Part 1 – 400 words

Earlier today, you attended a meeting with Shawn Williams, the new VP of global human capital management at Atlantis Global Corporation (AGC), and John Dawson, the company's chief executive officer (CEO). John was very concerned about the financial losses at AGC. John’s main concerns were product market share and the threat of losing AGC's market position as the top manufacturer of electronic circuit boards for high-definition television screens. However, John did not mention any issues relating to the employees who work at AGC. Last month, the general manager of one of AGC’s global subsidiaries told Shawn that it is difficult to recruit talent for AGC, that employees are not happy, and that many are leaving AGC to work for other organizations. Shawn discussed developing a new recognition-and-rewards program to attract talent, motivate employees, and improve job satisfaction. When Shawn brought the up human capital concerns at AGC in the meeting, John was not very interested and thought that employee-related issues are not critical to AGC’s performance. Shawn thinks that it will be challenging to work with John to implement a global human capital management strategy.

You and Shawn are scheduled to meet next week with John and the board of directors at AGC. Due to the urgency of the company’s situation, you and Shawn decide to create a briefing about the value and need for an optimized program for the management of global human capital.

Review the AGC scenario for this course and with your classmates; discuss the following questions that will help you and Shawn prepare for the briefing:

• What are the differences between the leadership styles of Shawn and John? What are the pros and cons of each style?
• What is your own leadership style? During the briefing, how will you use your leadership style to illustrate the intrinsic value of human capital? 
• What human capital management strategies will you recommend to John and the board of directors? What examples from other organizations can you provide to strengthen the board’s knowledge of global human capital trends and problems?

Part 2 – 400 words

The briefing to John and the board of directors was a success. You and Shawn believe that it allowed them to understand the challenges associated with managing global human capital effectively and the value of recognizing human capital as a critical part of AGC’s strategic plan. John and the board of directors gave every indication that they understood the sense of urgency needed to align the key global human capital goals with those established for the entire global organization. In fact, they asked you to move ahead with developing global human capital goals for AGC as part of its strategic plan.

You will begin by evaluating the existing organizational culture and analyzing the leadership styles used at each global AGC subsidiary. The company has several global subsidiaries, each with significant cultural differences. Shawn believes that AGC would benefit from an organizational culture that is more proactive and competitive. Likewise, he believes that leadership development programs should focus on styles that recognize the importance of celebrating diversity, empowerment, and innovation.

Review the AGC scenario for this course and discuss the following with your peers:

• Using AGC as an example, what human capital management problems can arise when an organization does not acknowledge cultural differences at its global subsidiaries?
• How can leadership styles effect global organizational culture?
• Describe a human capital management goal that Shawn can recommend to change the global organizational culture of AGC.