Coca-Cola Company: Leadership Qualities and SWOT Analysis
INTRODUCTION
For this task, you will write a paper on an existing organization with which you have had personal experience. The organization can be a business or a nonprofit, and you may represent any level of the organization (e.g., team, department, division, whole) in your analysis.
You will first describe the chosen organization. Your description of the organization should convey personal experience, rather than information gained from secondhand sources or media coverage. You will then perform a SWOT analysis on that organization. Last, you will analyze that organization’s leadership.
Note: Any information that would be considered confidential, proprietary, or personal in nature should not be included in the actual task submission to WGU. Do not include the actual names of people, suppliers, the organization(s), or other identifiable information. Fictional names should be used. Also, organization-specific data, including financial information, should not be included but should be addressed in a general fashion as appropriate. Work performed for clients and employers is their property and should not be used without written permission.
REQUIREMENTS
Your submission must be your original work. No more than a combined total of 30% of the submission and no more than a 10% match to any one individual source can be directly quoted or closely paraphrased from sources, even if cited correctly. The originality report that is provided when you submit your task can be used as a guide.
You must use the rubric to direct the creation of your submission because it provides detailed criteria that will be used to evaluate your work. Each requirement below may be evaluated by more than one rubric aspect. The rubric aspect titles may contain hyperlinks to relevant portions of the course.
Write a paper (suggested length of 8-10 pages) by doing the following:
A. Describe an existing organization with which you have had personal experience and its objective(s).
1. Describe three leadership practices of the current leader, other than yourself, in the existing organization.
Note: Leadership practices are routine actions, behaviors, functions, and responsibilities that the current leader performs.
2. Discuss how the current leader has affected organizational culture.
Note: You may represent any level of the chosen organization (e.g., team, department, division, whole) and the respective current leader in your description.
B. Conduct a SWOT analysis evaluating the chosen organization by doing the following:
1. Evaluate two of the organization’s current strengths.
2. Evaluate two of the organization’s current weaknesses.
3. Evaluate two of the organization’s current unmet opportunities.
4. Evaluate two of the organization’s current unresolved threats.
C. Conduct a leadership evaluation of the current leader discussed in part A1, using one of the scholarly leadership theories below that is different from task 1, by doing the following:
• transactional leadership PLEASE USE THIS THEORY
1. Evaluate three strengths of the current leader, using the chosen scholarly leadership theory, including how each strength relates to the theory. Support the evaluation of the leader’s strengths with at least one scholarly source.
2. Evaluate three weaknesses of the current leader, using the chosen scholarly leadership theory, including how each weakness relates to the theory. Support the evaluation of the leader’s weaknesses with at least one scholarly source.
3. Recommend three actionable items to improve the effectiveness of the current leader, including how each actionable item relates to the chosen scholarly leadership theory. Support the recommendations of actionable items with at least one scholarly source.
Note: The recommendations need to address the current leaders identified leadership weakness.
Note: A scholarly source could be a reputable journal, a published book, or any source from a university faculty member or business leader. Scholarly sources also include any article or book in the online WGU library.
D. Acknowledge sources, using in-text citations and references, for content that is quoted, paraphrased, or summarized.
E. Demonstrate professional communication in the content and presentation of your submission.
RUBRIC
A: ORGANIZATION DESCRIPTION:
COMPETENT
The description includes specific details about the existing organization and its overall objective(s).
A1: LEADERSHIP PRACTICES:
COMPETENT
The description includes specific details of each of the 3 leadership practices of the current leader in the existing organization, and the current leader identified is not the candidate.
A2: EFFECTS OF CURRENT LEADER ON CULTURE:
COMPETENT
The discussion includes specific details about the organization’s culture and is supported by specific examples of the current leader’s effect on the organizational culture.
B1: CURRENT STRENGTHS:
COMPETENT
The evaluation of 2 of the organization’s current strengths includes specific details, and the strengths identified have a positive impact on the organization.
B2: CURRENT WEAKNESSES:
COMPETENT
The evaluation of 2 of the organization’s current weaknesses includes specific details, and the weaknesses identified have a negative impact on the organization.
B3: CURRENT OPPORTUNITIES:
COMPETENT
The evaluation of 2 of the organization’s current unmet opportunities includes specific details, and the opportunities identified have the potential to benefit the organization.
B4: CURRENT THREATS:
COMPETENT
The evaluation of 2 of the organization’s current unresolved threats includes specific details, and the threats identified have the potential to threaten the organization.
C1: STRENGTHS OF THE CURRENT LEADER:
COMPETENT
The submission evaluates 3 strengths of the current leader using the chosen scholarly leadership theory and includes specific details of each strength and specific examples to support how each strength relates to the chosen theory. The evaluation is supported by at least 1 appropriate scholarly source.
C2: WEAKNESSES OF THE CURRENT LEADER:
COMPETENT
The submission evaluates 3 weaknesses of the current leader using the chosen scholarly leadership theory and includes specific details of each weakness and specific examples to support how each weakness relates to the chosen theory. The evaluation is supported by at least 1 appropriate scholarly source.
C3: RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE CURRENT LEADER:
COMPETENT
The submission recommends 3 actionable items to improve the current leader’s effectiveness,
and the recommendations align to the chosen scholarly leadership theory and include specific examples to support how each actionable item relates to the chosen theory. The recommendations are supported by at least 1 appropriate scholarly source.
D: SOURCES
COMPETENT
The submission includes in-text citations for sources that are properly quoted, paraphrased, or summarized and a reference list that accurately identifies the author, date, title, and source location as available.
E: PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATION
. COMPETENT
Content reflects attention to detail, is organized, and focuses on the main ideas as prescribed in the task or chosen by the candidate. Terminology is pertinent, is used correctly, and effectively conveys the intended meaning. Mechanics, usage, and grammar promote accurate interpretation and understanding.
Organization and Leadership Evaluation
By (Name)
Institution Affiliation
Course Name
Instructor
Due Date
About the Company
The company that I have had direct experience with is the Coca-Cola beverage company. The Coca-Cola Company is a beverage company with franchises across different parts of the world. The company manufactures nonalcoholic beverages. Coca-Cola is a sugary drink which the company is known to produce. The company distributes its syrup concentrates across its franchises across the world. Apart from the sugary drinks, the company deals with a wide range of merchandise and produces more reduced sugars products. Coca-Cola Company is one of the largest plastic waste producers (The Coca-Cola Company, 2021). However, the company is skewed towards environment conservation by adopting water replenishment and plastic waste recycling. The Coca-Cola Company is operated under the objective of refreshing the world. It has its franchises globally, inspiring happy moments, creating value, and making a difference in the world. Additionally, with the emerging environmental and health issues, the company is committed to producing products that are sugar-free for the health sake of its consumers and has partnered with several environmental conservation bodies to conserve the environment by reducing waste.
Leadership Qualities
The Coca-Cola Company is headed by a chief executive officer named Simon Courtney, who oversees the company's operations and makes strategic decisions for the company. Courtney works collaboratively with other executives and the employees to ensure quality and maintain its competitive position. Simon Courtney is characterized by being a relationship mentor in the company. The CEO strategized a culture that offers the employees room for growth and employs employees from diverse backgrounds. Courtney goes above his limits to ensure employees are provided with relevant training, opportunities, and support for continuous development and to explore their potential while working for the company. Courtney has adapted his leadership skills to accommodate the diverse needs of his employees; he acknowledges the need for growth, work-life balance. Courtney ensures employees are offered the necessary mental and financial support to ensure their welfare is considered in the job and outside the work constraints. The consistent accommodation of his employees makes Courtney a mentor and a support system for the Coca-Cola company fraternity.
The CEO is also committed to promoting relationships among colleagues rather than primarily focusing on competitiveness. Courtney believes that employees' reviews go beyond their competition and other parameters work in handy (Gopinath & Titus, 2018). Having a good relationship among the Coca-Cola company employees is significant in ensuring collaborative performance towards a common goal and having constant growth. Courtney believes that fostering a good working relationship among the employees and encouraging them to improve routinely will make his company thrive and meet its goals and objectives. Therefore, Simon Courtney is in the front line in strategizing and enforcing a corporate culture that promotes connections among teams members through focus groups and team building, which is anticipated to improve the company's overall performance.
Simon Courtney is aware of the importance of having new talents in the company's workforce. Therefore, the CEO is committed to scouting new skills into the company to foster innovation, diversity, and differentiation. Courtney maintains a constant lookout for fresh talent. Having a full working position does not become a barrier because change is crucial for the company. Courtney believes that bringing the extra force into the company to bring more change would have positive impacts compared to overlooking it (Gopinath & Titus, 2018). The CEO ensures networking between the company and prospective employees to ensure there is leadership practice improvement and learning of new skills. Also, having potential candidates for change in the company is a great backup plan for the company if there is an urgent need for adjustments. The Coca-Cola Company CEO attends exhibitions and shows to meet new people, explore their strengths, and evaluate their potential interest in working for his company when an open position is made available. As Mr. Courtney attends the trade shows and exhibitions to explore talents, he allows his employees to be part of the external exposure to exchange ideas and learn new things they can apply to the company to ensure growth and performance.
How Mr. Courtney has Affected the Organization Culture
Being an approachable mentor in the company, the CEO, Simon Courtney, has ensured a flow of information within the company. The employees work cohesively with each other and communicate consistently with the management in case of emerging issues within the company. Having consistent communication between the employees and the administration has the employees' complaints addressed promptly. Additionally, the mentoring trait of Mr. Courtney has fostered dynamism and collaborative culture within the organizations. The employees offer the necessary help to their colleagues when they are troubled or facing challenges. The understanding among themselves makes it easy to identify when one of their colleagues faces troubles or difficulties at work.
Promoting relationships among the employees has had the company workforce working with determination and less supervision. The CEO's leadership quality encourages the worth of the employees and makes them feel like part of the organization. Therefore, the employees keep the success of the Coca-Cola company at heart which makes them offer their best in ensuring the company meets its goals and objectives. According to Gallow (2021), employees are one of the significant assets of any organization. The CEO of Coca-Cola company ensures that employees are always motivated and energized to deliver every new day. Mr. Courtney has fostered diversity in Coca-Cola's organizational culture. Bringing new talents into the company's workforce ensures replenishment of the employees' commitments and quality delivery. Also, giving the employees the opportunities to grow through training and external benchmarking serves the company a good course. There is continuous growth touching on the overall performance of the employees and the company's growth. Herefore, the efforts put by the CEO in ensuring the employees' welfare are addressed positively impact the company's organizational culture, skewing it towards success and systematic improvement.
SWOT Analysis
Strengths
Strong brand awareness
The company is one of the most notably recognized brands across the world. It is commonly identified by its signature logo, classic red and white colors, and it's a drink for consumers of all ages. Coca-Cola company seems to have retained a good number of loyal customers. Many of its consumers have deemed themselves fans of its products with long-term intentions of not shifting into other brands. Since its development, the company has continually maintained its position in the top post as the clear-cutter winner in the sectors of the beverage business (Business Strategy Hub., 2021). Additionally, through its vast financial resources, the company has gained sizable market shares in several countries around the globe.
Strong distribution networks
The company has ensured easier availability of its products through its world's largest distribution networks to approximately 200 countries worldwide. It has also utilized owned distributors, independent bottlers, wholesalers, and retailers from different places. The company's meaningful distribution network has offered it opportunities of enhancing its levels of safety and quality control for its goods. Nevertheless, its steady distribution channel has been advantageous in expanding and growing towards new customers based in remote locations. Therefore, its robust distribution channel has been mainly enhanced through its diversified operations across different areas.
Weaknesses
Health-Related Concerns
Carbonated drinks are wide...