Assignment 1 Admn 232 Administrative Principles
Running head: ASSIGNMENT 1 ADMN 232
Assignment 1 ADMN 232 Administrative Principles
Athabasca University
As Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan, the world’s largest producer of potash, Wayne Brownlee has endured more turbulent financial volatility with a calm and confident ease than many in his position would be capable of.
One of the largest challenges of his position as a top manager in the organization is making things happen. He achieves this by increasing profitability through leadership (interpersonal role, leading function) and delegation (decisional resource allocator role, organizing function) to control and utilize the strengths of his entire financial team. Additional top managers such as the VP of Finance; middle managers such as the Senior Directors of Taxation; First-Line Managers such as the Directors of Canadian Tax; and Team Leaders such as the supervisors of T&D Accounting and Financial Projects all play a key role in advising Mr. Brownlee. This illustrates the solid foundation he has put in place for his company in organizing his people, projects, and processes effectively. Mr. Brownlee’s human skills are a valuable asset, as he remains very approachable and down to earth to all levels of employees in the company. While his technical skills remain strong, he does not require them as often as his Team Leaders do. He regularly performs the informational role of management, most recently speaking at the TD Newcrest Agricultural Conference where he provided an overview of the state of the industry and an update of PotashCorp’s activities.
Another one of Mr. Brownlee’s strengths is his awareness of the general and specific environments affecting his company. PotashCorp adjusts its production to stay in line with the demand for its products to keep economic conditions stable. Their Pilot Plant is innovative and keeps their equipment and techniques at the forefront of
Assignment 1 ADMN 232 Administrative Principles
Athabasca University
As Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan, the world’s largest producer of potash, Wayne Brownlee has endured more turbulent financial volatility with a calm and confident ease than many in his position would be capable of.
One of the largest challenges of his position as a top manager in the organization is making things happen. He achieves this by increasing profitability through leadership (interpersonal role, leading function) and delegation (decisional resource allocator role, organizing function) to control and utilize the strengths of his entire financial team. Additional top managers such as the VP of Finance; middle managers such as the Senior Directors of Taxation; First-Line Managers such as the Directors of Canadian Tax; and Team Leaders such as the supervisors of T&D Accounting and Financial Projects all play a key role in advising Mr. Brownlee. This illustrates the solid foundation he has put in place for his company in organizing his people, projects, and processes effectively. Mr. Brownlee’s human skills are a valuable asset, as he remains very approachable and down to earth to all levels of employees in the company. While his technical skills remain strong, he does not require them as often as his Team Leaders do. He regularly performs the informational role of management, most recently speaking at the TD Newcrest Agricultural Conference where he provided an overview of the state of the industry and an update of PotashCorp’s activities.
Another one of Mr. Brownlee’s strengths is his awareness of the general and specific environments affecting his company. PotashCorp adjusts its production to stay in line with the demand for its products to keep economic conditions stable. Their Pilot Plant is innovative and keeps their equipment and techniques at the forefront of