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Essay Subject: Analyzes effectiveness of global biotechnology firm's diversity program.... More...

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Paper Abstract: Analyzes effectiveness of global biotechnology firm's diversity program. Paper Introduction: Introduction The American workplace is composed of workers from different backgrounds and cultures with different expectations of what the employment experience should hold for them. Workers come not only from various parts of the country, but various parts of the world, and today's international markets mean that even small American companies can do business with companies in many different nations. As a result of this increased diversity, companies are struggling with ways to reconcile the different needs of employees with the needs of the organization. Diversity programs are one consequence of this struggle, and diversity programs have met with varying degrees of success depending on how they are developed and implemented. This research explores the diversity program at a biotechnology company and considers how the lessons from that Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. 47. Amgen tries to limit the number of expatriate employeesabroad at any time, and prides itself on having no more than a dozen in thefield (out of a total employment roster of 39 ) (Sunoo, 1996, p. U.S. Leadership training is an important part of the diversity program atAmgen. Decisions about new international locations are now based ondemographic information as well as on political considerations, and maywell take into account the availability of collaborations with the localacademic and medical communities (Sunoo, 1996, p. Conclusion Amgen has demonstrated that an American-based company can besuccessful in the international market by having a strong diversity programin place which recognizes that different countries support differentcultures. As a result, Amgen has compensation programs which vary fromcountry to country, and focuses on attracting those individuals who areable to work within an international organization by overcoming their owncultural bias. Introduction The American workplace is composed of workers from differentbackgrounds and cultures with different expectations of what the employmentexperience should hold for them. 47). D. Amgen and Kirinacquire rights to blood protein. New York: Moody's InvestorsService. S36). Recognizing that Amgen also needs a physical presence in the areaswhere research is being conducted in order to allow the company to formadvantageous academic and medical collaborations, Amgen has set up itsresearch and clinical development organizations in nations which meet thesecriteria and which also have strong market potential for its products. 38-43. Amgen has also moved away from exporting American managers to foreigncountries for its international operations. Diversity programsare one consequence of this struggle, and diversity programs have met withvarying degrees of success depending on how they are developed andimplemented. EPOGENr stimulates the production of red bloodcells and is marketed within the United States for the treatment of anemiaassociated with dialysis (Amgen Company Report, 1997, p. 38). Unlike other companies which offer training in theseareas, however, Amgen focuses its efforts on using these skills within thecontext of an international organization. Sunoo, B. (1995, August 7). 4 ). 21). 39). The executive development program is a relatively new part of thediversity program, but it is intended to serve as the foundation for thecompany's expansion into the next century. The lessons from Amgen can beextended to other companies considering international expansion, althoughone of Amgen's success factors it the fact that it built an internationalmindset into its culture from its first days of operation. 1). (1995, August 16). Computerworld,pp. In addition to leadership skills, Amgen also trains its staff onteambuilding, particularly when international teams are being built. In addition, more commonplace leadershipskills, such as communication, performance appraisals and decision makingis also included. That manager woulduse maps and printed data to make his analysis. (1996, February). NEUPOGENr selectively stimulates theproduction of neutrophils (a type of white blood cell) and is marketed inthe United States, the European Union (EU), Canada and Australia for use indecreasing the risk of infection in patients undergoing chemotherapy orbone marrow transplants. Asa result, the company has been driven to develop a strong multiculturalrecruitment strategy which enables it to hire talented scientists, managersand medical information personnel as well as marketing representatives fromany part of the world (Sunoo, 1996, p. In the beginning, Amgen sent an American manager to researcha location when considering a new distribution site. Twohuman therapeutic products, NEUPOGENr and EPOGENr form the core of thecompany's operations, which totaled more than $1.6 billion in revenues in1994 (Brownlee, 1995, p. This is true regardless of whether the individual is basedin the United States, Europe, or some other Amgen office. Amgen also hireslocal personnel to staff its offices since it believes that thoseindividuals are the best qualified to work within their own markets.International assistance is available, but international managers are notimposed on perfectly competent workers. Gertz, D. Team members are given thetechnical resources they need in order to enhance their productivity, butthese resources are seen as tools, not as a solution by themselves(Maglitta, 1994, p. The company follows a policy of hiring localpersonnel for management positions but sends experts (who may be Americanor from some other international Amgen office) in order to help withspecific issues. Amgen also emphasizes merging its corporate culture with the culturesof the nations in which it has operations and where it conducts business.This means that the company's core values, such as its commitment toexcellence, are stressed regardless of the nation in which the company isconducting business, and its employees are selected based on their abilityto recognize these core values and build on them. Wall Street Journal, p. Analysis of Diversity Program Amgen's diversity program has several key characteristics which havecontributed to its success: create a global mindset; hire foreignnationals and host-country locals; provide global staff with leadershiptraining; and, merge corporate culture with local culture (Sunoo, 1996, p.39). Theseparameters include ailments which cause extreme suffering and which can becured or treated with drugs developed through biotechnology (Gertz, 1995,p. Journal ofBusiness Strategy, pp. On Wall Street, Amgen's stock is awhale of a deal. 3. Asa result, team leaders are trained to manage team dynamics within thecontext of the international market, and communication skills areemphasized within the team environment. IS in his genes. Beating the odds. Amgen expects to double its personnel rolls by the year 2 ,and its recruitment strategy focuses on hiring top internationalscientists, medical information and marketing representatives as well asglobal managers who are familiar with Amgen's worldwide locations. Instead, the company nowrelies on using foreign nationals and host-country local personnel to fillits offices. PersonnelJournal, pp. Amgen has been able to accomplish this by stressing open communication(a core corporate value) with the various offices around the world and byhaving the majority of its employees hired from within the host country.The selection process filters out potential employees whose values are atstrong odds with the core values of Amgen, and the company's own success asan international organization works to its favor in attracting employeeswho also have an international mindset. Amgen's latest discovery. Its personnel are medical professionals who workwithin their realm of expertise at the cellular and molecular level inorder to develop enhancements to current products and conduct appliedresearch to introduce new products. This requires that individualswith diverse backgrounds and areas of expertise be able to work together.Adding to the difficulty is Amgen's narrow product focus: if a new productdoes not fit within Amgen's strict parameters, it is not pursued. S36-S37. Background of Organization Amgen, Incorporated is based in Thousand Oaks, California and is aglobal biotechnology company which develops, manufactures and marketspharmaceuticals based on advanced cellular and molecular biology. Maglitta, J. In addition, the company has formedalliances with several organizations in other countries (including Japan'sKirin) in order to augment its market presence (Rundle & Moore, 1995, p.3). Today, the company relieson local information from local representatives who are able to provideinformation on political implications of decisions which are not availablefrom maps. This research explores the diversity program at abiotechnology company and considers how the lessons from that company mightbe applied to other organizations. (1995, July-August). The leadership training programincludes information about different countries and their cultures as wellas their business practices. Brownlee, S. Thisdoes not mean that the company has completely abrogated its management toforeign nationals, however. Rundle, R. 2 -24. Workers come not only from various partsof the country, but various parts of the world, and today's internationalmarkets mean that even small American companies can do business withcompanies in many different nations. This international marketing strategyhas resulted in the company maintaining a sense that just as its productshave a global orientation, the company itself must also maintain such anorientation. As a result of this increaseddiversity, companies are struggling with ways to reconcile the differentneeds of employees with the needs of the organization. Teamsoften cross borders in order to accomplish their assigned tasks, and someeven cross continents, such as when a new financial accounting system isbeing put into place or a new distribution project is being undertaken. Amgen has research facilities within the United States and Canada, andclinical development staff in the United States, Canada, the EU, Australia,Japan and Hong Kong. References Amgen Company Report. (1997, June 5). (1994, September 19). Successful managers arethose who are able to synthesize Amgen's values with the culturesurrounding the employees in order to bring about a productive workplace. Amgen has created a global mindset within its corporate culture inpart because its products are sold throughout the world and have been sincethe company was initially formed. L., & Moore, S. P. News & World Report, p. Description of Diversity Issue Amgen's primary diversity issue stems from its core business strategy,which is to bring together marketing and technical personnel from thebeginning of the product development cycle. If this paper is not what you are looking for, you can search again: Search for: or Click here to request an essay written just for you.