The Power of The Follower: Social Uprising and the Arab Spring

7/29/2019 The Power of The Follower: Social Uprising and the Arab Spring

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THE POWER

OF

THE FOLLOWER

SAND011A

MBL 921-S Leadership Assignment II

Group Member Student Number Contribution

Addison, B. 7078-516-3 100%

Bheamadu, A 3285-589-3 100%

Deonarain, N 7288-417-7 100%

Deshmukh, A 7136-472-2 100%

Jooste, D L 7276-682-4 100%

Mahura, S 7300-632-7 100%

Mavimbela, R 7294-314-9 100%

Mnube, M 3326-099-0 100%

Singh, Yashin 3667-383-8 100%

Nkosi, N 7308-888-9 100%Singh, Yeshvir 7308-490-5 100%

Thuntsane, E 7294-747-0 100%

Mulder, R 7303-318-9 100%

Mkwanazi, S 7288-373-1 100%


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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This assignment delves into the changing socio-dynamic landscape given the

growing rate of mobile and IT connectivity as well as the growing number of

users on social media platforms, such as Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Flickr and

the like. The recent political uprisings on the African continent have hinted

towards the use of social media tools to bring about socio-political change and

either directly or indirectly challenge the leadership status quo.

Many have refuted the claims of the impact of social media during the uprisings,

such as Malcolm Gladwell who dismisses the relevant importance the media,

academics and thought leaders have placed on its ability to influence leader

behaviour or bring about any meaningful change (www.newyorker.com, 2010).

However, the contrary views outweigh Gladwells views and, in our opinion, bare

consideration. According to Fleishman (2003) leadership is an attempt at

influencing the activities of followers to willingly cooperate through the

communication process toward the attainment of some goals. The traditional

view of leadership is its ability to influence follower behaviour. Thus, this

assignment aims to explore the role of neo-social dynamics (social media) to

influence leader behaviour, i.e. follower upward management of leaders.

The assignment begins with a case study to determine social medias impact in

Africa, contextualized but not limited to the Egyptian uprisings. It then proceeds

to propose an alternative mind-map developed in assignment 1 and concludes

with the development of an HR value proposition to generalize a leadership

model for use by organizations.


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TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. The Case Study 4

1.1 The Purpose of the Study 4

1.2 Background of the Study 5

1.3 Significance of the Study 5

1.4 Research Methodology 6

1.4.1 Theoretical Framework 6

1.4.2 Data Collection 7

1.4.3 Research Hypothesis 7

1.4.4 Key Research Questions 7

1.5 Conclusion 101.6 References 11

2. Integration of the Case study Findings 12

2.1 Introduction 12

2.2 Assignment 1: Overview of the Leadership Model 12

2.3 Leadership Mind Map Recommendation 14

2.4 Conclusion 18

3. The HR Value Proposition 19

3.1 Definition 19

3.2 HR Value Proposition Objectives 20

3.3 A Systemic HR Mental Model 20

3.4 Organisation Challenges Proposed 21

3.5 Business Implications 22

3.6 The HR Value Proposition- Application 22

3.7 Conclusion 25

3.8 References ( section 2 and 3) 26


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I. THECASESTUDY

1.1 Purpose of the Study

Social media is a popular term to describe a variety of media tools that is

suggested to have played an important role in recent political revolutions. In the

recent events in North Africa, the role of social media has been best

characterized as an enabler, facilitating rallies and galvanizing participants.

Despite limited access to the Internet and limited freedom of expression and

information, social media penetration is on the increase in Africa. Social networksare spoken of in villages, schools, and fast-growing cities where the middle

classes are now demanding access to quick information (Marime Jamme, 2011).

In the mid-1990s, as the use of mobile phones spread in much of the developed

world, few thought of Africa as a potential market. Now, with more than 400

million subscribers, its market is larger than North America's and is growing

faster than in any other region.

The most common social media tools are Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and

relatively new social media sites like Diggs and Foursquare. The communication

is in the form of status updates and ad hocstatements. While discussion may be

limited, the dissemination of information has been seen as the most influential

component of the upheavals in the Middle East and Northern Africa (MENA)

region (uicifd.blogspot.com, 2011).

The case study intends to explain the impact of neo-social dynamics on

leadership within the context of the recent political uprisings. In doing so we

propose three hypotheses:

i. Social media creates the leaderless revolution in the digital age.

ii. Social Media creates Citizen Journalism - freedom of speech for the

oppressed.


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iii. Social Media accelerates the rate of revolutions.

1.2 Background of the Study

The rate of technological and online communication advances suggest that

organizations and governments can no longer suppress the spread of an idea,

message, or of news occurring globally. The implication is that if one is able to

connect to the Internet and express a view about a situation, then the information

will be broadcasted. The recent events in North Africa may signal a way forward

for the rest of the continent as technology becomes more easily accessible to

more Africans. Calls for socio-political transformation heard on the streets of

Tunisia and Cairo were echoed globally, rousing sympathetic support

internationally. The revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt are extensively seen as

being mobilized, organized, supported and driven through the use of social

media tools such as Facebook, Twitter and mobile phone technology which

allowed for extensive political expression and rallying against government

corruption online and off the ground.

1.3 Significance of the Study

Traditionally, the greatest power that governments have held over their people

has been that of information/freedom of speech. The promise that Internet

connectivity brings to Africa is that people are now using the abundance of

information for oversight of government and more interaction with administrations

(J. Gossier, 2008). New communication technologies, especially social media via

the Internet, have become important resources for the mobilization of collective

action and the subsequent creation, organization and implementation of social

movements around the world. Therefore, the impact of social media on current

leadership dynamics requires exploration as the recent public demonstrations of

rebellion have been underpinned by suggestions that social media has changed


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the status quo on how Africans engage and share their views and are no longer

being silenced by oppressive leadership with these (social media) tools in hand.

1.4 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

The qualitative case study method is an effective tool for developing an

understanding about a particular case, its features, and its impact. According to

Stake (1994), "case study is defined by individual cases, not by the methods of

inquiry used." As such, the goal of case study research is to understand the

complexity of a case in the most complete way possible.

The richness of data gathered through this method complements the articles

theoretical framework and is required to answer the research questions. This

case study will be an exploratory case study which is an attempt to understand

what happened within cases by looking beyond descriptive features and studying

the surrounding context. (www.capam.com)

We categorize the Egyptian revolution in this study as the activities and

conditions that led to and defined the anti-government protests that occurred

between 25 January and 11 February 2011, ultimately leading to the resignation

of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. Case researchers examine both common

and unique features of a case, with an emphasis on its defining features (Stake,

2005).

1.4.1 Theoretical Framework

Researchers may study a single case or multiple cases. In multiple case studies,

researchers study cases in depth individually as well as look across cases for

similarities and differences. (RWJF, 2008)

Selected Cases


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a. Social Media in the Arab World (Ghannam, J., 2011)

b. Reasons Social Media contributed to the 2011 Egyptian Revolution

(Chebib, N. & Sohail, R. 2011)

1.4.2 Data Collection

The above literature was selected because of its relevance to social media,

leadership, information technology and the considerations made regarding the

plausible causes of changes in the socio-political landscape. Other secondary

sources originating from published online news reports were also analysed. Such

secondary data were appropriate for this study because of both the nature of our

analysis and the wealth of information available. The qualitative researcher often

must use her or his judgment, based on a set of criteria, to decide how much and

how long a case should be studied to aid in understanding (Creswell, 1998;

Stake, 2005).

1.4.3 Research Hypothesis

This case study explores the impact of neo-socio (social media) dynamics on

leadership in Africa in order to understand contemporary social movements. In

pursuit of this goal, the analysis specifically seeks to establish support for the

following hypotheses, which will be verified through the case study:

I. Social media: creates the leaderless revolution in the digital age.

II. Social media: creates Citizen Journalism - freedom of speech for the

oppressed.

III. Social media accelerates the rate of revolutions.

1.4.4 Key Research Questions

Three questions have been identified to guide the approach in solving the

hypotheses:


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i. Who led the protests in Egypt?

ii. How was information regarding the revolt obtained and circulated?

iii. What was the rate of protestor-mobilization and the speed of the

outcome?

i. Who led the protests in Egypt?

To succeed, one of the essential characteristics of the revolution was that there were no

leaders. Had there been leaders, it would have been far easier for the existing powers

to target them for arrest or worse and thus decapitate the revolution. The absence of

leaders made such a response impossible. Instead of a revolutionary leadership - a Che,

or a Lenin, or even a Walesa (who was imprisoned many times) - there was no

one. The only way to have contained the revolts was bloody crackdown on everyone on

the streets - a path that Syria's Bachir al Asad seems to be following, perhaps imitating

the grotesque example of his father, who had the town of Hama flattened after a

rebellion there, killing perhaps 20,000. (carneross.com)

ii. How was information pertaining to the revolt obtained and shared both

locally and internationally?

The concept of citizen journalism (also known as "public", "participatory",

"democratic","guerrilla"or "street" journalism) is based upon public citizens playing an

active role in the process of collecting, reporting, analysing, and disseminating news and

information (www.wikipedia.com). New Media technologies such as social networking

and media-sharing websites in addition to the increasing prevalence of mobile phones

have made citizen journalism more accessible to people worldwide. Due to the

availability of technology, citizens can often report breaking news more quickly than

traditional media reporters. Notable examples of citizen journalism reporting from major

world events are the Arab Spring. Hundreds of Arab activists, writers, and journalists

have faced repercussions because of their online activities. (Gannum, 2011)

In Egypt, blogger Abdel Kareem Nabil Soliman, known as Kareem Amer, was released

in November 2010 after more than four years in prison and alleged torture for his
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_mediahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_mediahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arab_Springhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arab_Springhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_mediahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_media


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writings that authorities said insulted Islam and defamed Mubarak.Soliman returned to

writing his blog shortly after his release. In Syria, 19-year-old Tal al-Mallouhi was said to

be the youngest Internet prisoner of conscience in the region and in December 2010

marked her first year in prison, mostly incommunicado, for blogging through poetry abouther yearning for freedom of expression. (Gannum, 2011)

In Bahrain, a social networking campaign has called for the release of blogger Ali

Abdulemam who was imprisoned for allegedly posting false news on his popular site

BahrainOnline.org. These are merely three of the scores of Arab Internet users across

the region that have faced arrest and incarceration and other repercussions stemming

from their online writings.Government challenges and other impediments, notably low

broadband high-speed Internet penetration rates as a percentage of population, stand inthe way of wider and faster Internet access. According to the Arab Advisors Group, the

top three countries in broadband adoption in the region as a percentage of population

are the United Arab Emirates at 14 percent, followed by Bahrain at 12 percent, and

Qatar at eight percent as of late 2009. (Gannum, 2011)

In 2009, the Arab region had 35,000 active blogs and 40,000 by late 2010.Although

Egypts interior ministry maintains a department of 45 people to monitor Facebook,

nearly 5 million Egyptians use the social networking site among 17 million people in the

region, including journalists, political leaders, political opposition figures, human rights

activists, social activists, entertainers, and royalty who are engaging online in Arabic,

English and French. (Gannum, 2011)

111. Rate of protestor mobilization and the speed of the outcome

The Egyptian Revolution began on 25 January 2011 and ended on 11February 2011

lasting a total of 18 days, overthrowing the 30 year old rule of Mubarak. The JasmineRevolution in Tunisia, which ousted president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, lasted 28 days.

The Egyptian revolution succeeded in overthrowing the present regime in the shortest

time period. (Chebbib and Sohail, 2011) As shown in figure 1 below, the Egyptian

revolution is the second shortest revolution in terms of both the number of days it lasted

and deaths.


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FIGURE 1: Days of Revolutions and Deaths that occurred during those Revolutions

1.3 Conclusion

Hypothesis 1: Creates a Leaderless Rebellion

The analysis above clearly indicates the lack of emergence of significant leaders in any

of the revolutions. Revolutions ignited by passionate people having sufficient common

ground and cause can mobilize a revolution which can be steered and sustained(without

a leader) towards the achievement of the common goal.

Hypothesis 2: Creates Citizen Journalism freedom of speech for the oppressed

There is a symbiotic relationship between social media and citizen journalism on the one

hand and traditional media on the other hand, in that they play off each other. Traditional

media remains an essential vehicle for reaching a domestic and international audience.

in that while social media played a tremendous role, especially in empowering freedom

of speech, the impact of citizen journalism was limited and interest in the cause was

catapulted only through traditional media coverage.

Hypothesis 3: Results in Rapid Mobilization and Swift Results

Revolutions can be short and bloody, or slow and peaceful. Each is different. The

Egyptian revolution was one of the quickest and swiftest revolutions in history. The facts

and figures have indicated that it was also a revolution with one of the lowest death

tolls.The deaths and number of days for revolutions historically were far in excess of the

3000 3000

100 300 142448

51 10 18 30

Iman Tiananmen Indonesia Egypt Tunisa

DEATHS DAYS


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Egyptian revolution; were deaths ranged in the 3000s, the death toll in Egypt was

documented at 300.

III. REFERENCES

1. Ghannam, J (2011): Social Media in the ArabWorld

2. Chebib, N. and Sohail, R. (2011): The Reasons

Social Media contributed to the 2011 Egyptian

Revolution

3. Cogburn, D. and Espinoza-Vasquez F. (2011):

From Networked Nominee to Networked Nation.

4. Abroms, L. and Lefebvre, R. (2009): Obamas

Wired Campaign: Lessons for public health

communication

5. http://www.carneross.com/blog/2011/04/23/necessity-leaderless-revolutions)

6. Yin, Robert K.,Applications of Case Study

Research, Sage, Thousand Oaks, CA, 2003a,

2nd

7. edition.

8. Yin, Robert K., Case Study Research: Design

and Methods, Sage, Thousand Oaks, CA,

2003b,3rd edition.

9. Yin, Robert K., The Abridged Version of Case

Study Research, in Leonard Bickman and Debra

J.

10. Rog (eds.), Handbook of Applied Social

Research, Sage, Thousand Oaks, CA, 1998, pp.

229-259.

11. Stake, R. E. (2005). Qualitative case studies. InN. K. Denzin & Y. S. Lincoln (Eds.), The Sage

handbook of qualitative research (pp. 443466).

Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.

12. Glesne, C. (2006) Becoming Qualitative

Researchers (3rd ed.). Boston: Allyn and Bacon.

13. Gladwell M. 2010

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2010/10/04/

101004fa_fact_gladwell( date accessed:

08/07/2012)

14. Bohler-Muller N. and van der Merwe, C. 2011The potential of social media to influence socio-

political change on the African Continent. Africa

Institute of South Africa

15. Toni Ahlqvist, Asta Bck, Sirkka Heinonen,

Minna Halonen, (2010),"Road-mapping the

societal transformation potential of social media",

foresight, Vol. 12 Iss: 5 pp. 3

16. Andr-Michel Essoungou, 2010 A social media

boom begins in Africa,

www.un.org/en/africarenewal/vol24no4/socialme

diabom.html (date accessed 17 July 2012)

17. Gossier, J. 2008 Social Media in Africa, Part 3:

Democracy

18. carneross.com/blog/2011/04/23/necessity-

leaderless-revolution

SECTION 2
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2010/10/04/101004fa_fact_gladwellhttp://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2010/10/04/101004fa_fact_gladwellhttp://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/africa_democracy_social_media.phphttp://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/africa_democracy_social_media.phphttp://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/africa_democracy_social_media.phphttp://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/africa_democracy_social_media.phphttp://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2010/10/04/101004fa_fact_gladwellhttp://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2010/10/04/101004fa_fact_gladwell


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2. INTEGRATION OF CASE STUDY FINDINGS -RECOMMENDATIONS FOR LEADERS

ASSESSED INASSIGNMENT 1

2.1 Introduction

Emerging from an exploration of the likely impacts of social medial in the context

of the political uprisings explored in question 1 above is the indirect threat neo-

socio dynamics pose to autocratic governance, as was the case with Hosni

Mubarak resigning from presidential office, a mere 18 days after the start of the

Egyptian protests (bbc.co.uk 2011).This is in stark contrast to the rise of US

President Barrack Obama, whose 2008 election campaign has been heralded as

a win for social media, after a landslide victory which sought to convert

everyday people into engaged and empowered volunteers, donors and

advocates through social media (Edelman, 2009). Comparing these two leaders

on the basis of their style of governance suggests polar opposite styles from

democratic to autocratic leadership. Autocratic leaders are those who make

unilateral decisions and issue instructions. It is often criticized because it negates

relationships between followers that allow decisions to be made by leaders and

followers (Ehow.com), whereas democracy advocates inclusive and engaging

governance.

Following on from the mind map developed in assignment 1, we recommend an

alternative leadership approach for the business leaders surveyed.

2.2 Assignment 1: Overview of the Leadership Model

In the first leadership assignment, three leaders were surveyed and a leadership

mind map was developed. The mind map sought to establish which leadership

theory these three leaders subscribed to.


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As per table 1 (below), all three leaders subscribe to the power and influence

theory of leadership, path-goal theory, leader-member exchange theory (LMX),

ethical leadership, transformational leadership, servant leadership, spiritualleadership and authentic leadership. A fundamental leadership trait amongst

these surveyed leaders was found to be building and maintaining trust.

THEORY MS. MABUNDA MS. GOVIND MR. SIBEKO

1. Power &

Influence

Legitimate (Positional)

Expert (Personal)

Reward (Positional)

Referent + Expert (Personal)

Reward (Positional)

Expert (Personal)

2. Path-goal Supportive Directive Directive

3. LMX High LMX High LMX High LMX

4. Transformational Yes Yes Yes

5. Ethical Yes Yes Yes

6. Servant Yes No No

7. Spiritual Yes Yes Yes

8. Authentic Yes Yes No

Table 1 Leader Theory Summation of Surveyed Leaders (SAND011A, 2012)

Image 1, below, provides a graphic of the leadership mind map that was

developed in assignment one. The leaders used a combination of both positional

and personal power. The mind map also showcased adaptations to this power

and influence model, with various modes of leadership also complementing their

primary leadership model.


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Image 1 Assignment 1 Leadership Mind Map (SAND011A, 2012)Trust formed the core of their leadership character, without which these leaders

believe that their effectiveness to lead would have been severely impeded. We

believe this to be true as followers are more inclined to trust people when they

understand their leaders values and observe that their actions are congruent

with those values because they can reliably predict how their leaders will act. As

such, leaders of high character instil trust. However, given their reliance on

positional and personal power, an alternative leadership model is proposed

below.

2.3 Leadership mind-map Recommendation

The demands of neo-socio dynamics on leadership is such that leaders must

develop a broad range of personal and professional competencies in order to

meet the challenges they will inevitably face. Tomorrows leaders must stay

abreast of the impact of the social media curve. Primary and secondary


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stakeholders now have access through social media applications to mobilize and

either do great harm to an organisation or support its efforts. This was recently

illustrated by the Woolworths vs. Frankies dispute. According to Frankies,Woolworths, had sabotaged its attempts to sell its product and claim ownership,

by selling an imitation of its drink. Supporters of Frankies mobilized and retaliated

on social media spaces such as Facebook and Twitter. The response by

Woolworths was plagued by its inability to understand the social media playing

field. Instead of engaging followers, Woolworths executives chose to release

press statements that appeared to only exacerbate the situation. The Advertising

Standards Authority ruled in favour of Frankies, and Woolworths was ordered to

remove its copy-cat version of the soft drink. (Moneyweb, 2012) In a recent

Sunday Times Article (Aug, 2012) Woolworths CEO, Ian Moir notes that the

company was surprised at how quickly outrage was spread in the Frankies soft

drink saga. In response to his own leadership displayed during the

communication crisis, he stated that it (the social media outrage) was a problem

within an hour which made it difficult to manage(C. Barron, 2012). It is safe to

conclude that had Woolworths leadership endorsed a different response,

strengthened its stakeholder engagement and understood the immediate impact

of social networking, they would have adopted an alternative approach to

engaging their stakeholders.

i. Authentic-Transformational Leadership

The case study (in section 1) and the preceding Woolworths example highlights

the need for open leadership. According to Charlene li (2011) By embracingsocial media, leaders can transform their organizations to become more effective,

decisive, and ultimately more profitable in this new era of openness in the

marketplace. Whilst no model and no list of leadership behaviours or

competencies can fully capture all the critical components of stakeholder


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management; our group has selected the prescriptive, authentic-transformational

leadership model, for leaders to align themselves to.

Transformational leadership describes a leader who motivates followers to

performance beyond expectations, but has often been attacked for its potential to

be abused. Bass and Steidlmeier (1999) point out that the ethics of

transformational leadership have been challenged. For example, transformational

leaders: (1) can use impression management behaviours that pave the way to

immoral behaviour (Snyder,1987) and (2) manipulate followers into losing more

than they gain (White & Wooten, 1986). To mitigate these shortcomings, an

additional form of leadership has been proposed to complement transformational

leadership i.e. authentic leadership (Nichols, Thomas W., 2008).

Authentic leadership is an over-arching concept that aims to include

transformational leadership and all positive forms of leadership (Avolio and

Gardner 2005). At the heart of authentic leadership is the concept of

ethicality.The concept of authenticity may contribute to the transformational

leadership paradigm, producing an ideal form of leadership. Whilst many pseudo-

transformational leaders are able to exert control over their followers, their lack of

character and ethical behaviour ultimately bring harm to their followers. By acting

on a core set of benevolent values, authentic transformational leaders, bring out

the best in their followers and spur them on to do great things for society.

ii. Behaviour of Authentic-Transformational Leaders

Ethics are a basic component of authentic transformational leadership. Image 2

(below), demonstrates that these kinds of leaders engage in:


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Idealized influence: Serving as examples of excellence and character;

creating a climate of high standards for task performance and ethical

choices. Inspirational motivation: Developing and communicating an ambitious,

exciting and morally good vision for the group to achieve; involving

followers, empowering them and encouraging their development.

Intellectual stimulation: Fostering open discussion of the vision, its

implementation and encouraging new ideas from their followers without

criticizing them publicly for their mistakes.

Individualized consideration: Demonstrating genuine concern for

followers' development; provide coaching and mentoring and rewarding

followers for creativity and innovation.

Image 2 Transformational Leadership Model (Management Study Guide, 2009)

iii. Advantages of Authentic Transformational Leaders

The advantages become apparent when demonstrating ethical behaviour and

personal character while performing the four types of leadership behaviours in

Image 1. Many researchers have proposed outcomes relating to authentic,


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transformational, ethical, and charismatic behaviours. These include trust

(Robinson, 1996), organizational commitment (Conger, 1999), satisfaction

(George & Jones, 1997), performance (Howell & Avolio, 1993) and organizationalcitizenship behaviour (Gardner & Schermerhorn, 2004). Additionally, the above

authors suggest that:

These leaders develop higher levels of self-awareness.

They lead followers through personal development and organizational

change.

They are able to persuade them to step out of their comfort zones, take a

leap of faith and follow their leaders into the unknown.

These also support a recent HBR discussion amongst Harvards leadership

academia, who advocate the need for an increased level of self-awareness

amongst business leaders, effective diversity management and forging greater

partnerships with ALL stakeholders, both consumers and suppliers alike in the

age of a more connected and socially (pro) active business environment.

2.4 Conclusion

Authentic-transformational leaders are those leaders who are able to

intellectually stimulate, inspirationally motivate and ideally influence their

followers in an ethical manner. They are transparent in their dealings and ethical

in their actions and it is their authenticity that removes the potential for them to

abuse this leadership style.(Bass and Steidlmeier(1999).


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SECTION 3

THEHRVALUEPROPOSITION-RECOMMENDATIONS TO MITIGATE THE IMPLICATIONS

OF THE CASE STUDY FINDINGS THROUGH THE USE OF HR VALUE PROPOSITIONS

3. HR Value Proposition

3.1 Definition

Human Resource, HR, professionals add value when their work aids an

organization to achieve its goals. It is not the design of a program or declaration

of policy that matters the most, but what recipients gain from these actions

(Success360degree.com). In a world of increasingly scarce resources, activities

that fail to add value are not worth pursuing. The HR value proposition means

that HR practices, departments and professionals produce positive outcomes for

key stakeholders - employees, line managers, customers, and investors. (Amerin,

2005)

According to David Ulrich (2005) HR needs to be able to show howtheir activities

create value for key stakeholders. He asserts that HR must have a direct line of

sight to the market place such as the customers who buy products and services

and to the shareholders who provide capital and that HR must be framed as a

source of competitive advantage. He states that ultimately HR professionals

need to be able to spell out how they provide a unique and powerful perspective

of the linkages between employee commitment, customer attitudes and investorreturns. (Harvard Business School Working Knowledge, 2005)

The role of a leader in an organisation is to lead change, lead transformation,

lead teams and lead engagement. This process is often a learning on the part of

the leader. For this reason, leadership branding is often part of the HR value


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proposition due to the fact that HR is the custodian of learning and development

within an organisation.

3.2 HR Value Proposition Objectives

HR needs to be able to show how their activities create value for key

stakeholders (i.e. the business, customers, employees, investors)

HR must have a direct line of sight to the market place such as the

customers who buy products and services and to the shareholders who

provide capital (a suggestion of a strong market orientation).

HR professionals must align practices with the requirements of internal

and external stakeholders (operating in a silo is no longer suitable).

HR professionals must acquire the personal knowledge and skills

necessary to link HR activity to stakeholder value.

HR professionals need to be able to spell out how they provide a unique

and powerful perspective of the linkages between employee commitment,

customer attitudes and investor returns.

3.3 A Systemic HR Mental Model

HR needs to frame a new mental model that will make others take notice of and

acknowledge the profound and sustainable benefits HR brings to organisations in

the new economy. Such a mental model must form the strategic framework that

provides HR professionals with the evidence that HR is truly adding value to key

stakeholders. Once developed, a systemic HR mental model will provide thestrategic framework that enables HR professionals to make significant and

tangible contributions to business performance. For instance, HR professionals

will be able to use these models to economically justify their initiatives, advise

where the business is at risk, highlight opportunities to continually improve

performance and most importantly, show how they add to stakeholder value. This


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conclave will provide a platform where eminent HR professionals will discuss the

issues that organizations need to handle in order to transform the role of HR and

aid organizations to gain and sustain competitive advantage. (www.ksom.ac.in)

The HR Value Proposition, which was developed by Dave Ulrich in

2005,expressesfivekey elements for the value creation activities of HR, namely:

1. Knowing external business realities

2. Serving Internal and External Stakeholders

3. Creating HR Best Practices

4. Building HR Resources

5. Ensuring HR Professionalism

Figure 1 HR Value Proposition Template (D. Ulrich 2005)

3.4 ORGANIZATIONAL CHALLENGES PROPOSED
http://www.ksom.ac.in/http://www.ksom.ac.in/


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The HR Value proposition mind map (Table 1) speaks to challenges

organisations may be facing. Social media connectivity and activism can impact

business relations both internally (employee relations) and externally (customerrelations). We therefore propose two examples of this for a generic Company X:

1. Employees who are dissatisfied with autocratic, heavy-handed leadership

within an organisation; and

2. customer online queries or complaints are being sluggishly attended to,

resulting in poor customer service levels.

3.5 Business Implications

1. Employees could take to social media and discuss amongst themselves

their dissatisfaction with their leaders resulting in lower levels of staff

morale, productivity and insubordination (borne out of frustration and on-

going discussions in and amongst disgruntled employees). The recent

Marikana Mining tragedy, although still under investigation, could

potentially point toward employee mobilization (which may have been

aided by social media interaction such as Blackberry messenger BBM,

or possibly Facebook engagement) and possibly suggest how three

thousand employees mobilized to the exclusion of their own union leaders,

who purport not to have known about the impending strike action.

2. Customers who sense that company X is not engaging speedily and

effectively to their queries or complaints may view the companys

indifference as a sign of it not being customer oriented and they may

retaliate on social media platforms. The online conversation could inform

new customers and other existing customers of the companys level of

degree of engagement as such impacting business performance.

3.6 The Value Proposition- Application


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Page | 23

The HR Value Proposition will address the issues in the two examples cited

above that will result in improvement or a turnaround strategy. The systemic

mind map model will seek to address the first two of the elements of Ulrichs HRvalue proposition namely,

1. Knowing external business realities; and

2. Serving Internal and External Stakeholders.

The reason for choosing the above two elements is because neo-socio dynamics

(social media) suggests (1) a new and evolving external business reality in the

form of online and mobile phone technology, its connectivity, user activity, and

continued global growth in online social engagement and (2) serving internal and

external stakeholders, who are now seemingly more connected and willing to

voice their dissatisfaction, implies that HR needs to re-orientate its value

proposition in light ofhowand where internal and external stakeholders are now

having their conversations, which is online, in real time, sporadic, and

transparent.

As such the Value Proposition should aim to:

Create market value for investors by increasing intangibles.

Increases customer share by connecting with target customers.

Help line managers deliver strategy by building organisation

capabilities.

Clarify and establish an employee value proposition and enhance

individual abilities.

Improve the line managers ability to understand external businessrealities.


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Page | 24

HR VALUEPROPOSITION

ELEMENT

HRTRANSFORMATIO

N CRITERIA

HR INTERVENTION HR VALUEPROPOSITION

Knowingthe external

businessRealities

Article I.

AND

Article II.

Serving

externaland internalstakeholder

s

Create marketvalue forinvestors by

increasingintangibles.

Increasescustomer shareby connectingwith targetcustomers.

Helps linemanagersdeliver strategy

by buildingorganisationcapabilities.

Clarifies andestablishes anemployee value

proposition andenhancesindividualabilities.

Improve the linemanagers abilityto understandexternalbusiness realties

The experience, level,function, previousmanagement education,current challenges faced

and demographicbackground of the potentialparticipants needs to beconsidered when settingthe objectives so that theprogramme is maderelevant to the participantas well as the organisation.Leadership developmentneeds may be carried outat this time which arelinked to the strategicobjectives and

competencies needed fororganisational success.

Based on the results ofassessments they will benominated to go oncourses to close thecompetency gap.

A suitable audiencewill be selected

An evaluation system andcorresponding actions toreward success andimprove on deficienciespreferably the KirkpatrickModel in which to gaugeself-development ofleaders; their ability tocontribute to the teamsthey lead; and which helpthem contribute to thebusiness and strategicchange.

The basket of offeringsfrom a developmentperspective and

leadership programmewill be:

1. EmotionalIntelligence

2. Resilience3. Customer

1. Clear focusoncustomer

satisfactionandmeeting theneeds ofthecustomer.

2. Improvedstaffretention

3. Loweredstaff

turnover4. Increased

productivity5. Display of

effectiveleadershipandmanagerialskills

6. Effectiveproblem

solving anddecision-making.

7. Analyseandintegrateinformationand factsanddemonstrate

performance andchange inbehaviour

8. Makedecisive


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Page | 25

Table 1: HR Value Proposition Mind Map

Generic Organization X3.7 Conclusion

The business world shapes leaders, pushing them to adapt and change in the

face of social technologys revolutionizing impact. Social media has connected,

networked and empowered employees, customers, partners and investors and all

stakeholders of the company globally. The change has been so rapid that leaders

are increasingly caught unprepared(Barry Libert and Sally Ourieff 2012).

To succeed, and even just to survive, leaders must evolve as todays

technologies are changing. Social, mobile and cloud technologies force savvy

businesses to become open, transparent, and inclusive organizations with

stakeholders. Leaders must create new frameworks to integrate their

understanding of social and mobile technologies into their leadership skills and

management teams must recruit candidates equipped with these new capabilities.

Be Open, Be Transparent, Be Authentic are the current leadership mantras, yet

companies often push back according to Charlene Li (2011). Traditionally

Orientation4. Problem solving5. Analytical Skills

6. Communication7. Networking8. Coaching9. MentoringAnalytical

skills.10. Communication11. Networking

andproactivedecisions

9. Clear anddetailedwrittencommunication skills.

10. Clear focusonnetworkingwith all keystakeholders.


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Page | 26

business is premised on the concept of control, yet the new world order (neo-

socio dynamics) demands openness.

_______________________________________________________

3.8 REFERENCES - SECTION 2 AND 3

1. Aughton P. 2005, Mapping the HR Value Proposition

2. Augie Ray May 11, 2010; (http://blogs.forrester.com/augie_ray/10-05-11-

seven_things_your_organization_must_do_because_social_media)

3. Barron, C. 2012: A social media shock for Woollies, Sunday Times Business

Times Aug 19th 2012 pg6.

4. Barry Libert and Sally Ourieff 2012,Recruiting and Developing Great Teams in

the Facebook Age , https://www.bluesteps.com/blog/Recruiting-and-Developing-

Great-Teams-in-the-Facebook-Age.aspx (date accessed: July 28 2012)

5. Bass, B. M. & Steidlmeier, P. (1999). Ethics, character, and authentic

transformational leadership behaviour. Leadership Quarterly, 10(2): 181-217.

6. http://dssresources.com/faq/index.php?action=artikel&id=225

7. http://www.ccl.org/leadership/pdf/research/creatingGovernmentLeaders.pdf

8. http://www.ccl.org/leadership/pdf/research/futureTrends.pdf

9. http://www.ehow.com/list_6713655_effects-autocratic-leadership.html

10. http://www.highwayafrica.com/media/Citizen_Journalism_and_Democracy_Book.

pdf

11. Li, C (2011) Open Leadership: How Social Technology Can Transform How You

Leadhttp://www.charleneli.com/open-leadership/ date accessed July 16th, 2012

12. Nichols, Thomas W.. Authentic transformational leadership and implicit

leadership theories.. Denton, Texas. UNT Digital Library.

http://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc9056/. Accessed July 16, 2012.
http://blogs.forrester.com/augie_ray/10-05-11-seven_things_your_organization_must_do_because_social_mediahttp://blogs.forrester.com/augie_ray/10-05-11-seven_things_your_organization_must_do_because_social_mediahttp://blogs.forrester.com/augie_ray/10-05-11-seven_things_your_organization_must_do_because_social_mediahttp://blogs.forrester.com/augie_ray/10-05-11-seven_things_your_organization_must_do_because_social_mediahttps://www.bluesteps.com/blog/Recruiting-and-Developing-Great-Teams-in-the-Facebook-Age.aspxhttps://www.bluesteps.com/blog/Recruiting-and-Developing-Great-Teams-in-the-Facebook-Age.aspxhttps://www.bluesteps.com/blog/Recruiting-and-Developing-Great-Teams-in-the-Facebook-Age.aspxhttps://www.bluesteps.com/blog/Recruiting-and-Developing-Great-Teams-in-the-Facebook-Age.aspxhttp://dssresources.com/faq/index.php?action=artikel&id=225http://www.ccl.org/leadership/pdf/research/creatingGovernmentLeaders.pdfhttp://www.ccl.org/leadership/pdf/research/futureTrends.pdfhttp://www.ehow.com/list_6713655_effects-autocratic-leadership.htmlhttp://www.highwayafrica.com/media/Citizen_Journalism_and_Democracy_Book.pdfhttp://www.highwayafrica.com/media/Citizen_Journalism_and_Democracy_Book.pdfhttp://www.charleneli.com/open-leadership/http://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc9056/http://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc9056/http://www.charleneli.com/open-leadership/http://www.highwayafrica.com/media/Citizen_Journalism_and_Democracy_Book.pdfhttp://www.highwayafrica.com/media/Citizen_Journalism_and_Democracy_Book.pdfhttp://www.ehow.com/list_6713655_effects-autocratic-leadership.htmlhttp://www.ccl.org/leadership/pdf/research/futureTrends.pdfhttp://www.ccl.org/leadership/pdf/research/creatingGovernmentLeaders.pdfhttp://dssresources.com/faq/index.php?action=artikel&id=225https://www.bluesteps.com/blog/Recruiting-and-Developing-Great-Teams-in-the-Facebook-Age.aspxhttps://www.bluesteps.com/blog/Recruiting-and-Developing-Great-Teams-in-the-Facebook-Age.aspxhttp://blogs.forrester.com/augie_ray/10-05-11-seven_things_your_organization_must_do_because_social_mediahttp://blogs.forrester.com/augie_ray/10-05-11-seven_things_your_organization_must_do_because_social_media


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13. Transformational Leadership theory

http://managementstudyguide.com/transformational-leadership.htm date

accessed 16th July 2012

14. Ulrich D, 2005, HRs New Mandate: Be a strategic player,

http://hbswk.hbs.edu/archive/4861.html (date accessed: 30/07/2012)

Images: 2012 (Twitter) Twitter Inc.,

(Facebook) Facebook Corp,

(YouTube) Google Inc.

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