PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT AS A STRATEGIC MANAGER 7001

LEARNING OUTCOME 1
Introduction:
McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of fast food restaurants. It operates in 119
countries through 31,000 restaurants worldwide, employing more than 1. million people. !he
corporation functions mostlt "y means of franchisees.
McDonalds is one of the many corporations that ha#e successfully used a com"ination of #arious
mar$eting strategies to "e a glo"ally successful organisation.
Be !"e to identi#$ %er&on" &'i""& to c(ie)e &trte*ic +!ition&
1,1 An"$&e t(e &trti*ic direction o# t(e or*ni&tion
%n organi&ation's sur#i#al in a competiti#e "usiness world depends on its strategic plans and
how those plans relate to the "usiness world. (a#ing a good strategic plan is good "ut it's not
enough to stir an organi&ation to success and thus profita"ility. !he implementation of such
plans is not without challenges and these challenges "ecome profound in a multicultural
organi&ation. It ta$es coordinated efforts on across the entire organi&ation especially senior
management to ensure the success of strategic plans.
%n organi&ation that intends to "e competiti#e in the "usiness will see$ talent and e)pertise
from a "road array of countries and continents. !hese indi#iduals will come from different
"ac$grounds, cultures, ethnicity and education. (ow a company manages its operations to
attain success entails an integrated processes and functions. !he company can "end to
socioeconomic conditions in the ways its tailors its goods and ser#ices without affecting the
cultural sensiti#ity of either the wor$ers or the mar$et in which the product is sold. % good
e)ample with the e)pansion of MacDonald's into the Indian mar$et. Indian doesn't eat "eef
due to sacred religious reason as the cow is #iew as a deity. *o MacDonald has changed its
line of "eef "urgers which are popular with %mericans with different meat which the people
of Indian will li$e and which does not force employees in India to coo$s ham"urgers with
"eef either.
%lso cultural differences in an organi&ation could mean that different employees as well as
consumers in different mar$ets ha#e different taste and attitudes that define them. %
company could manage these differences "y designing products and ser#ices to meet the
needs of li$eminded cultures. !he cultural needs of indi#idual employees could "e
accommodated "y ma$ing it easier for them to o"ser#e whate#er traditional or religious
holyday they may ha#e. %n organi&ation with Muslim employees might ha#e to allow their
employees some time off during fasting seasons and other holydays especially if the
organi&ation is located in a predominantly Christian country. !he organi&ation could increase
production of e)isting products or roll out of new product line "ased off the cultural holidays
in order to ta$e ad#antage of sales and mar$et share. Most cultures cele"rate their own
#ersions of +ew ,ear and such festi#e occasions are usually tied to increases in purchases. %
good e)ample will "e the firewor$s industry and how it promotes its self during festi#e
occasions.
1.- E)"ute t(e &trti*ic &'i""& re-uired o# t(e "eder to c(ie)e t(e &trte*ic +!ition&
.eadership has "een defined as /the a"ility to influence a group towards the achie#ement of a
#ision or set of goals0, and managers as /people who achie#e goals through other people0
12o""ins et al -003, 495. 6ith these definitions in mind, it would seem that appropriate
training for leaders and managers would "e highly people oriented7 de#eloping emotional
intelligence s$ills, communication s$ills and appreciating the role of human emotion within
the wor$place. (owe#er, the focus of such programs has "een, and still is to a large e)tent,
on technical s$ills and rational thin$ing. Many factors contri"ute to this disparate focus7 the
historical and cultural conte)t in which such programs are de#eloped and taught, the
assumptions and "eliefs on how wor$ directions translate into a good or ser#ice, the way
uni#ersities are structured and e#en the types of students attending management and
leadership programs.
8ntil relati#ely recently, people were assumed to "e /rational creatures0 12ipley -009, 315.
!his assumption meant that organisations and educators of leaders9managers were o"li#ious
to the role of emotion in the wor$place 1:imura and ,oshimori 1939, --5. !he utili&ation of
rigid structures, e)plicit rules and procedures, designed to control and limit employee
"eha#iour 1+apoli, 6hiteley and ;ohansen -00, 35 illustrate the reliance of "usiness
thin$ers upon employee's rational "eha#iour. 2ules plus rational "eha#iour were thought to
produce a predicta"le and sta"le la"our force, which allowed management to consider
employed la"our as a steadfast factor of the production process. <i#en the correct rules and
procedures, it was thought that employees would fall into line, and hence management and
leaders could focus on the technical and rational aspects of the organisation, and did not ha#e
to "e o#erly concerned with employees or affecti#e issues.
1,. A&&e&& t(e re"tion&(i% !et/een e0i&tin*1 re-uired nd #uture &'i""& to c(ie)e t(e
&trte*ic +!ition&:
*ometimes it is difficult to find the words to identify our s$ills. 6hen we write a resume, for
e)ample, we try to recall a specific s$ill we possess and it ta$es time to put those s$ills on
paper in the appropriate words. !he attached information can help you identify specific s$ill
areas. ,ou pro"a"ly possess most of these s$ills "ut you =ust don't reali&e it. If you find that
you are lac$ing any of these s$ills, ta$e some time to refine the s$ills you do ha#e, and wor$
to de#elop the s$ills that you need. %ll of these s$ills will "e useful to you throughout your
life. >or the purpose of this "oo$let, most of these s$ills you will read a"out are defined as
/!ransfera"le0 *$ills. ,ou will, howe#er, hear these s$ills referred to in other ways as well.
2ead ahead to learn more a"out some of the di#erse s$ill sets that e)ist.
LEARNING OUTCOME 2
Be !"e to +n*e %er&on" "eder&(i% de)e"o%+ent to &u%%ort c(i)e)e+ent o# &trte*ic
+!ition&
-.1 Discuss the opportunities to support leadership de#elopment
?#er the past se#eral decades, organi&ations' leadership de#elopment programs ha#e often led to
the "ad com"ination of high costs and mediocre results. @ut when the nature of a challenge is
itself complex, one needs to tac$le it "y first understanding its component parts and the
relationships "etween them, and then pro#ide a sophisticated solution to match that reality. >or
leadership de#elopment, this means ta$ing a modern, "lended approach that wea#es together
formal training, informal learning approaches, and social learning opportunities that le#erage the
latest technologies.
Consider the following o#er#iew of what a modern, sophisticated leadership de#elopment
program can loo$ li$eA
!his figure, de#eloped "y !aleo's partner DDI, represents a typical 1-Bmonth leadership
de#elopment program 1each column represents a Cuarter5, although many of the same
components would apply for programs with shorter timeframes. 6hile it may loo$ complicated,
a "etter perspecti#e is to see it as "eing sophisticated and "etter matching the
inherent sophisticated nature of leadership development as a discipline. .et's "rea$ it down into
each component partA
3ic' O##&, <etting e#eryone on the same page regarding the goals and components of the
program is an important first step. !his could in#ol#e one or more meetings, and typically
includes representation from e)ecuti#e leadership to help con#ey the importance of the
program "oth for each participant's de#elopment and the longBterm health of the
organi&ation.

Pre4A&&e&&+ent&, !hese could include current s$ills assessments to pro#ide a "aseline
for later comparison, as well as personality and characteristic assessments, such as
*trengths>inder or MyersB@riggs, as these can "e enlightening to participants who need
to first "etter understand who they are "efore they can successfully de#elop further.

Core Curricu"u+, In most cases, some formal training will still "e a part of the "lend,
le#eraging any com"ination of traditional classrooms, #irtual classrooms, or selfBpaced eB
.earning courses. *uch curricula can le#erage ro"ust, realistic roleBplaying or simulation
acti#ities, that let participants practice the new competencies they are learning.

Coc(in* nd Mentorin*, Dach participant in a leadership de#elopment program
typically has one or more coaches or mentors, that they can interact with "etween formal
training e#ents and as they "egin to apply their new s$ills. !he informal ad#ice pro#ided
from e)isting leaders is often the most helpful aspect in the de#elopment of an emerging
leader.

Action Lernin*, <i#en that the purpose is to de#elop leaders for the real world, it is
sensi"le to ha#e participants wor$ on real "usiness pro"lems. In some cases this can e#en
pro#ide direct "usiness #alue as a secondary "enefit of the de#elopment program.

Soci" Lernin*, <i#en the punctuated nature of formal training E whether deli#ered in
the classroom or "y eB.earning E it is important to $eep the con#ersations ali#e "etween
participants and su"=ect matter e)perts. +ew social media technologies help to ena"le
social learning as a $ey component of leadership de#elopment programs. !ools such as
forums, "logs, and wi$is can "e used to ena"le FG% and general discussions, share
applications of new s$ills in a #ariety of realBlife conte)ts, and "rainstorm approaches to
the most challenging situations.

Po&t4A&&e&&+ent, %fter the core curriculum is concluded, the results of a postB
assessment can "e used to compare with the preBassessment, to help #erify that "eha#ior
changes will actually result from the program. %fter all, a de#elopment program is only
as useful as the "eha#ior changes it produces.

De)e"o%+ent Meetin*& nd 5o! Gro/t( E0%erience&, It is crucial that each
participant's manager is in#ol#ed throughout the process, including at the conclusion of
the formal program to ma$e sure de#elopment will continue as appropriate.
2,2 con&truct %er&on" de)e"o%+ent %"n to direct "eder&(i% de)e"o%+ent
My personal de#elopment plan will "e "ased on analy&ing my personality, my leadership style
and my learning style. !he o"=ecti#e of this essay is to initiate my own personal de#elopment
plan. !o "egin with, there will "e a part to e#aluate my personality, com"ined with an online
M@!I Hersonality !est. %fter that, my leadership style will "e focused on and I will also analy&e
how this style shapes my career de#elopment. !hen, I will depict which way of learning is
suita"le for my future de#elopment. !o conclude, there will "e an important part to e)amine my
personal de#elopment action plan which will specifically list some essential and feasi"le
acti#ities to enrich my wor$ing competencies and s$ills so as to accomplish my own goals and
o"=ecti#es.
%s Mullins 1-005 states, /Hsychologists ha#e defined personality as consisting of sta"le
characteristics which e)plain why a person "eha#es in a particular way0. @esides, to ta$e a
holistic #iew of personality, it is important to ta$e into consideration the dynamic processes,
which means focusing on the ways in which an indi#idual's traits interact. %rmstrong 1-0045
indicates that personality can "e regarded as the relati#ely sta"le and enduring aspects of
indi#iduals that distinguish them from other people.
!here are many type theories of personality which identifies numerous types of personality
which can "e used to classify people and many underlie a personality test. %dditionally, one of
the most widely used type theories is Carl ;ung's theory on which MyersB@riggs !ype Indicator
1M@!I5 is "ased 1Mullins, -005. M@!I, which is often applied to recruitment processes to
select appropriate #acancy candidates for the gi#en =o"s, identifies si)teen types of personality
"ased on indi#iduals' e)tro#ersion or intro#ersion and their cogniti#e functions of thin$ing,
feeling, sensation, intuition, perception and =udgment. %s Mullins states, M@!I has promoted
su"stantial research interest, particularly in connection with the correlation "etween personality
type, occupations and management style. (owe#er, M@!I has not demonstrated adeCuate
#alidity and relia"ility although its popularity and use has "een gradually increasing and there is
not sufficient, wellBdesigned research to =ustify the use of the M@!I in career counseling
programs 1Hsychometric *uccess, -0095. ?n the other hand, types do not appear to predict
indi#idual future performance 1Coffield, Moseley, (all G Dcclestone, -00I5.
2,. De)i&e n i+%"e+enttion %roce&& #or t(e de)e"o%+ent %"n:
Implementation the personal de#elopment plan is to putting into action the action plans to
achie#e the goals and at the end of this e)ercise it should "e made clear that whetherA
!he plan actually wor$ed and if so then to what e)tent and which areas needs more attention and
consideration. !o achie#e the professional Cualification resources 1finance, time, cooperation of
management5 reCuire.
!he implementation pro"lem could "e fail to achie#e the Cualification "ecause of time
management or difficult to "ecome a professional. If an employee show performance and
achie#e all tas$s then there may "e chances for him to "e promoted at higher position. !o
"ecome chief accountant I need to show performance and Cuality wor$ at indi#idual le#el.
!he possi"le implementation could "e there is tough competition "etween other accountants. !he
change of field can "ecome leaning pro"lems sometimes. 2esources are reCuired to start own
"usiness, the resources are finance, e)perienced staff and mar$et. Hossi"le pro"lems could "e I
might fail to manage finance or "ig companies will not let me enter into mar$et.
LEARNING OUTCOME .
Be !"e to e)"ute t(e e##ecti)ene&& o# t(e "eder&(i% de)e"o%+ent %"n
.,1 A&&e&& t(e c(ie)e+ent o# outco+e& o# t(e %"n *in&t ori*in" o!6ecti)e&:
During the last decade, pro#ision of property right incenti#es was introduced on a "road range
and "ecame reality e#en for the "ottom le#el of companies' hierarchic structure. McDonald's
is no e)ception. 8p from the restaurant manager's le#els, stoc$ options ha#e "ecome a main
tool aiming for long term profit. %t McDonald's stoc$ options typically ha#e a lifetime of ten
years, a #est o#er four to se#en years and ha#e an e)ercise price eCual to the fair mar$et #alue
at the grant date. !he amount of stoc$ options to recei#e depends on the le#el of
responsi"ility, the achie#ement of plan o"=ecti#es and the implementation of $ey strategies.
In addition, McDonald's strongly encourages its employees to participate in ownership of the
company. !he minimum le#el of ownership ranges from one to fi#e times the "asic salary.
Comparison to other fast food companies
!he a#erage salary for a fast food restaurant manager in the 8nited :ingdom ranges from
1J.000 K 1L -4.300 M5 to --.000 K 1L 3I.J00 M5
for "eginners and reaches le#els up to 1.000
K 1L 30.000 M5 later 1after twenty years of wor$ing e)perience5. %t the .ondonB"ased
company H2D! % M%+<D2 a restaurant manager earns "etween 13.000 K 1L -3.400 M5 and
3-.000 K 1L 1.000 M5 a year. In addition one can o"tain up to 30N "onus on the annual salary
B "ased on the indi#idual performance.
Compared to the figures cited a"o#e, McDonald's attracti#eness lies slightly a"o#e the
a#erage and the rare figures of competitors indicate that the "onus to fi)ed salary is weighted
in a way which is compara"le to McDonald's compensation pac$age. !oo, the focus on
F*CGO 1Cuality, ser#ice, cleanliness and #alue5, a concept which has "een adapted "y most
fast food chains, finds it way into the remuneration scheme of almost e#ery company.
.,2 E)"ute t(e i+%ct o# t(e c(ie)e+ent o# o!6ecti)e& on &trte*ic +!ition&:
Mar$eting strategies directly impact food purchasing and eating ha"its. >or e)ample, in the late
19J0s scientists announced a possi"le lin$ "etween eating a highBfi"er diet and a reduced ris$
of cncer . (owe#er, consumers did not immediately increase their consumption of highBfi"er
cereals. @ut in 193I ad#ertisements claiming a relationship "etween highBfi"er diets and
protection against cancer appeared, and "y 193J appro)imately - million households had "egun
eating highBfi"er cereal. *ince then, other health claims, supported "y scientific studies, ha#e
influenced consumers to decrease consumption of foods high in &turted #tand to increase
consumption of fruits, #egeta"les, s$im mil$, poultry, and fish.
?f course, not all mar$eting campaigns are "ased on scientific studies, and not all health claims
are truthful. In ;uly -000 a panel of e)perts from the 8.*. Department of %griculture supported
complaints made "y the Hhysicians Committee for 2esponsi"le Medicine that the P<ot Mil$P
ad#ertisements contained untruthful health claims that suggested that mil$ consumption
impro#ed sports performance, since these claims lac$ed scientific
Companies often use characters to appeal to young consumers. 2onald McDonald first appeared
on !.O. in 1943, portrayed "y 6illard *cott. !he clown is $nown worldwide, and according to
McDonald's, is the most recogni&a"le figure ne)t to *anta Claus.
In addition, the panel agreed with the physicians' claim that whole mil$ consumption may
actually increase the ris$ of (ert di&e&e and %ro&tte cancer, and recommended that this
information "e included in ad#ertisements.
!he tremendous spending power and influence of children on parental purchases has attracted
mar$eters, and, as a result, mar$eting strategies aimed at children and adolescents ha#e
increased. Currently, a"out oneBfourth of all tele#ision commercials are related to food, and
appro)imately oneBhalf of these are selling snac$s and other foods low in nutritional #alue. Many
of the commercials aimed at children and adolescents use catchy music, =ingles, humor, and
wellB$nown characters to promote products. !he impact of these strategies is illustrated "y
studies showing that when a ma=ority of tele#ision commercials that children #iew are for highB
sugar foods, they are more li$ely to choose unhealthful foods o#er nutritious alternati#es, and
#ice #ersa.
.,. Re)ie/ nd u%dte t(e "eder&(i% de)e"o%+ent %"n:
Annu" Re)ie/ o# Mn*e+ent Per#or+nce E
%fter consulting with the independent Directors the Chairs of the Compensation and <o#ernance
Committees shall appro#e the annual goals and o"=ecti#es of the CD?, which shall "e consistent
with the Company's goals and o"=ecti#es rele#ant to the CD?'s compensation esta"lished
annually "y the Compensation Committee in accordance with its Charter. In order to ensure
alignment in these discussions and in e#aluating the CD?'s performance, the Chair of the
Compensation Committee shall "e a mem"er of the <o#ernance Committee. Dach year, the
Chairs of the Compensation and <o#ernance Committees shall consult with the independent
Directors in e#aluating the CD?'s performance and shall thereafter =ointly pro#ide the CD? with
a performance re#iew for the preceding year. Consistent with this e#aluation, the Compensation
Committee shall esta"lish the CD?'s salary, "onus and other incenti#e and eCuity compensation
for the year. In addition, the Compensation Committee shall also annually appro#e the
compensation structure for the Company's officers, and shall appro#e the salary, "onus and other
incenti#e and eCuity compensation for the Company's officers a"o#e the le#el of Oice Hresident.
Succe&&ion P"nnin* E !he @oard shall regularly re#iew leadership de#elopment initiati#es and
shortB and longBterm succession plans for the CD? and other senior management positions,
including in the e#ent of unanticipated #acancies in those offices.

!he @oard is responsi"le for the selection of the CD?. In assessing the possi"le CD? candidates
as part of its annual re#iew of succession plans, the independent Directors shall identify and
periodically update the s$ills, e)perience and attri"utes that they "elie#e are reCuired to "e an
effecti#e CD? in light of the Company's "usiness strategy, prospects and challenges. !he @oard
shall also ta$e into account perspecti#es pro#ided "y the incum"ent CD? relating to the
performance of internal candidates.
LEARNING OUTCOME 7
Be !"e to d)octe &t## /e"#re en)iron+ent t(t &u%%ort& or*ni8tion" )"ue&
I.1 D#aluate the impect of corporate commitment to staff welfare on organisational #aluesA
6ith well o#er one million employees, McDonald's impact on the wor$force has "een
significant. @y -000, one out of eight %mericans had, at some time in their life, wor$ed for this
company. %s la"our was one of the largest e)penses and most unpredicta"le aspects of the
McDonald's system e#ery effort was made to rationali&e the wor$force. %part from
implementing technology to replace human la"our, McDonald's decided to use a youthful
wor$force.
,et youth la"our pro#ed a dou"le edge sword. McDonald's treatment of its young wor$ers
emerged as one of its earliest and most challenging pu"lic relations concerns. Critics argued that
youth's lac$ of e)perience and eagerness to please left them #ulnera"le to corporate e)ploitation.
McDonald's pu"lic relations e)perts ha#e sought to legitimi&e its la"our practices with articles
a"out employee incenti#e programmes. !hey ha#e also "een careful to feature happy and helpful
ser#ers in their mar$eting campaigns. !he declining teen population in the 1930s lead the
company to hire more new immigrant wor$ers, seniors, and disa"led wor$ers, helping to distance
the corporation from the contro#ersy of youth la"our.
7,2 Di&cu&& (o/ &t## /e"#re en)iro+ent cn ##ect c(ie)e+ent o# or*ni&tion"
o!6ecti)e&:
Co++unit$ nd #+i"$ )"ue&
McDonald's "egan its e)pansion in the late 1940s in mediumBsi&ed towns, where its appeals to
cleanliness, #alue for money, friendly ser#ice and family loo$ed in step with the mainly white
middle classes su"ur"an inha"itants. ,et as the chain e)panded into city centres and small towns,
it ran up against those for whom McDonald's su"ur"an #alues pro#o$ed a negati#e register. In
1949, when a "lac$ community in Cle#eland "oycotted McDonald's restaurants, in protest o#er
the corporation's denial of franchise opportunities for "lac$ people, McDonald's #alue of mass
inclusi#eness was challenged.
In 19JI, the ur"an residence of <reenwich Oillage, +ew ,or$, loudly protested that a second
McDonald's chain would threaten local family owned shops, create more traffic congestion,
encourage loitering, and contri"ute to litter pro"lems. Hrotesters from (ell's :itchen +ew ,or$,
to @elmont in the @ron), rallied against the opening of McDonald's restaurants. D#ery location
McDonald's failed to secure was more than simply a loss of income7 it was a "lemish on
corporate image. Hu"lic relations staff wor$ed tirelessly to turn around community opinion.
7,. Con&ider t(e in#"uence o# cor%orte co++it+ent to &t## /e"#re on t(e de)e"o%+ent
o# orni&tion" )"ue&:
6e also hypothesi&e that su"=ecti#e e#aluations of #arious aspects of the team e)perience will
positi#ely influence these important outcomes 1(1aBd "elow57 howe#er, we ultimately e)pect
that team perceptions will indirectly influence commitment and turno#er intentions #ia other
employee attitudes 1(Im in !a"le 15. !hese are the o#erarching hypotheses guiding this study.
6e will first the outline the rationale for our hypotheses regarding the relationships "etween four
aspects of the team e)perience and the two outcome measures of commitment and intent to Cuit,
then re#iew the logic of se#eral mediational hypotheses regarding the pathways "etween team
perceptions and these important employee attitudes.
A&%ect& o# Te+ E0%erience
!eam social relations. (ere we refer to aspects of the team e)perience that are percei#ed to
pro#ide social support, harmony, cohesion, and positi#e social relationsA "eing respected "y
other team mem"ers, feeling free to communicate ideas, wor$ing easily and well with others on
the team, and so on. Costa 1-0035 notes that team trust and cooperation are positi#ely related to
attitudinal commitment. Herceptions of social support or cowor$er solidarity in the wor$place
6or$ ha#e also "een shown to "e positi#ely associated with organi&ational commitment 1Cohen
G @ailey, 199J7 Cordery, et al., 19917 Harris, -0035
Conc"u&ion:
!he "usiness practices of McDonald's are, to put it $indly, slightly suspect. @y $eeping
employee wages low and refraining from hiring full time wor$ers, the company was a"le to sa#e
money on health care pac$ages and employee "enefits. In addition, McDonald's was a"le to gain
ground on its competitors in the 19J0's when a depression caused most other fast food chains to
halt their growth. McDonald's used its superior resources to continue to grow and e)pand. +ow,
the restaurant is perhaps the greatest sym"ol of contemporary %merican capitalism. @y
saturating nearly e#ery mar$et it has entered, McDonald's now en#isions itself as a sta"ili&ed
company, not as interested in entering new mar$ets as they are in e)ploiting those mar$ets in
e#ery way a#aila"le to them. !he company is also more a"le to respond to consumer demands
that, earlier in its e)istence, would ha#e "een impossi"le. @ut as one of the most powerful
"usinesses in the world, McDonald's can pretty much do as it pleasesB an ad#antage that has
come to characteri&e the history of the "usiness.