Business Leader - Indra Nooyi - Essay Example

June 2, Part A: Business Leader: Indra Nooyi c. Analyze the individual's personality based on the following personality traits: Locus of Control (internal or external), Tolerance of Ambiguity (novelty or complexity or insolubility), FIRO-B (needs for inclusion or control and affection), and Cognitive Styles (sensing /intuitive, thinking feeling). Provide examples to justify your answer. c. Locus of control orientation: Nooyi had internal locus of control where she believed that her behavior is guided by her personal decisions and efforts. The outcomes of our actions are a contingent of what we do. This is because people who are high up the organizational structure tend to have more internal control. With very many managerial positions she has held, they have all been worked for with zeal and effort. Consequently, she had challenged herself in her tender years that she will one day be a manager which is now true because of internal control. Likewise, Nooyi was noted to have exhibited a strong personality which took into account different behavioral manifestations that were predominantly based on her decisions. She was noted as “a bit of a rule breaker in her conservative, middle-class world as she grew up… she joined an all-girls' cricket team. She even played guitar in an all-female rock band while studying at Madras Christian College. After earning her undergraduate degree in chemistry, physics, and math, she went on to enroll in the Indian Institute of Management in Calcutta” (Indra K. Nooyi Biography par. 2). These events were strong and unconventional endeavors that confirmed Nooyi’s control of decisions in her life. More so, when she assumed crucial leadership roles in various organizations; some of which she headed and steered as the top honcho; all the more that an internal control was clearly exhibited due to the responsibilities and accountabilities that need decision-making skills and strong leadership governance. Tolerance of ambiguity: by dutifully touting the progress of the company, she had handled the company as her own family. This is because she perceived information that is ambiguous about her management style, gender disparities, and behavior in a neutral way. This leads to risk aversion, and orientation towards diversity. As an example, Nooyi applied different bold and aggressive strategies that proved her high tolerance for ambiguity. She allegedly ventured in diverse deals that expanded the products of Pepsi from just purely beverages to other food products such as the Tropicana orange-juice, Quaker Oats, and Sobe, among others (Indra K. Nooyi Biography). She exemplified that she was not afraid to take risks, as there are strong potentials for productivity and financial success. She was therefore pegged as a visionary and was “ranked No.4 on Forbes magazine's annual survey of the 100 most powerful women in the world” (Chaudhuri par. 5) for her fearless pursuits. FIRO-B: she has a personal approach to the management of the 200,000 employee company. This depicts how she is in control in the management of the company thus showing true company loyalty. In addition she has an extraordinary mode of communication but personally communicating with spouses of the 27 company executive managers. Likewise, her style in leading and professionalism earn the respect from her colleagues. As noted by “her longtime colleague, Steven S. Reinemund, (who) advanced to the position of board chair and chief executive officer. Reinemund had said he would only take the job only if Nooyi came onboard as his second in command. "'I can't do it unless I have you with me,'" she recalled him telling her, according to Business Week” (Indra K. Nooyi Biography: Pointed Pepsi in the Right Direction par. 2). When Reinemund was reported to be replaced by her in 2006, it was acknowledged that she was able to “convince him to stay on as vice chairman and head of the international business for three years after he lost the spot to her, even praising him as a key adviser in her first conference call with investors” (Brady par. 3) which asserts Nooyi’s need for expressed and wanted behavior; as well as her need for inclusion, control and affection. Cognitive Styles: intuitive by having preference for; developing knowledge through deduction; views things globally; view the similarities between two concepts; able to see the connections and integration between parts of a system; theoretical learning; connects processes with goals, often goal rather than process focused; knows something as it is a logical extension of a theory. She exhibits thinking abilities through product diversification and strategic planning of the PepsiCo. Likewise, her cognitive and analytical skills enabled her to exude the appropriate strategies and decisions with regard to creating harmony and balance among her human resources, particularly those who are included among the management team, to wit: “whatever problems she might face in managing her diverse portfolio of businesses, Nooyi deserves credit for how she’s managed a diverse set of ambitious executives” (Brady par. 3). This is made possible because of deciding analytically through examining facts, logical, and depends on cognitive component of attitude. e. Using the attributes of emotional intelligence, analyze the individual's emotional intelligence (self-awareness, self-management, self-motivation, empathy, and interpersonal skills). Self-awareness has the ability to recognize a feeling as it happens. It answers the question what and why; self-management, workplace making of decisions in which the manager is in agreement with choices instead of being told what to do; self-motivation, is what makes people to have that drive to do something thus the driving force of human behavior. As a result it initiates, guides and maintain the goal oriented behaviors. The forces works towards motivation can either be social, biological, emotional or cognitive in nature; empathy is the ability to mutually experience the emotions, thoughts, and direct experience of others; interpersonal skills: is the ability to properly relate with your colleagues. This creates a good rapport within the organization’s workforce and management (Lussier and Achua 154). Nooyi definitely exudes high emotional intelligence in terms of her ability to discern and apply strategies that would motivate her work force and facilitate them into achieving identified goals. As she had rose through the organizational hierarchy of Pepsi, and had assumed different roles and responsibilities in known global organizations, prior to the current position, it could evidently be deduced that her leadership and management style balances task and interpersonal relationships, as well as assuming a more socially responsible stance. It was noted by Brady that “her push to play up PepsiCo’s nutritional offerings may have stumbled amid continued enthusiasm for sugary soda and salty snacks, it underscores her desire to make a positive impact on how people eat worldwide. In the meantime, that passion is likely to keep her at the helm of PepsiCo, where she needs to better navigate the tricky balance between trying to improve consumers’ food choices while embracing more ways to profit from her company’s stable of junk foods” (par. 9). From this statement, it was therefore clearly indicative that Nooyi possesses a high level of emotional intelligence in being sensitive to the needs and demands of various stakeholders. In addition, the strategy that embodied her personal and professional ideals, the Performance for Purpose, was noted to parallel Nooyi’s high emotional intelligence, to wit: “Performance with Purpose, which is focused on generating robust financial returns from designing products for and finding sustainable ways to give back to communities the company serves. Performance with Purpose is premised on offering food and beverages that provide responsible nourishment, minimizing impact on the environment and creating a diverse and inclusive culture that attracts, develops and retains the most talented people” (Indra Nooyi par. 2). f. Analyze the individual's values using Rokeach's categorization of values. With examples, discuss what you perceive to be the leader’s top 3 instrumental and top 3 terminal values. Instrumental values include: ambitious; hard working and aspiring, as manifested in the various managerial positions she has held. She assumed roles and responsibilities ranging from being a senior executive at Motorola; head of strategy in Asea Brown Boveri Inc.; chief financial officer at PepsiCo; prior to assuming the roles of President and CEO; as well as Chairman of PepsiCo; which all confirms her high achievement personality. Likewise, her ability to live up to her dreams and get many accolades shows how capable she is; capable; she is competent and effective in her duties. During her stint, PepsiCo likewise received prestigious awards such as being “ranked among Fast Company’s 2011 World’s Most Innovative Companies for our commitment to healthy research and development; PepsiCo was named among Fortune’s World’s Most Admired Companies in 2011, for the third consecutive year; PepsiCo was again included in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI World and DJSI North America) in 2010 for our economic, environmental and social performance” (PepsiCo Quick Facts: Recent Rewards and Recognition 1). The position of a C.E.O. is to be held by someone who is capable and Nooyi has shown that effectively. Her open mindedness; the broad mind has enabled to move up the ladder in the corporate world. Also she injects fresh ideas from the various positions she has held elsewhere (456-458). Terminal values include: social recognition, many young are inspired by the achievements of Nooyi especially in India. This was attributed to the fact that she is a devout Hindu and mother. There had been significant awards and accolades attributed to her name: “Fortune magazine’s annual ‘Most Powerful Women in Business’ list for five years consecutively, from 2006 to 2010; Padma Bhusan, the third highest civilian award in the Republic of India, by the Government of India in 2007; America’s Best Business Leaders in 2008 by the US News and World Report; fourth place in Forbes magazine’s ‘The World’s 100 Most Powerful Women’ list in 2008 and 2009” (Jacklyn pars. 8-10). She was able to balance work with an exciting life, irrespective of handling the family and corporate issues; as such, the company continues registering improved profits. Self-respect was manifested by exhibiting self-esteem that does not despise any one, irrespective of their position in the organization, to invoke and involve wisdom (459-460). Works Cited Brady, Diane. "PepsiCo's Nooyi Is Focused on Retention, Not Succession." 12 March 2012. Bloomberg BusinessWeek. 19 April 2013 . Chaudhuri, Joyjeet. "Personality: Indra Nooyi." November 2009. gkspecialist.blogspot.com. 19 April 2013 . "Indra K. Nooyi Biography." 2013. Encyclopedia of World Biography. 19 April 2013 . "Indra Nooyi." n.d. The Wall Street Journal. 19 April 2013 . Jacklyn. "INDRA NOOYI: ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL WOMEN IN BUSINESS." 17 October 2012. South Asian Diaspora. 19 April 2013 . "PepsiCo Quick Facts: Recent Rewards and Recognition." n.d. PepsiCo. 19 April 2013 . Read More