Organization Behavior - Great Leader

For an organization that you know well (e.g., the organization, where you are currently employed or for which you worked in the past), using the relevant concepts, theories and models introduced in the module, describe one person who could be called a leader and analyse how effective this person’s leadership is and why it is effective.

Introduction

In a rapidly changing world, organisations are in constant battle to achieve superior performance and outstanding competence. Every organisation must cope with changes caused by internal and external sources. These challenges are occurring more frequently and if not properly faced, they can create chaos and confusion. To avoid such disorder, the role of a leader in an organisation becomes crucial in establishing the vision and directing subordinates towards that vision. “Leadership is required to make sure we are continually reaching our peaks and that we are constantly moving on to the next new thing” (Tompkins, 2008). This paper is an effort to spot a leader in an organization and gauge the effectiveness of his (her) leadership qualities. The paper begins by introducing the leader, the organisation that he is leading and the context in which the effectiveness will be analysed. The paper will continue by observing certain relevant indications for an effective leader and analyse the behaviour of the corresponding leader against these indications. The paper will conclude by finalising the analysis.

Organisation

The organisation is a prominent national oil company in the Middle East with operations in Saudi Arabia and abroad. The company employs over 54,000 permanent employees and over 70,000 contractors in order to carry out its daily operations. Major activities cover exploration, production, marketing and transport of hydrocarbons which are primarily comprised of crude oil, refined products and gas. Support organisations include engineering, finance, materials supply, industrial security and service operations, including Information Technology. The organisation hierarchy consists of business lines along the above-mentioned subject areas. The roots of the company date back to 1930s when major U.S. Oil companies (Chevron, Texaco, Exxon Mobil) formed the new corporation, established its operations and it was designated a western style of organisation. Over the years, the company grew in operational and administrative areas along with its western competitors and partners. The same continued even after the take-over of the company by the Saudi Arabian government. The company is divided into business lines which in turn cover administrative areas. The following chart shows the business lines and their reporting structure:

(Saudi Aramco Website, http://www.saudiaramco.com)

Leader