This role play assignment you will use the CEO of the same organization that you chose in week 2. Do not select a different organization for this assignment.
CEO Introduction (300 words)
Prepare and post a “self-introduction” in your role as the CEO.
Introduction: In your CEO role, “your” name and a little about your personal background including your education and major professional experiences before assuming this current position.
Abilities, traits, and experiences that have enabled “you” to achieve “your” current leadership position. In doing this, refer to relevant ideas from the readings. If you cannot find evidence to support your characterization of your CEO, you should extrapolate based on what you do discover and then rely on creative license to fill the gaps.
A definition of leadership that you believe the person you are role-playing would support. Base your definition on your research about the CEO and on your understanding of the readings and lectures.
“Your” preferred leadership style. See and refer to the styles discussed by Colquitt et al.
A brief summary of major successes and challenges that “you” believe have contributed to your knowledge and skill as a leader.
A brief summary of preliminary points relevant to the roundtable topic your professor has posted.
as a response to this discussion and use your CEO’s name in the title (eg., Welcome from John Doe). Be sure to cite your sources for this presentation. Many CEOs have been interviewed about leadership and therefore you may be able to find these on the Web. These should also be referenced correctly so others who may be interested in listening to a CEO speech or interview may be able to do so. Also attach your script or include speaker notes.
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CEO Roundtable
Two substantive and value-added contributions to a “CEO Roundtable” discussion on the following topic:
What is your organization doing, or what should it be doing, to ensure it is prepared for success in a marketplace where the workforce increasingly demands increased flexibility in work schedules (including telecommuting) and a broader array of benefits? (150) words)
Discuss opportunities/threats posed to your organization with respect to these challenges, and offer recommendations. (150 words)
To qualify as substantive “value-added” a posting must identify, apply, and critically examine an important and relevant idea pertaining to the topic and must effectively support a recommended position derived from this analysis. To qualify as value-added a posting must offer significant insights beyond what others have already written and should demonstrate an understanding of the industry in which your role play firm is operating.
When participating in the roundtable discussion, assume the CEO you are representing is both well-educated and an avid reader of current management literature, published in both professional and scholarly journals and is therefore able to reference and support ideas rather than relying on opinions and personal experience. (Aside: While it may be possible to find written articles or speeches on leadership by some of the CEOs, this will not be true generally and is not necessary. You are role-playing and therefore have the ability to speak for your CEO.)
1. Required Readings: Colquitt, J.A., Lepine, J.A., & Wesson, M.J. (2015). Organizational behavior: Improving performance and commitment in the workplace (4th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Irwin. Chapters 15 and 16.
2. http://www.ted.com/talks/sheryl_sandberg_why_we_have_too_few_women_leaders
A copy of week 2 submission
FedEx is an American Corporation that provides global courier delivery services, its headquartered is in Memphis, Tennessee. Fedex established its operation in 1971. In my evaluation of Fedex diversity and multiculturalism, the organization has more than 300,000 team members around the globe with operations in over 200 countries; the members come from diverse backgrounds, unique cultural traditions and they speak many different languages. In order to accommodate these differences, Fedex has made diversity an essential part of the organization. On Fedex home page, there is a subheading on the company’s website that is titled “Our People” that has diversity and inclusion where there is a note about what Fedex is doing about multiculturalism, it reads, a critical aspect of any successful diversity program is leadership. The shareholders are not reminded of efforts of the company towards diversity in the CEO’s annual letter to the shareholders, but Frederick Smith, Chairman, President and CEO Fedex stated on the company’s website about diversity that “Our company leaders continue to focus on making sure that diversity remains a part of the FedEx DNA.” According to Alleyne, in her article, out of the 116, 369 members in the United States, 50,326 of them are ethnic minorities and it includes 34, 479 African Americas. The company has a relatively strong minority representation in its senior management with two African Americans as board members out of 13 and 15 out 74 of senior managers are ethnic minorities. Out of the 15 senior managers, eight are black, this put the percentage of Fedex U.S. workforce 40 percent and 28 percent of our management team are minorities (Black Enterprise 2015).
In addition to the acknowledgment of the Black enterprise magazine’s recognition of Fedex as one of the 30 best companies for diversity, also honored Fedex was also a recipient of “Champions of Diversity Awards” (Indiana Minority Business Magazine 2013). The company is also recognized internationally for its diversity, it is listed as one of the great place to work in Europe (Great Place to Work 2014).
Even though Fedex has received awards for excellence in diversity from minority organizations, its record is not without blemish. Stevens Greenhouse in his article “FedEx Agrees to Pay $3 Million to Settle a Bias Case” In 2012, the company agreed to settlement of $3million with The United States Department of Labor to resolve allegations that the company discriminated against 21,635 job seekers at two dozen FedEx facilities in 15 states. As part of the settlement agreement, the company agreed to make changes to correct any discriminatory hiring practices and to give job opportunities to 1703 of the people rejected when those positions become available (New York Times 2012).
There are few scholarly articles on Fedex, but none of them address the issue of diversity. In order to distinguish itself even further by building a workforce and leadership team that is truly representative of the customers it serves and the communities in which it operates, the company has to ask employees for referrals, they are in good position to know a qualified candidate that is searching for employment. The human resources of the organization must be aware of the inclusion of multicultural workforce for the program to be successful and provision of onsite benefits like flexible work schedule and and child care center will encourage more diverse of people to join Fedex.
Alleyne, S. (2015). The 30 Best Companies For Diversity. Black Enterprise. Retrieved from http://www.blackenterprise.com/mag/the-30-best-companies-for-diversity/10/
Great Places to Work. (2014). The Best Multinational Workplaces in Europe in 2014. Retrieved from
http://www.greatplacetowork.net/best-companies/best-workplaces-in-europe/best-multinational-workplaces-in-europe/1925-2014
Greenhouse, S. (2012). FedEx Agrees to Pay $3 Million to Settle a Bias Case. Retrieved from
Indianapolis Recorder. (2013). Champions of Diversity Awards. Indiana Minority Business Magazine. Retrieved fromhttp://www.indianapolisrecorder.com/news/article_559f2676-60ca-11e2-8746-001a4bcf887a.html
