Sweet success beyond the triple bottom line: Honeybee practices lead to sustainable leadership at Thailand's True Corp

Abstract

Researchers constructed a framework for analyzing the leadership practices at True Corporation, a Thai telecommunications firm, by grouping Avery and Bergsteiner's 23 Honeybee leadership practices into six categories: long-term perspective, investing in people, organizational culture, innovation, social responsibility, and ethical behavior. Emphasizing long-term growth and sustainability, these core themes contrast sharply with the prevailing Locust business model of short-term maximization of profitability. An analysis of the Honeybee practices as manifested at True Corporation, a telecommunications firm based in Thailand, shows that despite the challenges of operating in an emerging economy, they can contribute to effective, sustainable leadership and dominance in a competitive market. Other enterprises that wish to promote ongoing organizational success can adopt Avery and Bergsteiner's Honeybee elements to examine their leadership practices and adjust them to become more sustainable. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.