Running head: OGL 350 MODULE 7 PAPER

OGL 350 Module 7 Paper

Rachael E. Lohnes

Arizona State University

Author Note

Rachael E. Lohnes is a student at Arizona State University studying Organizational Leadership.

Contact: [email protected]
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OGL 350 MODULE 7 PAPER

This final module places a focus on understanding the challenges and benefits of diverse

teams, the influence of culture on management styles, and gaining an awareness of the

competencies that are needed to effectively manage diverse teams and organizations. Using

“Introduction to the Special Issue on Diversity and Leadership”, “The Development of

Multicultural Competencies”, and “Diversity and Leadership in a Changing World” we explore

future potential leadership positions that I may possibly hold.

The thing that I find most important in an organization is the level of care that they

provide for their employees. I currently work as a shift supervisor at Starbucks, in the future I

could see myself working in a human resource management role. Specifically, I would like to

work for the Starbucks PCC. PCC is the Partner Contact Center. This is a resource that

Starbucks partners can call with any questions they may have. For example, when I first became

a shift supervisor I felt overwhelmed by the amount of policies and procedures there were. Our

store had been having issues with partners being late and calling off, so our store manager told

the shift team that she had printed corrective action forms and that we were responsible for

filling them out anytime there was an issue with a partner. The first time I had a major conflict

with a partner was on a day that both the assistant manager and store manager were off. I had

texted them after a partner got extremely aggressive with me and they did not get back to me.

The next day I still had not heard anything from my managers so I called PCC to see what I

should do. I explained the whole situation to the person at PCC and asked if I should fill out a

corrective action form. The woman at PCC explained a few things to me. First, she said that it is

against Starbucks policy to communicate via text message (even though this was the main way

that our store manager communicated with us). Second, she informed me that shift supervisors
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could not fill out corrective action forms. After my conversation with the person at PCC that

day, I could see myself working in this type of position. I want to work in an organization in a

leadership position that provides support and workplace knowledge that people need.

I have always valued diversity, but this course has helped me to see exactly why diversity

is important. “To be globally literate, leaders must possess the following competencies: personal

literacy (understanding and valuing oneself), social literacy (engaging and challenging other

people), business literacy (focusing and mobilizing one’s organization), and cultural literacy

(valuing and leveraging cultural differences)” (Connerley, p. 71). Starbucks finds value in being

a “the third place” for many people. The two places that people spend the majority of their time,

and feel the most comfortable, is their homes and their work. So, Starbucks wants to be the third

place that you feel most comfortable. The motto is “To inspire and nurture the human spirit –

one person, one cup, and one neighborhood at a time.” With stores in 78 countries, Starbucks

has a large global presence. I have worked in several stores with diverse teams. I would assume

that moving to corporate Starbucks, the same diversity exists… if not more. Motivating cross-

cultural teams, recognizing cultural influences on business practices, building relationships

among diverse groups, developing new communication, creating and sustaining business teams,

and negotiating across cultures are all competencies that are necessary to be successful in a

global environment (Connerley, p. 72). It is important to not only be aware of these

competencies but to also possess these competencies because diverse teams that I could be (and

have been) working with at Starbucks can have any number of cultural backgrounds. “Through

accumulated facts and information based on appropriate assumptions it is possible to understand

and comprehend other cultures from their viewpoint… Skill provides the ability to build on
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awareness and apply knowledge toward effective change in multicultural settings” (Connerley, p.

78).

When referring to my pie chart from the first module, I feel that I could make some

adjustments. My original pie chart consisted of the role I play in life: manager, student, family

member, friend. The biggest thing I would change about my pie chart would be adding that I am

a woman to it. As a woman, I didn’t realize the challenges I faced as a leader until completing

this class. “Female leaders are expected to take charge and approach leadership the same ways

as their male colleagues… [they] are expected to deliver the warmth and friendliness that is

cultural prescribed for women. Simultaneously impressing others as a good leader and a good

woman is an accomplishment that is not necessarily easy to achieve, and common pitfalls

involve seeming to be ‘too masculine’ or ‘too feminine.’” (Eagly, 2010, p. 218-219). Being a

woman in leadership is difficult because of the expectations that society places on us. I strongly

value women leaders and I want to be a leader who can inspire other women. “Although

women… have been gaining access to leadership roles in the last couple decades, they remain

unrepresented relative to their numbers in the population; “the glass ceiling” is still a barrier to

jobs in middle and upper management for women.” (Chin, 2010, p. 151).

I believe I would succeed in any human resource role because I value human capital and I

possess personal, social, business, and cultural literacy. Leadership with the Tripartite

Framework of Personal Identity in mind is important. This framework shows us that every

individual, no matter how different we may seem, has something in common… we are all homo

sapiens, humans. By acknowledging that similarity between groups of people, and accepting that

we are all human I believe that we can acknowledge our differences. “Awareness provides the

basis for accurate opinions, attitudes, and assumptions.” (Connerley, p. 77).

Reflecting on this course, I have learned more than I ever could have imagined about

diversity and its importance in organizations. Using “Introduction to the Special Issue on

Diversity and Leadership”, “The Development of Multicultural Competencies”, and “Diversity

and Leadership in a Changing World” we have explored the challenges and benefits of diverse

teams, the influence of culture on management styles, and gaining an awareness of the

competencies that are needed to effectively manage diverse teams and organizations.
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REFERENCES

Chin, J.  (2010).  Introduction to the Special Issue on Diversity and Leadership.

Connerley. The Development of Multicultural Competencies. Chapter 5 in Leadership in a

Diverse and

Multicultural http://www.sagepub.com/upmdata/4965_Connerley_I_Proof_

3_Chapter_5.pdf

Eagly, A., Chin, J.  (2010).  Diversity and Leadership in a Changing World.