Diversity at Novartis Essay -- Novartis Diversity Strategy

Diversity is vital to the success of today’s business model. Companies small and large have demonstrated benefits from an economic standpoint as well as talent management perspective. Canas & Sondak outline four pillars of change necessary for a successful program. These pillars are described as â€Å"demonstrate leadership support†, â€Å"engage employees as partners†, integrate diversity with management practices† and â€Å"link diversity goals to business goals† (Canas & Sondak, 2014). Novartis as a global company validates the theory to lead diversity within its organization. Company Profile Novartis is well known as a pharmaceutical company and emerging healthcare solutions provider. â€Å"It is engaged in the research, development, manufacture and marketing of branded drugs, generic pharmaceutical products and preventive vaccines, diagnostic tools and consumer health products† (Novartis AG, 2013). Novartis is uniquely positioned with a wide breadth of product offerings under one umbrella providing innovation and a diversified product offering to the marketplace. Its competitors are GlaxoSmith Kline, Bayer, Eli Lily, Merck & Co. and Johnson and Johnson to name a few. A big player in the field, Novartis has annual revenue of 57.9 billion. The company is headquartered in Basel, Switzerland and employees approximately 136,000 associates and operates in more than 140 countries around the world (Novartis Annual Report, 2013). Novartis was created in 1996 through the merger of Ciba-Geigy and Sandoz. Geigy started in 1798 selling dyes, chemicals and drugs of all kinds. In the meantime a competitor in the marketplace, Alexander Clavel is producing and selling his silk dyes which eventually emerge as Ciba (Chemical Industry Basel). S... ...and Inclusion a Priority. Profiles in Diversity Journal, 14(2), 52 Novartis Annual Report (2013). Retrieved from http://www.novartis.com/investors/financial-results/annual-results.shtml Novartis Company History (2013). Retrieved from http://www.novartis.com/about-novartis/company-history/index.shtml Novartis Diversity and Inclusion Report (2012). Retrieved from http://www.novartis.com Novartis AG SWOT Analysis. (2013). Novartis AG SWOT Analysis, 1-8. Novartis Foundation (2013). Biography of Daniel Vasella. Retrieved from http://www.novartisfoundation.org/platform/content/element/298/cv_daniel_vasella.pdf Royal, M. A., & Stark, M. J. (2006). Why some companies excel at conducting business globally. Journal of Organizational Excellence, 25(4), 3-10. Waltmann, F. (2013). East Meets Best: Developing Novartis Talent in Asia. Chief Learning Officer, 12(6), 68-72.