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Stewardship theory
Leadership influence on organizational culture
Stewardship theory
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After Volkswagen was exposed with their emissions-cheating scandal last year, they have been forced to make some changes within the company. To gain back the lost trust and their reputation with their customers, Volkswagen has been trying to restructure the company, in a way, that adds more transparency and eventually will lead them away from the old habits and into a new fresh start where fraud and unethical behavior is less likely to occur.
Looking at reports about Volkswagen, a general picture of the company’s structure and culture has been given as two of the main reasons for the emissions-cheating scandal to happen. (Ferrazzi, 2015) One of the first changes to happen within the company was letting go of CEO Martin Winterkorn, and getting
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(Boston, 2016) Müller has also prioritised changes in the culture by demanding more openness, trust and cooperation among colleagues and restoring Volkswagen’s social responsibility (Volkswagen AG, 2015) These changes shift Volkswagen towards more Stewardship style of management. Stewardship theory emphasises more collectivistic culture, co-operation and trust among colleagues, where Müller proclaims to transmit the corporate culture. It remains to be seen how change will occur, at the moment it is too early to analyse in depth how CEO Müller’s declarations will …show more content…
He has nearly replaced more than a dozen senior executives, and eliminated three positions on the management board. As a leader, Müller is known for promoting dialogue between his employees, unlike Winterkorn who mostly only let a few of his advisors near his office (Boston, 2016)
Even though Müller has already tried to improve the communication and the culture in the company, it is still too early to say if these changes have had an impact on the company or not.
As for the future, Volkswagen have already revealed some plans about how they will add even more structural changes to the company. According to a report from automotive news, Volkswagen is planning on reorganize the company into a decentralized system with four holdings companies. This is how they plan to go about it:
• Former BMW manager Herbert Diess will be in charge of the holding company that will run the Volkswagen, Skoda and Seat passenger car brands.
• The Audi, Lamborghini and Ducati brands will form another holding company led by Audi CEO Rupert Stadler.
• Porsche, Bentley and Bugatti will be grouped together in a single unit under current Porsche boss Matthias Mueller.
• Volkswagen Commercial vehicles and the Scania and MAN heavy truck brands will form another division led by former Daimler trucks boss Andreas Renschler. (News,
In an evolving culture of dedication and communication, employees know desire up-to-date and precise information. Efficient communication enables employees to adapt because they have the needed information available (Smith & Milligan, 2015). This strategy will be more effectual because companies that can align individual and corporate goals will experience more prosperity. To achieve this aim, Jeffers needs to commit to becoming an exceptional communicator, otherwise leading effectively is unfeasible and he will continue to experience organizational culture
Reputation is a company’s biggest asset so you would think that organisations would avoid engaging in any sort of business that would put its reputation in jeopardy. Nevertheless, many organisations find their credibility destroyed due to practices that are harmful and illegal, which could land a CEO’s in prison.
The cheating Scandal at Volkswagen sparked many debates and wide spread complaints on the acts itself, and how these acts are/were handled by the justice system. Among most of these complaints, one topic that was common was that most of frauds/cheatings having major effects are getting more and more frequent and are somehow getting by with almost no major moral consequences. There were also some rather interesting take on honesty that were presentenced on some of the article.
After a period of continuing growth, the stagnant sales growth of the automotive industry in the late 1970s led all car makers to start to look for methods to fit the new climate. With the purpose of using money on research and development more effectively, spreading the risk of making main components in greater volume, and accessing to new market which were hard to enter, more and more automobile producers reached to the conclusion of collaborating with others. In addition, to remain independent, joint venture seemed to be the best answer. (Campbell, Stonehouse & Houston 2002)
Rolls-Royce is an established company that deals in manufacturing aircraft engines and other parts. It also has a branch that specializes in cars. It has been in existence for a long time, implying a vast resource reservoir and experience in the whole business. Apparently, the company ticks as one of the top world dealers in aero-civil industry (Wilson, 2007).
Company Overview: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG (BMW) is a German holding company and automobile manufacturer that focuses on the automobile and motorcycle markets worldwide. Franz Josef Popp founded the company in March 1916. BMW is headquartered in Munich, Bavaria, Germany. It also owns and produces Mini cars, and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. BMW produces motorcycles under BMW Motorrad. It divides its activities into the three main segments: Automobiles, Motorcycles and Financial Services. Its BMW automobile range encompasses the 1 Series, including three-door, five-door, coupe and convertible models; the 3 Series, including sedan, touring, coupe and convertible models; the brand new 4 series, featuring an only coupe design; the 5 Series, available in sedan and touring models; the 6 Series, available as a coupe or convertible; the 7 Series large sedan; the Z4 roadster and coupe; the sports utility vehicles, X3, X5 and X6 and M models, such as M3, M5 and M6. It has producing, assembly, service and sales subsidiaries throughout the world. For the sake of this project, I will be focusing on BMW’s automobile range mentioned above but specifically the 3 series line. The BMW 3 series proves to be the most profitable line due to its relatively low cost and affordability whilst featuring the thrill and power of a German engineered vehicle.
In 2014, researchers from West Virginia found out that recent models of Volkswagen vehicles were emitting up to 40 times the allowed levels of nitrogen oxides (2). These vehicles had a special software that would determine when the vehicle was in laboratory testing conditions, and the software would then alter the vehicle 's functionality to emit the legal amount of nitrogen oxides allowed by the EPA. The software was found in around half a million vehicles in the United States. In addition to the bad publicity, the Volkswagen scandal will cost the company at least $15.3 billion dollars in compensation to the owners of the affected vehicles (3). In 2016, Volkswagen engineer James Liang pleaded guilty for being a crucial part in developing the illegal software (3). The software was created because Volkswagen was unable to meet the rigorous EPA emission standards. Therefore, a small team of engineers including James Liang decided to cheat the emission exams to allow Volkswagen vehicles to be sold in the U.S.
Market Segmentation, Positioning and targeting for BMW 1.1 Introduction This report aims to examine the market segmentation, positioning and targeting of BMW (automobile company). BMW will be examined giving information about the company and where it is now and any recommendations that we feel are appropriate. 1.2 BMW Company Profile BMW was formed in 1917, from the merger of two small aero engine makers. Their famous blue and white symbol stems from the colours of the Bavarian Luftwaffe and is said to resemble the view of the one of their plane through a propeller. BMW is renowned for its sporty, sophisticated & luxury image which has been built up since the 1970's with many motor sport victories ranging from Touring Car to Formula 1.
Audi is majorly owned subsidiary of the Volkswagen (VW) Group and is headquartered in Germany and operation in more than 100 countries. With the commitment the implement progressive technology and its technological ingenuity, by late 1990’s Audi became globally respected brand among luxury automakers. After its entry in luxury sector in early 1990’s, Audi leveraged its ingenuity and gained the competitive edge over the industry parameters of innovative design, safety and performance. Today, Audi remains focused on satisfying on customer needs by building a brand that exemplifies individuality, exclusivity and excellence.
Last Sunday, the company’s then CEO, Martin Winterkorn, issued a brief statement declaring that the Board of Management at Volkswagen AG “takes these findings very seriously.” The findings revealed that the automaker used “defeat devices” to fool emissions testing, effectively concealing the reality that certain cars spew emissions some 10 to 40 times the legal limit.
It brought organisational culture to the performance of a company, which has become a critical topic in management department. In addition to organisational culture, organisations need to be aware and prepared for changes in the expanding workforce as business grows. Companies are faced with maximizing benefits as well as profits while minimizing negative factors that come from those changes. There is no one answer to the issue, but some of the guidelines are clear. Awareness of organisational culture, teamwork, individual performance, external environment adaptation, leadership, and measurement of organisational culture are key factors that lead a company to perform better.
Nowadays, BMW Group Company is a powerful international company represented all over the world with more than 96,000 employees and over 1 million vehicles sold every year. Importers in 120 countries represent the BMW and worldwide sales organisation comprise...
Corporate culture is the shared values and meanings that members hold in common and that are practiced by an organization’s leaders. Corporate culture is a powerful force that affects individuals in very real ways. In this paper I will explain the concept of corporate culture, apply the concept towards my employer, and analyze the validity of this concept. Research As Sackmann's Iceberg model demonstrates, culture is a series of visible and invisible characteristics that influence the behavior of members of organizations. Organizational and corporate cultures are formal and informal. They can be studied by observation, by listening and interacting with people in the culture, by reading what the company says about its own culture, by understanding career path progressions, and by observing stories about the company. As R. Solomon stated, “Corporate culture is related to ethics through the values and leadership styles that the leaders practice; the company model, the rituals and symbols that organizations value, and the way organizational executives and members communicate among themselves and with stakeholders. As a culture, the corporation defines not only jobs and roles; it also sets goals and establishes what counts as success” (Solomon, 1997, p.138). Corporate values are used to define corporate culture and drive operations found in “strong” corporate cultures. Boeing, Johnson & Johnson, and Bonar Group, the engineering firm I work for, all exemplify “strong” cultures. They all have a shared philosophy, they value the importance of people, they all have heroes that symbolize the success of the company, and they celebrate rituals, which provide opportunities for caring and sharing, for developing a spiri...
BMW was found in 1913 by Karl Rapp as an aircraft engine design shop. After WWI, it started building motorcycles and then expanded into motor vehicles industry during the 1930's. After WWII, the company suffered again but survived later when Herbert Quandt took over the control in 1959. The company rapidly grew considerably and reached a market value of nine billion U.S. dollars in 1979; however, it was still small compared to the big U.S. auto manufacturer. Profits continued to grow up quickly. By 1995, BMW had thirty-four wholly owned subsidiaries, fourteen in Germany and twenty around the world. They also discovered that U.S. market would be the largest and fastest growing market for BMW.
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, shortly known as BMW, is a German manufacturer of luxurious automobiles and motorcycles. BMW group is not simply one name: it is also the parent company of other premium brands such as the MINI, the Rolls-Royce and the motorcycling company Husqvarna. For the purpose of providing a maximum of details, this essay will just focus on the automobile part of BMW as it is more significant than the motorcycle segment and since they have a lot of overlapping factors.