Reference no: EM133356975

Assignment:

1. Look up the mission statements for a company. Have they mentioned any stakeholders in their mission statement? [e.g., customers, suppliers, managers/employees, community-at-large, owners, or any other stakeholders]. Now, look up their vision statement as well. Do you feel that their vision and mission statements are constructive and useful as a means of motivating employees and providing a strong strategic direction? Why? Why not?

[Note: Annual reports, along with the Internet, may be good sources of information.]

2. Select a company that competes in an industry in which you are interested. What are some of the recent demands that stakeholders have placed on this company? Can you find examples of how the company is trying to develop "symbiosis" (interdependence and mutual benefit) among its stakeholders?

[Hint: Firms can achieve stakeholder symbiosis by learning stakeholder interests and looking for overlaps. You can look up various issues such as global warming, fair trade (in agricultural goods), sustainability, corporate social responsibility, and so on. For example, firms that use a triple bottom line and evaluate their performance in financial, social, and environmental dimensions are likely to have good reputations with customers, governments, and the community at large.]

[Note: While you can use the same company you used in the previous question, please feel free to use a new company for this question.]

3. Select a company and look up its website. What are some of the key events that would represent the "romantic" perspective of leadership? What are some of the key events that depict the "external control" perspective of leadership?

[Hint: For this company, you may have to look a bit to get to the information on company leadership. Usually, at the bottom of the first page is a link to "about us." For example, if you go to the Ford's website (www.ford.com), it includes information on its historical roots, which is linked to the romantic perspective of leadership. It takes a couple of clicks, but you can get to Henry Ford's vision of paying workers $5 a day in 1914.

The company still carries the Ford name, which suggests that a long-standing corporate culture drives decision-making. There are also links to corporate governance and the members of the board of directors. These emphasize the importance of these leaders for representing Ford's perspective to outside interests. For the external control perspective, Ford offers a number of explanations for its organizational success, such as great styling, a strong presence in social media, and descriptions of competitive advantages such as flexible, global production, and cost savings. And Ford's sustainability report emphasizes its responsiveness to various stakeholders and social responsibility.]

[Note: While you can use the same company you used in the previous question(s), please feel free to use a new company for this question].