Every successful organization has a unique culture which is endemic there. At BMW, this culture involves a series of closely intertwined activities and daily operations which are only done, and perhaps are only possible, there. The organizational culture of BMW cuts across social classes and cultural and ethnic settings because, although a Germany auto maker, it has established a huge international presence. Sharing of ideas by every employee of the company is perhaps the most unique culture at BMW (Punnett, 2004). The company allows its employees, regardless of the division in which one works or the rank andor position one holds in the company, to share ideas and to develop new strategies for future improvement as well as to have an input on the key decisions that the company has to make. In essence, BMW ensures that there is no lesser employee or one who is too low-ranking to be of any value to the company. This high value that has been placed on the companys human resources has been responsible for the happy staff present at the company (Punnett, 2004).
Another deep-seated culture at BMW is the ability to reward work-related risks (Punnett, 2004). The company has not only encouraged employees to be innovative at work and therefore spur organizational growth but has also ensured that those who for any given reason are exposed to risks in the line of duty are rewarded. As a result, employees have become more innovative and are more than willing to undertake tasks that would otherwise be avoided or approached with caution for their being classed as risky. The underlying culture here is that in the event of a problem, every person is expected to help bring about or seek for a solution (Businessweek, 2006). This way, the company has managed to instill a culture of teamwork and responsible acting, which has in turn resulted into higher achievement levels of set targets and made the company one of those that every graduate dreams of joining (Businessweek, 2006).2. What model of leadership is illustrated at BMW How does this impact BMWs culture
Although there are a set of different leadership styles that different managers at BMW exhibit, it is clearly demonstrated that the situational kind of leadership is supreme and overrides the others as the main one used at BMW (Zaccaro, 2001). This leadership style is in the nature whereby every leader leads as per the situation at the moment. It is based on what is needed at the moment and not later on. The situational leaders at the company make it possible for employees to get what they need at the very time they need it. The impact of the situational model of leadership to the companys culture has been that every employee has developed a confidence of daring to do everything that heshe is expected to do being aware that all the responsibilities for the actions are fully on himher (Zaccaro, 2001).
This model of leadership has in a way helped to promote the culture of risk taking as each employee is sure that there is no leader who will disapprove of the action as long as it is within the required limits (Zaccaro, 2001). That aside, employees and the management team have been able to establish a strong working relationship as there is no need of controlling or coercing anyone for himher to work. Every employee has become a team player in the company, and responsibilities are borne by all even though individuals are held accountable for unilateral actions. Finally, this kind of leadership has enabled employees to have a high level of work satisfaction, thereby increasing their output (Zaccaro, 2001).3. Using the concepts illustrated in the job characteristics model, analyze why employees derive high job satisfaction at BMW.
According to the job characteristics model, the performance of employees is dependent on the kind of job they do, this performance is determined by one or more of these five job characteristics - task identity, skill variety, autonomy, task significance, and the feedback received. It is true that employees at BMW receive a high level of satisfaction. This can only mean that they are satisfied with the work they do. This is because according to this model, the more satisfying a given job is, the happier the employee will be. This is a pointer to the good working environment at BMW which must have covered most, if not all, the above job characteristics. At BMW, the tasks are different and this reduces work monotony. Instead, it gives employees a chance to specialize in a specific job which one enjoys most and is capable of doing with the highest level of satisfaction (Businessweek, 2006).
In addition, every employee at the company is made to understand that every task is important. This gives himher the morale to do the task with more zeal, which eventually results in greater output (BMW Group, 2009). Doing what one loves and what is deemed important brings about employee satisfaction. At the company, there is a feedback mechanism that lets staff evaluate the performance of the employees. Usually, the good performance is praised and encouraged, while mistakes are lovingly corrected. This has promoted the culture of always expecting to be appraised and rewarded where possible, which in turn promotes hard work. Finally, the fact that, different employees have different abilities and skills make it easier for them to adapt to doing the tasks assigned in a very fast manner (BMW Group, 2009). In the end, each employee finds that heshe enjoys the work. This brings about high job satisfaction.4. What attributes of organizational creativity are fostered at BMW
The company has been able to foster certain attributes of creativity which has helped it to assert its dominance in the automobile industry. The first attribute is the ability of the company to adopt the use of a pooling approach to undertake every major project (Businessweek, 2006). This is where in the event of a new project an entire team from all divisions of the company is assigned to it. This has helped promote efficiency and has resulted in better quality production. That aside, BMW uses outsourcing as an innovative approach. Most of the companys operations are located outside Germany where its headquarters are. This is because of the realization that with globalization taking its toll on the world, competitive advantage can only be achieved through adoption of a global outlook (Businessweek, 2006).
In addition to this, the company hires only the most competent workers in all its divisions worldwide. This is due to the fact that it values and invests a lot in human resources skill development (BMW Group, 2009). This has made the company one of the most prestigious ones in the entire Europe. The company has in place the latest technology which has enabled it to continue producing cars that are relevant for the present and current market. Emerging technological trends have been adopted by the company to further assure its continued productivity. Finally, the company has been seeking to manufacture environment-friendly automobiles so as to reduce the threat posed by its products to the environment. Apart from seeking to have greener and cleaner cars, it also seeks to have them made more fuel efficient (BMW Group, 2009).
Another deep-seated culture at BMW is the ability to reward work-related risks (Punnett, 2004). The company has not only encouraged employees to be innovative at work and therefore spur organizational growth but has also ensured that those who for any given reason are exposed to risks in the line of duty are rewarded. As a result, employees have become more innovative and are more than willing to undertake tasks that would otherwise be avoided or approached with caution for their being classed as risky. The underlying culture here is that in the event of a problem, every person is expected to help bring about or seek for a solution (Businessweek, 2006). This way, the company has managed to instill a culture of teamwork and responsible acting, which has in turn resulted into higher achievement levels of set targets and made the company one of those that every graduate dreams of joining (Businessweek, 2006).2. What model of leadership is illustrated at BMW How does this impact BMWs culture
Although there are a set of different leadership styles that different managers at BMW exhibit, it is clearly demonstrated that the situational kind of leadership is supreme and overrides the others as the main one used at BMW (Zaccaro, 2001). This leadership style is in the nature whereby every leader leads as per the situation at the moment. It is based on what is needed at the moment and not later on. The situational leaders at the company make it possible for employees to get what they need at the very time they need it. The impact of the situational model of leadership to the companys culture has been that every employee has developed a confidence of daring to do everything that heshe is expected to do being aware that all the responsibilities for the actions are fully on himher (Zaccaro, 2001).
This model of leadership has in a way helped to promote the culture of risk taking as each employee is sure that there is no leader who will disapprove of the action as long as it is within the required limits (Zaccaro, 2001). That aside, employees and the management team have been able to establish a strong working relationship as there is no need of controlling or coercing anyone for himher to work. Every employee has become a team player in the company, and responsibilities are borne by all even though individuals are held accountable for unilateral actions. Finally, this kind of leadership has enabled employees to have a high level of work satisfaction, thereby increasing their output (Zaccaro, 2001).3. Using the concepts illustrated in the job characteristics model, analyze why employees derive high job satisfaction at BMW.
According to the job characteristics model, the performance of employees is dependent on the kind of job they do, this performance is determined by one or more of these five job characteristics - task identity, skill variety, autonomy, task significance, and the feedback received. It is true that employees at BMW receive a high level of satisfaction. This can only mean that they are satisfied with the work they do. This is because according to this model, the more satisfying a given job is, the happier the employee will be. This is a pointer to the good working environment at BMW which must have covered most, if not all, the above job characteristics. At BMW, the tasks are different and this reduces work monotony. Instead, it gives employees a chance to specialize in a specific job which one enjoys most and is capable of doing with the highest level of satisfaction (Businessweek, 2006).
In addition, every employee at the company is made to understand that every task is important. This gives himher the morale to do the task with more zeal, which eventually results in greater output (BMW Group, 2009). Doing what one loves and what is deemed important brings about employee satisfaction. At the company, there is a feedback mechanism that lets staff evaluate the performance of the employees. Usually, the good performance is praised and encouraged, while mistakes are lovingly corrected. This has promoted the culture of always expecting to be appraised and rewarded where possible, which in turn promotes hard work. Finally, the fact that, different employees have different abilities and skills make it easier for them to adapt to doing the tasks assigned in a very fast manner (BMW Group, 2009). In the end, each employee finds that heshe enjoys the work. This brings about high job satisfaction.4. What attributes of organizational creativity are fostered at BMW
The company has been able to foster certain attributes of creativity which has helped it to assert its dominance in the automobile industry. The first attribute is the ability of the company to adopt the use of a pooling approach to undertake every major project (Businessweek, 2006). This is where in the event of a new project an entire team from all divisions of the company is assigned to it. This has helped promote efficiency and has resulted in better quality production. That aside, BMW uses outsourcing as an innovative approach. Most of the companys operations are located outside Germany where its headquarters are. This is because of the realization that with globalization taking its toll on the world, competitive advantage can only be achieved through adoption of a global outlook (Businessweek, 2006).
In addition to this, the company hires only the most competent workers in all its divisions worldwide. This is due to the fact that it values and invests a lot in human resources skill development (BMW Group, 2009). This has made the company one of the most prestigious ones in the entire Europe. The company has in place the latest technology which has enabled it to continue producing cars that are relevant for the present and current market. Emerging technological trends have been adopted by the company to further assure its continued productivity. Finally, the company has been seeking to manufacture environment-friendly automobiles so as to reduce the threat posed by its products to the environment. Apart from seeking to have greener and cleaner cars, it also seeks to have them made more fuel efficient (BMW Group, 2009).
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