Glaxosmithkline & Health Company

GlaxoSmithKline is the second leading pharmaceutical, biological and Health Company of the world based in Britain and formed by a merger of Glaxo Wellcome and SmithKline Beecham in January 2000. It has a broad portfolio of pharmaceuticals and consumer healthcare services serving around 180 markets across the world. This paper will attempt to research on the organizational culture, environment and ethics of the organization which has helped the company in sustaining the position of a second largest drug company in the world (GSK, 2006).

ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE GlaxoSmithKline is proud to have a culture which focuses on organizational resilience since it considers this is the best way to attract, retain and develop their staff which consists of the most talented people out there. The company has a culture which makes its employees proud to work there since it holds resilience, diversity, health and performance as the core qualities of its workforce. The culture emphasizes not only the mission and vision but also the strategy through which to deliver its achievements.

The company believes its core values to be found in the GSK spirit which is made up of performance with integrity, sense of urgency and passion for achievement, entrepreneurial spirit, focus on innovation. The company develops these qualities in its workforce so that the organizational culture becomes to be characterized by innovation and achievement. GSK holds that its culture is the driving force behind its achievements because it develops these core values and qualities in the workforce in such a manner that they strive to reach out their potential for the company.

The resilience in the culture teaches them to resist stress both at work and home because when they will master their internal resistance then they will be able to reach their full potential. The company also emphasizes team approach so that the group can work together towards minimizing internal and external pressures so that they can work with full energy even in challenging times (GSK, 2002). The culture at GSK supports innovation, diversity and a commitment among the employees to take initiatives while promoting trust, job satisfaction and loyalty among them.

GSK not only believes on its supportive culture but also ensures that their employees are satisfied with the culture. For this reason, they carry out surveys to ensure that the employees feel positive about the culture and suggest any improvements. The employees felt proud being part of the workforce at GSK where they could develop to their full potential and felt satisfied by having a say in the management decisions. Thus, the culture at GSK is very promising for the employees by allowing them to develop their full potential and take initiatives in the innovative and performance oriented environment (Sinha, 2009).

ETHICS GSK has been recognized all over the world for leading its way in ethics because it operates on highly ethical standards since its products are responsible for the health and safety of the human life. It has been at the heart of GSK to act responsibly, ethically and comply with the law in order to earn a good reputation in the society. It is important for a company like GSK to act sensibly on ethical grounds because its products are responsible for saving and enhancing life due to which the company produces socially desirable goods.

Ethics and corporate social responsibility form an integral part of the company’s core values and mission and therefore, produces medicines, vaccines and healthcare products which fit ethical standards. The company also emphasizes ethics among its employees and provides them training to that they act on highly ethical and honest standards. The expected behavior from employees is communicated to them through employee guides and company policies.

In the area of marketing, strict codes, policies and regulations govern the sale and promotion of pharmaceuticals in order to ensure commitment to high ethical standards. The company also works with the government and makes political donations as a part of their step towards the betterment of the state (GSK, 2006). ORGANIZATIONAL ENVIRONMENT The organizational environment at GSK is challenging for the workforce where they are constantly required to exhibit excellent performance, take initiatives and come up with appealing ideas so that they utilize their internal capacities to the fullest potential possible.

Honesty and integrity are at the core of the organizational values and the organization fosters trust, loyalty and commitment. The environment is built on diversity where talent from diverse backgrounds is reflected by the different communities and given opportunity to develop themselves and excel at the company. The thing that gives GSK its competitive advantage is that it promotes equality in the treatment and training of diverse employees regardless of their petty differences (GSK, 2002).

Ethical, social and environmental concerns are at the heart of GSK and the company provides a safe and healthy work environment to the employees and also ensures their work and family balance. The environment encourages the workforce to develop themselves personally as well as at work in order to provide the best for the company. CONCLUSION At GSK, customer needs and environmental concerns are always given a priority so that the company satisfies its customers and maintains its reputable position in the society.

The organizational culture develops and enhances the talent in the employees so that they exploit their fullest potential and achieve the maximum for the organization. REFERENCES GSK, (2006). Business Ethics. Retrieved March 5, 2009, from GlaxoSmithKline Web site: http://www. gsk. com/responsibility/cr_issues/business_ethics. htm GSK, (2002). Corporate and Social Responsibility Report 2002. Retrieved March 5, 2009, from GlaxoSmithKline Web site: http://www. gsk. com/financial/reps02/CSR02/GSKcsr-12. htm Sinha, J. B. P (2009). Culture and Organizationational Behaviour. Sage Publications Pvt. Ltd.