Personal Essay

For your Fortune 100 Company, prepare a three page essay discussing the Leadership and Labor structures in place. Research the Leadership structure of your company to determine what kind of environment it establishes for employees. Discuss whether it is decentralized or centralized or a matrix structure and whether it helps or hinders performance for the corporation, employees, people doing business with the company, etc. Can you draw conclusions about the organization's ability to respond to change in the marketplace?

Alternatively, you may select a particular leader within the corporation or one of its business units and discuss the management style of that particular individual. You may discuss how the individual approaches the four functions of management, planning, organizing, leading and controlling people and resources. Include a brief summary of the leadership team, qualifications and notable achievements. Comment on the perceived effectiveness of the Leader or Leadership team in place. How has the company performed under this leader? From your research, is this someone you would like to work for?

There are many aspects of the Management and Leadership concepts that could be selected for the focus of your paper. Review the text (Chapters 7, 8, 10 and 11) for some of the key terms and learning goals to see if one of those inspire you or enable you to connect with the management and leadership of your company. For example:

Were there any instances of management coming under suspicion for dishonest practices? Were the allegations appropriate? What could be done to avoid the situation?

Does the size of your company impact the style of management, autocratic, participative, or free rein? If so, how and what type of manager would you be in this organization if given the opportunity?

Can your company's leadership team be trained to alter its leadership style? If so, how?

Have there been reports of significant restructuring of functions or management? How was it accomplished? In your opinion, has the restructuring been a success? Why or why not?

Is the labor force unionized? If so, what is the company's track record in managing unions? If not, is managing the labor force a significant management issue for this company? If so, what techniqes are being used/should be used to maintain a motivated workforce? Is this a company you would consider working with?

Please follow the same conventions