2021). The organisation AI, payment systems, secured channels of communication, FAQs, robotics, Smart tech and more technologies are paired with functions of organisation which governs good customer reach and job satisfaction to its employees as well. 

Ethical practices by Coca-Cola through leadership of Alison Watkins was governed in an effective manner for the employees as supportive anddirective behaviour of Alison Watkins made employee’s vision clear. Alison Watkins not only addressed top managers but came in touch will all attributing departments of organisation covering maximum communication channels with all employees governing effective leadership (Fan et al. 2022). 
 

Figure 3: Bushfire donation aid by Coca-Cola
(source: investors.coca-colacompany.com 2022)

What has been learnt from the analysis of the leader? What might be the implications for the student’s own career? For application of leadership style and effectiveness of a leader in perception of Coca-Cola the application of different style of leadership are every essential part of operations. Communication on with top management is not an effective manner to motivate employees, rather sense of belongings can create huge impact on employee’sbehaviour in tedious situation.An individual is not collected by the revenues of organisation rather it is governed by the satisfaction of employees and the business ethics that have been regulated by organisation towards planet earth and society. Situational theory of leadership and management explains the draft of leadership is based on supportive behaviour and directive behaviour of leaders which can be altered according to the situation with steps of directing, coaching, supporting and delegating.

The organisation is an ecosystem in which leadership and management can be implied to pave the path of success, similar good team management and effective learning styles in career building of students can pave way of success. Impact of one’s action on society must be analysed, leadership is based on team work withindividual progress which must be understood and adopted by students as well (Karnes and Bean 2021).

Conclusion

The above report concludes that change and leadership styles are some important pillars in effective leadership. The leadership module in perception of Alison Watkins was a blended format of internal functioning effectiveness and good reputation of organisation in society. To get good sales and revenues, organisation must understand the art of aiding and helping to society when in need. The effective leadership style of Alison Watkins has been governing leadership position of Coca-Cola in Asian specific region which is the main objective of organisation.

References

Abu Mostafa, Y., Salama, A.A., Abu Amuna, Y.M. and Aqel, A., 2021. The Role of Strategic Leadership in Activating Time Management Strategies to Enhance Administrative Creativity Skills. International Journal of Academic Management Science Research (IJAMSR) Vol, 5, pp.36-48.

Banmairuroy, W., Kritjaroen, T. and Homsombat, W., 2022. The effect of knowledge-oriented leadership and human resource development on sustainable competitive advantage through organizational innovation's component factors: Evidence from Thailand’s new S-curve industries. Asia Pacific Management Review, 27(3), pp.200-209.

Collings, D.G., Nyberg, A.J., Wright, P.M. and McMackin, J., 2021. Leading through paradox in a COVID‐19 world: Human resources comes of age. Human Resource Management Journal, 31(4), pp.819-833.

Cuaresma-Escobar, K.J., 2021. Nailing the situational leadership theory by synthesizing the culture and nature of principals' leadership and roles in school. Linguistics and Culture Review, 5(S3), pp.319-328.

Dhamija, P., Chiarini, A. and Shapla, S., 2021. Technology and leadership styles: A review of trends between 2003 and 2021. The TQM Journal.

Fan, D., Tan, Z. and Zheng, Q., 2022, July. Financial and Strategies Analysis of Coca-Cola Company in the Period of COVID-19 Epidemic. In 2022 2nd International Conference on Enterprise Management and Economic Development (ICEMED 2022) (pp. 985-997). Atlantis Press.

Karnes, F.A. and Bean, S.M., 2021. Leadership for students: a guide for young leaders. Routledge.

Kumar, K.B.S., 2022. The viticulture revolution@ Tabor Winery: Michal Akerman’s visionary leadership. The Case For Women, pp.1-26.

Lacoste, S., Zidani, K. and Cuevas, J.M., 2022. Lateral collaboration and boundary-spanning from a global leadership perspective: The case of global account managers. Journal of World Business, 57(3), p.101288.

Lu, J.G., Swaab, R.I. and Galinsky, A.D., 2022. Global leaders for global teams: Leaders with multicultural experiences communicate and lead more effectively, especially in multinational teams. Organization Science, 33(4), pp.1554-1573.

Munir, H. and Akhter, M., 2021. A Study on Association between the Perceptions of Principals and Teachers Regarding College Principals’ Leadership Style in Perspective of Situational Leadership Theory. Journal of Arts & Social Sciences (JASS), 8(1), pp.147-155.

Ramadhanti, N.A., 2022. Peran green creativity memediasipengaruh green transformational leadership terhadap environmental performance padakaryawan PT. Coca Cola Amatil Indonesia di Sumedang. SKRIPSI-2022.

Reed, R., 2021. Higher Education Administrator Turnover: An Examination of Situational Leadership Styles. College & University, 96(1).
van Eyck, W. and Steenkamp, Y., 2021. Leadership Capacities Contributing to the Success of a Multi-Stakeholder Partnership in Eswatini. In Sustainable Development Goals for Society Vol. 1 (pp. 155-167). Springer, Cham.

Wuryani, E., Rodlib, A., Sutarsib, S., Dewib, N. and Arifb, D., 2021. Analysis of decision support system on situational leadership styles on work motivation and employee performance. Management Science Letters, 11(2), pp.365-372.

About Coca-Cola 2022 [accessed through] [online] https://investors.coca-colacompany.com/about/segments/asia-pacific [accessed on 27th September 2022]

About leadership 2022 [accessed through] [online] https://asana.com/resources/situational-leadership [accessed on 27th September 2022]