Current Practices for Senior Executive Successions

Companies are not well prepared to fill vacancies in their leadership roles. In fact, only 36 percent of organizations have programs in place to immediately fill leadership positions.

-TALEO Corporation

Succession planning for CEOs, executives, and other senior leaders is a complex process that involves careful consideration and the analysis of many factors. As the above quote highlights, the extreme planning required to fulfill the vacancies left by senior executives is an action that many organizations fail to undergo. For those organizations who do implement senior succession initiatives, there are many legal and ethical issues they must consider. These issues include confidentiality agreements, trade secrets, noncompete clauses, pigeon-holing, and glass ceilings.

For this Discussion, conduct research on the above-mentioned legal and ethical issues associated with the organizational succession planning of senior executives. Based on your research, select the issue that you find most interesting to evaluate its relevance and impact on today's organizations undergoing the succession process for senior executives.

Post a cohesive and scholarly response based on your readings and research this week that addresses the following:

Analyze legal and ethical issues related to organizational succession planning for senior executives.

Select one of the following considerations: the enforceability of confidentiality agreements, protection of trade secrets, the enforceability of noncompete clauses, the political disruptions caused when good employees are pigeon-holed due to various reasons (i.e., discrimination, internal competition, faulty talent management schemata, and/or glass ceilings).

How prevalent do you believe the use of one of the above considerations to be in today's organizations?

Describe two lessons you would educate senior executives on to emphasize either the drawbacks or the benefits of focusing on this consideration.

Would you call the consideration you selected to be more of an ethical consideration or a legal consideration? Do you think the difference is important? Why or why not? Justify your answer by citing at least two article that supports your response to this question.