Organizational Leadership

1. Based on you knowledge of the Enron case (Google it), what part did culture play in its actions and ultimate demise?

A unique corporate culture is hard to duplicate or imitate and thus helps to sustain a firm’s competitive advantage. Organizational cultures vary widely in the extent to which they are woven into the fabric of the organization’s practices and behavioral norms. The strength of any culture depends on the degree to which these norms and practices are widely shared and strongly held throughout the organization.

2. Describe some of the practices, policies, and norms that you would expect to find in an organization that prides itself on building a culture of respect and trust.

An organization’s culture is considered strong and cohesive when it conducts its business according to a clear and explicit set of principles and values that are widely shared. In this culture, management commits considerable time to communicating these principles and values and explaining how they relate to the mission and strategies of the organization. Ultimately, high-performing cultures have what some have described as a culture of discipline-where everyone is responsible to the values of the company, to its expectations, and to the purpose its serves. 3. Describe the different generations that make up what some people are now referring to as “generational diversity” and identify their unique characteristics. What are the implications of generational diversity on effective leadership?

Another demographic trend is the age mix. The aging trend has now created what some have called generational or age diversity in the workplace. For the first time, for distinct generations comprise today’s workforce—the Traditionalists (1900-1945), the Baby Boomers (1946-1964), the Generation Xers (1965-1980), and the Millennials (1981-2000).