Roche_Diagnostics

How Roche Diagnostics Develops Global Managers Shannon Goodwin Strayer University Foundation of Human Resources Management HRM 500 Dr. Grace Endres June 11, 2012 Abstract In the last 50 years globalization has played a key role in the unprecedented increase of prosperity. In economic terms, globalization deals with the growing economic integration of the world, as trade, investment and money increasingly cross international borders. Organizations are entering the international market at a more rapid pace than ever. With this entrance into the international marketplace, organizations are finding there are many challenges that affect human resource management activities. One of most important is the need to recruit, train and retain competent global leaders. Hence, this paper will provide the author’s opinion concerning who is responsible for producing global leaders. It will examine the difficulties that may arise in the absence of global leaders. It will discuss public policy changes that can influence companies to become global leaders, as well as outline how small companies can address global leadership development. Lastly, it will provide the author’s recommended opinion on how public policy can influence the development of global leaders in her community. How Roche Diagnostics Develops Global Managers 1. Discuss who is responsible for producing global managers. Who is responsible for producing global leaders, is a question that cannot be answered without first understanding what or who global leaders are. The term, “Global leaders” refers to persons who operate a global business. Global leaders have outstanding communication skills and possess sensitivity to cross-cultures. Global leaders are familiar with the management philosophy and concepts of the company; and are well capable of articulating this philosophy. Strongly committed to the company and filled with passion, global leaders motivate the people who surround them. They also maintain a strong camaraderie with both their subordinates and colleagues (Ohtaki, 2009). Thus, by recognizing the power and influence global leaders have, producing global leaders becomes the responsibility of the organization that desires to operate on a global level. Global organizations must, therefore, be prepared to guide global leaders and create a pool of potential leadership talent (Venkatesh, 2008). These organizations must be skilled at recruiting, developing, and retaining leaders who can get results across national boundaries. Because most global organizations use international assignments as a part of career progression, organizations who apply the principles associated with employee development will have a greater advantage over organizations that do not. Career development assists employees with making the transition to and from their assignments; while it helps the organization capitalize on the knowledge obtained by the employee (Noe, et al., 2011). 2. In your professional field, explain the possible ramifications of not having global leaders. I currently work as a Contracting Officer Technical Representative (COTR) for the Department of Defense, Defense Information System Agency (DISA). DISA is a Combat Support Agency that provides, operates, and assures command and control, information sharing capabilities, and a globally accessible enterprise information infrastructure in direct support to joint warfighters, National level leaders, and other mission and coalition partners across the full spectrum of operations. Within my division of the agency, Network Services, we maintain and support what we call The Defense Information Systems Network (DISN). DISN is a worldwide-protected telecommunications network that enables the exchange of information in an interoperable and global space, partitioned by security demands, transmission requirements, and geographic needs of targeted end-user communities. The DISN offers a selection of integrated standards-based services to fulfill these connectivity needs (DISA.mil, 2012). As a COTR I provide technical advice and guidance to program managers concerning the purchasing of telecommunication equipment that will support effective, timely information exchange to the warfighters. This equipment supports and services the Department of Defense in foreign countries as well as hostile and austere environments. Thus, having global leaders that are skilled at communicating and influencing the powers-that-be regardless of cultural boundaries is highly relevant to success of our operations. With this in mind, some possible ramifications of not having the expertise of our global leaders may include: communications failures - which may cost the lives of many of our military service men and women; lack of professionalism and ethical standards, misunderstandings due to cultural barriers, decline in global relationships, and risk to commitment of global integration and strategy. 3. Roche’s Perspective Programs invest many resources to develop their global leaders. Based on the O’Toole chapter on public policy, discuss the possible changes that can be made in the U.S. to encourage companies to become global leaders. While the United States (U.S.) currently maintains its free-trade policies and its existing national competitiveness of being the global leader in high technology and high value-added goods and services, recent studies show that private corporations will soon become the most power determinant of the American workplace. Hence, the U.S. government will have to change many of its existing policies and programs to continue its competitive advantage. In order to make this happen, the government will have to enact several supportive policies to encourage companies to become global leader. These supportive policies include: revamping of the public education system for grades K-12; increasing American college graduates and university postgraduates; utilizing community college for skill training and retraining; increasing national support for research and development; clarifying Post 9/11 immigration policies as it relates to foreign students and skilled worker; promoting entrepreneurial activities for job creation and innovation; examining laws and policies relating to minimum wages, Social Security, job creation and worker mobility; and separating health insurance from employment status. Such policies will be instrumental in enhancing the ability of corporate executives and individual workers to choose wisely and effectively in matters relating to the workplace (O’Toole & Lawler, 2007). 4. In the absence of resources such as Roche has at its disposal of producing global leaders, describe how smaller organization can address their global leadership development needs. Smaller organizations can develop their global leadership needs by entering the global marketplace as an international organization. International organizations are businesses that set up one or a few facilities in one or a few foreign countries as the demand grows.  With rapid advances in technology and the lowering of costs to communicate across national boundaries, many businesses, whether large or small, have the potential to expand into foreign markets (Noe, et al., 2011). Cultivating a business in another country will require establishing and nurturing business relationships, suppliers, and vendors within that country’s local market. And since it will take time for new products to be marketed and discovered; focusing on measured and consistent growth is a must (E-How.Com, 2011). So, in order to gain competitive advantage small businesses may want to approach their entrance into the foreign market by executing the following six steps: 1) develop a business plan before making any commitments; 2) create a website; 3) build a good management team; 4) seek out other similar businesses within the country and develop a partnership with them; 5) develop an understanding of the country’s culture and the marketplace; and, 6) exercise patience. 5. Recommend how public policy can influence the development of global leaders in your community. In light of the current economic plight of the U.S. and the scare of the 9/11 attacks, I believe not only is there an enormous stigma concerning globalization within my community, but in communities throughout the U.S. Americans are skeptical about any and everything – from purchasing foreign goods to traveling abroad; as well as sitting on a train or a bus next to someone who appears to be a foreign national. This skepticism plagues not only our country, but our communities as well. In the years prior to 9/11 the American mindset was increasingly focused and moving at a rapid pace toward globalization. However, in the last ten to twelve years the American way of life has changed dramatically for the worst; and we are quickly taking a down-turn in the globalization movement. As stated by O’Toole and Lawler (2007), in order to improve our global leadership changes to numerous public policies must take place. However, of all the changes to public policy as outline by O’Toole and Lawler, I believe education reform for grades K-12 is the one that impacts my community the most. Within African American communities there has been steady decline of resources and achievement. Approximately 100,000 – nearly 70% - of African American males drop out of high school each year (Alliance for Excellent Education, 2008). Many experts agree that education reform in disciplines such as math and science is the key to the U.S. maintaining its global competitiveness (O’Toole & Lawler, 2007). In addition, according to Barrett, Ravitch, Weingarten & Brill (2011) to be competitive in the global marketplace, individuals and countries must add value in the workplace which will command a high standard of living. In my opinion, education is the key to adding such value; and the U.S. education system is failing in this arena. Our educational system needs good teachers who are subject matter experts with high expectations and feedback systems that will help students succeed and achieve. Such prerequisites are very difficult to implement for two reasons. First it is almost impossible to apply these fundamentals to a massive public education system that is designed more toward working adults than for learning students. Second, because we are failing to educate students at the post-secondary level, there is a shortage of qualified teachers. Thus, I recommend we piggy-back off other countries and recruit teachers that fall within the top percentage of their graduating class. In addition, it would serve my community’s best interest, if a public policy was enacted that would influence the educational system to implement programs like U-Tech – a program designed to turn subject matter expert into teachers (Barrett, el at., 2011). References Alliance for Excellent Education (2008). African American students and U.S high schools-Fact sheet, September 2008. Retrieve June 10, 2012 from www.all4ed.org/files/GraduationRates_FactSheet.pdf Barrett, C. R., Ravitch, D., Weingarten, R., & Brill, S. (2011, November 11). Education Reform and U.S. Competitiveness. Retrieved December 10, 2011, from http://www.cfr.org/education/education-reform-us-competitiveness/p25816. DISA.Mil (2012). About DISA – Our organizational structure – Network Services. Retrieved June 9, 2012 from http://www.disa.mil/About/Our-Organization-Structure/Network-Services. E-How.Com (2011, February 9). How to Develop A Global Marketplace. Retrieved December 10, 2011, from http://www.ehow.com/how_2050655_develop-global-marketplace-business.html. Noe, R. A., Hollenbeck, J. R., Gerhart, B., & Wright, P. M. (2011). Managing employees’ performance. In Fundamentals of human resource management (4th ed., pp. 456-490). Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill. Ohtaki, R. (2009, March 1). Training Global Business Leaders, the Japanese Experience. Retrieved December 10, 2011, from http://www.aon.com/thought-leadership/asia-connect/mar09/training-global-business-leadership.jsp. O'Toole, J., & Lawler III, E. E. (2007). The New American Workplace. New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan. Venkatesh, B. (2008, June 5). Building Global Leaders-Issues and Challenges. Retrieved December 9, 2011, from http://ezinearticles.com/'Building-Global-Leaders---Issues-and-Challenges&id=1263593.