Long-term orientation of South Asian leadership and organizational competitiveness and survival of Sasken Technologies Limited

Abstract

PurposeThe objective of this paper is to understand the perspectives of the chief executive officer (CEO), chairman and managing director of Sasken Technologies Limited, Shri. Rajiv C. Mody who co-founded this high-technology firm, which has survived three decades of turbulence in technology and the market. This is an interview-based study focused on South Asian CEOs, with the goal of better understanding the cultural elements of strategic leadership and organizational values and its influence on organizational competitiveness and survival.Design/methodology/approachThe paper uses primary data from one in-depth interview and supplements the analyses with secondary sources of data. The literature on the cultural dimension of long-term orientation (LTO) is discussed for understanding its possible linkage with strategic leadership, organizational values and thereby organizational competitiveness and survival.FindingsThis study found that the national cultural dimension of LTO of the South Asian leadership, as embedded, nurtured and practiced in the organization s values by the strategic leadership, plays an important role in explaining the organizational competitiveness and survival of South Asian firms while facing challenges and opportunities in a turbulent global business context.Originality/valueThis paper offers the perspective of a chairman and CEO of a high-technology firm with global experience and with a South Asian base of operations. His experiences in managing the organization add value to the discussion on managing business in South Asia.