Proceedings | Management area | Year 2012
 

Sustainable leadership at a leading sanitary ware manufacturer

by Thomas Siemenhuner; Sooksan Kantrabutra
  
  The 4th HR conference in Bangkok, Thailand January 2012

Abstract

Rhineland leadership practices contrast sharply with the prevailing Anglo/US business model of short-term maximization of profitability, and are said to lead to greater corporate sustainability, at least in highly developed economies. However, the applicability of Rhineland leadership to less developed economies has not yet been demonstrated. This paper examines the fit between the business practices of a sanitary ware manufacturer in Thailand with Avery’s 19 sustainable leadership practices derived from Rhineland enterprises. Adopting a case study approach, multi-data collection methods include non-participant observations made during visits to the enterprise, and reference to internal and published documentation and information. Semi-structured interview sessions are held with many stakeholders. Evidence is found for compliance with 18 of Avery’s 19 sustainable leadership elements, but to varying degrees. The elements are grouped into six core sets of practices: adopting a long-term perspective, staff development, strong organizational culture, nurturing innovation, social responsibility, and ethical behavior. The paper concludes that Avery’s 19 Rhineland practices provide a useful framework applicable to enterprises in Thailand to evaluate their corporate sustainability.