MBA401 Reflective Essay: People, Culture, and Contemporary Leadership

This essay provides a reflective analysis of the author's leadership development, drawing upon theories of recruitment, talent management, and organizational culture learned in class. It incorporates insights from online resources, a psychometric test, and in-class activities to evaluate personal leadership skills and identify areas for improvement. The essay explores the impact of organizational culture on employee productivity, the importance of aligning employee values with organizational goals, and the application of strategic human resource management principles. The author reflects on the role of a leader in an organization, the different hats a leader wears and how their effectiveness is influenced by internal and external factors, and the importance of situational judgment and psychometric testing in leadership development and succession planning.

Running head: PEOPLE, CULTURE AND CONTEMPORARY LEADERSHIP
PEOPLE, CULTURE AND CONTEMPORARY LEADERSHIP
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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Introduction
The essay is mainly aimed at analysing the various aspects which are based on the
leadership qualities which are developed by me in the process of learning. The recruitment
and talent management related theories that are taught in the class need to be examined in a
detailed manner in the essay. The levels of knowledge which I have gained with the help of
online resources that are provided in the class are a major part of the analysis. A
psychometric test has also been conducted by me which is related to different factors of my
personality (Anderson et al., 2017). The reaction which has been provided by me in different
situations is an important part of the essay. I will also reflect on the activities which I have
performed in the class and the knowledge provided with the help of different lectures.
Reflective essay
Leadership Definition – theories related to recruitment and talent management taught
in class
I have gained detailed knowledge related to various theories that include,
management, culture of an organization and the leadership styles. Organizational culture has
been able to affect environment which is developed within the organization and the work
based process of the employees as well. The activities which are related to planning of human
resources are performed with respect to theories that have been taught in the class. The theory
of human resource planning that is taught in the class has been considered and implemented
by the modern organizations (Banks et al., 2016).
The process of performance management is implemented based on the theories and
knowledge which has been gained by me in the class. Talent management related theory has
also been taught in the class and has been helpful for me to understand the activities which

2PEOPLE, CULTURE AND CONTEMPORARY LEADERSHIP
are performed in the organizations related to training. The performance gap based theory has
been taught in the class and is based on the ways by which this process is implemented in the
organizations (Blomme, Kodden & Beasley-Suffolk, 2015). The theories that have been
taught in the class have provided me with knowledge that is based on the leadership styles
and qualities. The theories based on leadership are considered to be important for the ways by
which I have been able to develop my own leadership style and can use it later in the
organization which I plan to join.
The learning related to theories of leadership have also provided with insights that are
related to different roles which can be played by an effective leader in the organization. The
major leadership roles that are considered in the class lectures mainly include, negotiator,
entrepreneur, planner, mentor, team building. The different roles need to played by the leader
so that they are able to develop their position in the organization. An effective leader in an
organization needs to play multiple roles in order to manage the organizational operations
and the members of his team as well (Carroll, Ford & Taylor, 2015).
Effective leadership can be developed by me if I can fulfil the roles and manage my
team in an efficient manner. The development of a proper team and managing the members
of the team is based on the ways by which I am able to negotiate with the employees and acts
as a player in the team. The role which I can play as a planner can also be effective for
analysing the current and future needs in the organization. The effectiveness of my leadership
style will be affected by different factors that include the characteristics of my group
members (Carter et al., 2015).
The traits that I can possess as the leader in an organization can also be considered to
be important factors that can affect the effectiveness levels. The theories have been helpful in
making me understand that my leadership behaviour is an important factor that can affect the

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levels of effectiveness. My leadership behaviour currently is affected by the internal
environment based factors within the organization and the external environment as well. The
team members play a major role in the ways by which I can depict the levels of effectiveness
of my leadership style in the organization (Ghasabeh, Soosay & Reaiche, 2015).
The effectiveness of leadership style is considered to be a major factor which is able
to affect the organization in a huge manner. An effective leader is able to play a key role in
the ways by which an organization is able to operate. The work process and productivity
levels of the members of the organization is affected in a huge manner by the levels of
effectiveness of the leadership (Henry et al., 2015).
Online resources provided
The online resources that have been provided to me in the class is based on the
organizational culture which has been developed in order to ensure that the employees are
able to provide highest levels of productivity. The video related to Apple is based on the
ways by which the employees are hired in the organization and the training which is provided
to the employees as well. The recruitment process is based on the development of products by
the organization (Youtube.com., 2019). The levels of expertise of the employees in Apple
and the knowledge which is gained by them is considered to be an important part of the ways
by which the organization operates.
The individual employees are able to contribute to the products that are manufactured
by Apple. Another related to organizational culture is based on an organization named
BambooHR. The video is mainly based on the balance between work and personal life that
needs to be developed in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle. The video provides knowledge
based on the development of a culture which helps the employees to manage their work
process (Youtube.com., 2019).

4PEOPLE, CULTURE AND CONTEMPORARY LEADERSHIP
The online resources and materials that have been offered in class are also related to
the process of talent acquisition within an organization. The resources have provided
information based on the ways by which different organizations acquire talent from other
companies for improving their work process. For example, the ex-employees of Tesla who
have been hired by Apple for the car based project of the organization is related to the
process of talent acquisition. The resources have further been helpful for me to understand
the support that is provided by the people or employees of an organization in order to show
effective performance (Youtube.com., 2019).
The major resources that are used by the organizations include, technology, people
and finance. The effect of human resources on the performance levels of an organization have
been analysed by me with the help of online materials that have been provided to me. The
video which has been provided for understanding this theory is about an organization named
Zappos.com. The recruitment based process which has been implemented by the organization
has been analysed in the video. The main aim of Zappos.com related to development of
recruitment strategy is based on testing the ways by which the employees are able to align
their work process with the values of the organization (Youtube.com., 2019).
This knowledge has helped me to understand that the alignment of value of the
employees with the organizational goals is important for the successful operations of an
organization in the industry. The key learnings which have been provided by the recruitment
process related video of Zappos.com is based on the ways by which an organization needs to
align the overall goals with personal values of employees. The major sources of employee
value that are discussed based on the learning include, technical knowledge, capabilities
related to decision making, commitment, teamwork and motivation (Youtube.com., 2019).

5PEOPLE, CULTURE AND CONTEMPORARY LEADERSHIP
Strategic human resource management has been analysed in the online resources
which have been provided in class. The implementation of SHRM is aimed at different
objectives which include, improvement of organizational productivity, increase of sales,
increase of effectiveness of organizations, reduction of employee turnover. The online
resources which have been provided to me are based on different performance management
based activities that are performed by different modern organizations. The video which has
been provided as a part of the online resource is based on The Monkey Business Illusion. The
video is mainly based on the ways by which performance rating error can take place in an
organization (Youtube.com., 2019).
The different types of errors are thereby based on the ways by which the management
of an organization tends to miss something important by paying attention to some other
things at the same point of time. The online resources have also provided information and
learning based on talent management and performance gap in the organizations. The video
clip that is a part of the resource is related to the process of CEO succession which is
conducted in the global organizations like, McDonalds, Bank of America, General Motors.
The succession planning of CEOs are discussed in the video in a detailed manner (Vogel &
Masal, 2015).
Applying theory in the real world
The theories which have been taught in the class can be implemented in different real
situations. The lecture that was given by the industry speaker is based on the comparison of
the knowledge with the characteristics gained by a good and a bad leader. The
implementation of Maslow’s theory of needs is based on the ways by which the management
is able to fulfil my needs at every level. The analysis of my strengths and weaknesses is also
able to play a major role in the work process which I will develop in the future (Shamir,

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Arthur & House, 2018). The fulfilment of my needs at every level is considered to be an
important part of the high productivity that is provided in the organization.
In-class activities related discussion
The activities which have been performed by me in the class are based on different
situational judgement tests that are conducted in the workplace. The options are provided to
me based on “most effective” and “least effective” are helpful in the analysis of my
personality and the ways by which I am able to react in different situations which can occur
in the external environment. The use of situational judgement based tests have been an
important part of my personality analysis in the organization (Lyubovnikova et al., 2017).
The discussion in the class was also based on the ways by which my situational judgement
test is able to analyse my personality and productivity in the organization as well.
Analysis of psychometric tests
Psychometric tests are able to affect the personality levels of an individual within the
organization. The psychometric test related theories have been covered in the slides that have
been provided to me in the slides. The test has been taken by me with the help of the website
and has been helpful in analysing my personality in a detailed manner. The main aim of a
personality test is to understand who I am and the effects of different aspects of my
personality. The leadership based studies are achieved in an effective manner with the help of
proper psychometric tests. My leadership skills have been tested with the help of the results
which have been provided by the psychometric test (Ruben & Gigliotti, 2016).
The test can thereby be considered to be an important part of the entire work process
and my future opportunities in the industry as well. The succession planning of leaders is
made easier with the help of proper psychometric tests which are conducted in the course of

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my study. The use of psychometric test and its effects on my future work process in the
organization is a major part of the knowledge which has been provided in the class (Storey,
2016).
Conclusion
The essay can be concluded by stating that the activities which have been performed
by me in the class is considered to be an important part of knowledge gained by me. I will be
able to apply the knowledge later in my life and this will play a major role in the development
of my leadership based qualities as well.

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References
Anderson, H. J., Baur, J. E., Griffith, J. A., & Buckley, M. R. (2017). What works for you
may not work for (Gen) Me: Limitations of present leadership theories for the new
generation. The Leadership Quarterly, 28(1), 245-260.
Banks, G. C., McCauley, K. D., Gardner, W. L., & Guler, C. E. (2016). A meta-analytic
review of authentic and transformational leadership: A test for redundancy. The
Leadership Quarterly, 27(4), 634-652.
Blomme, R. J., Kodden, B., & Beasley-Suffolk, A. (2015). Leadership theories and the
concept of work engagement: Creating a conceptual framework for management
implications and research. Journal of Management & Organization, 21(2), 125-144.
Carroll, B., Ford, J., & Taylor, S. (Eds.). (2015). Leadership: Contemporary critical
perspectives. Sage.
Carter, D. R., DeChurch, L. A., Braun, M. T., & Contractor, N. S. (2015). Social network
approaches to leadership: An integrative conceptual review. Journal of Applied
Psychology, 100(3), 597.
Ghasabeh, M. S., Soosay, C., & Reaiche, C. (2015). The emerging role of transformational
leadership. The Journal of Developing Areas, 49(6), 459-467.
Henry, C., Foss, L., Fayolle, A., Walker, E., & Duffy, S. (2015). Entrepreneurial leadership
and gender: Exploring theory and practice in global contexts. Journal of Small
Business Management, 53(3), 581-586.

9PEOPLE, CULTURE AND CONTEMPORARY LEADERSHIP
Lyubovnikova, J., Legood, A., Turner, N., & Mamakouka, A. (2017). How authentic
leadership influences team performance: The mediating role of team
reflexivity. Journal of business Ethics, 141(1), 59-70.
Ruben, B. D., & Gigliotti, R. A. (2016). Leadership as social influence: An expanded view of
leadership communication theory and practice. Journal of Leadership &
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Shamir, B., Arthur, M. B., & House, R. J. (2018). The rhetoric of charismatic leadership: A
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Storey, J. (2016). Changing theories of leadership and leadership development. In Leadership
in Organizations (pp. 33-58). Routledge.
Vogel, R., & Masal, D. (2015). Public leadership: A review of the literature and framework
for future research. Public Management Review, 17(8), 1165-1189.
Youtube.com. (2019). Apple's employee recruiting video. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9SK052cF3c
Youtube.com. (2019). Olson Says Boards More Focused on CEO Succession Plans: Video.
Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=TdqYV4ALO34&list=PLyyBtAHEC-0aW2uzJtYR5Tgtfd-LmSA0g&index=2
Youtube.com. (2019). The Monkey Business Illusion. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGQmdoK_ZfY
Youtube.com. (2019). Work/Life Balance at BambooHR. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WH8uxXXe9o

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