Baldrige Award Criteria Analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Baldrige Award Criteria Analysis - Assignment Example 5). The global presence of Airbus encompasses strategic locations in Europe, the Americas, Asia Pacific, Africa and the Middle East servicing more than fifty percent of commercial and military transport aircraft orders all over the world. 1. Leadership Heading the EADS consortium is Thomas Enders, the President and CEO of Airbus since 2007 (Airbus: Management, 2011, par. 1). Together with eight members of the executive committee, Enders has been committed to practicing its core tenets, focusing on enjoining other members of the management team and various personnel of the organization to â€Å"generate customer value, act with courage in all situations, practice teamwork and global integration, face reality and act with integrity, drive innovation and deliver reliably, and develop oneself and others† (Airbus: Company culture, 2011, par. 4). As a global organization entrenched in diverse geographical locations, managing and leading more than 50,000 employees from different cult ures is a tremendous challenge. It takes innate skills, knowledge, abilities and genuine interest on the endeavor to steer the organization into weathering the changes in the external environment. As revealed, the organization has employed a unified management and leadership strategy to ensure that standards are imposed and adhered to in all locations where Airbus operates. The following crucial elements of the strategy align leadership policies and practices at Airbus, to wit: (1) leading by example; (2) equipped to perform, and (3) management expertise (Airbus: Management, 2011, pars. 5 – 7). By manifesting leadership through exemplifying the role of models in leading, each and every personnel are encouraged to embody the standards of excellence expected from everyone. The qualifications and competencies of each manager and leader are consistent with the demands of their jobs. There is continuous training and development to ensure that expertise is honed through time. Final ly, programs are set to further develop and train global managers to be experts in technical and managerial skills. Aside from taking pride in incorporating cultural diversity in global operations, Airbus’ leadership is likewise committed to social responsibility through active support and development of various stakeholders. Employees, particularly, are given priority in terms of personal and professional development, affiliations with community programs through their Corporate Foundation, establishing strong partnerships with various suppliers, being actively involved in charitable endeavors, and ensuring the protection and safety of the environment (Airbus: Corporate Social Responsibility, 2011). In its official website, Airbus boasts of indicating that â€Å"as a responsible corporate citizen and industry leader, Airbus’ day-to-day operations are guided by a strong commitment to the highest ethical standards – ensuring integrity, transparency and profession alism across its operation† (ibid, par. 1). 2. Strategic Planning The process of strategic planning necessitates the identification of opportunities and risks in an organization’s external environment. As Lynch & Williamson (2006) averred, â€Å"strategic planning is long range in perspective and should be