PLEASE RESPOND TO THE FOLLOWING POST OF A CLASSMATE IN 100 WORDS, Remember that your posts must be substantive and contribute to the dialogue that is taking place and Response posts must offer at least TWO new piece of information or insight.
1) To what extent, if at all, can organizational cultures be created and actively managed by leaders.
Organizational culture is not a random occurrence but a deliberate creation of effective leadership. It's the leadership's responsibility to shape it, as it reflects the organization's values and beliefs. The most influential factors in shaping an organization's culture are its leadership values, preferences, and industry demands. The culture of a company, especially in its formative years, is intricately linked to the personality, background, and values of its founder or founders, as well as their vision for the organization's future. In essence, leadership values shape the organizational rules, the company's structure, and the people it employs. Organizational values become an integral part of the corporate culture to the extent that they contribute to the company's success. As leaders, you have the power and responsibility to shape your organization's culture, and in doing so, you can significantly impact its success.
Welcoming diversity can significantly benefit both the company and its employees. It has been proven that having global leadership skills can enhance a company's reputation, contributing to a sustainable competitive advantage. Creating an organizational culture starts with having a multicultural leader who encompasses the skills and attitudes needed to relate effectively and motivate people across race, gender, age, and social attitudes and lifestyles (DuBrin, 2019). Specific traits such as cultural sensitivity, cultural intelligence, and certain specific global leadership skills are essential in inspiring people from other cultures. The leader must be aware of overt and subtle cultural differences to influence, motivate, and inspire culturally diverse individuals. Understanding key dimensions of differences in cultural values and the influence of cultural values on leadership style (DuBrin, 2019) is crucial. These dimensions include performance orientation, assertiveness, future and time orientation, gender egalitarianism, human orientation, power distance, work orientation, and uncertainty avoidance. Embracing these differences can lead to new and innovative ideas, fostering an open-minded and optimistic culture.
Leaders constantly interact with and deal with interpersonal relationships influenced by cultural values. In addition, cultural sensitivity, cultural intelligence, and certain specific global leadership skills are essential for inspiring people from culturally diverse groups. Leaders must be aware of overt and subtle cultural differences, as this understanding can significantly influence their organizational leadership practices. This awareness is a critical point, as it can help leaders foster a more inclusive environment. Another critical point is to surround yourself with a diverse workforce that can help create new and innovative ideas.
Commitment to valuing diversity and inclusion in the workplace is a commitment to the organization. This commitment is most evident when it is embedded in the organizational strategy and the organization's life and culture. To do this, organizations can establish diversity initiatives that encourage all employees to contribute their talents, skills, and expertise to organizational operations independent of race, gender, or ethnic background. In addition, leaders must be held accountable for taking the initiative to ensure that all activities are implemented to support the diversity strategy.
2)Provide a recent example of revolutionary thinking by a company. No repeats please, each company can only be used once.
Vertex Pharmaceuticals is a prime example of a company that has exemplified revolutionary thinking. Vertex is a global biotechnology company that invests in scientific innovation to create transformative medicines for people with severe and life-threatening diseases. Their unwavering commitment to scientific innovation has led to the discovery and development of the first CRISP-Case9 gene-editing treatment for cystic fibrosis. This rare, life-threatening genetic disease affects the red blood cells, which are essential for carrying oxygen to all organs and tissues of the body. Cystic fibrosis causes severe pain, organ damage, and shortened life span. The CRISPR/Cas9 gene-edited therapy was put into clinical trials in 2018, and this treatment is now approved in some countries for certain eligible people living with Cystic fibrosis.
References
DuBrin, A. J. (2019). Leadership: research findings, practice, and skills. Cengage Learning.
Sickle cell disease. (n.d.). Vertex. https://www.vrtx.com/our-science/pipeline/sickle-cell-disease/Links to an external site.
