In the book The New Global Leaders (Jossy-Bass 1999), Manfred F.R. de Vries (wit

Question

In the book The New Global Leaders (Jossy-Bass 1999), Manfred F.R. de Vries (with Elizabeth Florent-Treacy) states: "Work in organizations, directed toward achieving shared goals, also answers another human need: it allows us to feel useful. Individuals need to commit themselves to something that is valuable, that has a positive impact. Through usefulness is a highly subjective experience, it is linked to the particular objectives and causes that drive individuals to transcend their customary abilities. Because a search for usefulness--for meaning--largely determines a person's life course, it also influences life in organizations. Once again, this poses a challenge for the global leader: how to find a purpose or objective that employees from different cultures see as meaningful, inspiring them to strive in ways that simplistic formulas of return on investment and profit maximization cannot." Is there some truth to the author's contention? What is it that we would find meaningful to our life's purpose in the midst of an organization or work setting?

Explanation / Answer

According to the author, the work in the organizations which is directed to achieve shared goals makes an employee feel useful, valuable. This is a human need. Every person must develop their value or usefulness in their life. If a person does not find himself useful, he would lose the worth of life. If a person finds himself valuable, it would automatically influence his behavior in organization.

For a global leader, he has to lead people coming from different cultures. People coming from different places face problems such as distance, cultures, time zones, communication technology and organizational complexity. It is a difficult task for the global leader. But to find meaning or value of ourselves in the midst of an organization is difficult for the employees too. But a leader could drive or inspire its employees to find a purpose or objective of their life by achieving organizational goals by motivating them or providing them value of what they are worth of.

A person from different culture is naturally shifted from its native place so that his abilities are better used in other place. Thus, it creates value to their life or adds meaning to their life’s purpose, and satisfies the human need that he is useful or valuable. This could be considered as a point which adds meaning to one’s life’s purpose in the middle of organization or work setting.

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