The Air Mauritius story: how HR can impact company culture

2015 ◽  
Vol 14 (1/2) ◽  
pp. 2-7
Author(s):  
Ron Kaufman
Keyword(s):  
Customer Satisfaction ◽  
Employee Engagement ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
Cultural Changes ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Service Culture ◽  
Company Culture ◽  
A Company

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to show how HR can quickly impact, create and develop a company’s overall culture of service. When HR leaders seek to guide their companies through essential cultural changes, they can earn a seat at the table. Design/methodology/approach – Once a struggling airline, Air Mauritius took steps to overhaul its culture. This case study outlines the steps taken by the airline and explains how HR leaders can use those steps to play a more vital role in their companies. Findings – HR leaders should seek to make key cultural changes within a company, as they can lead to substantial measurable results. By creating a service culture, Air Mauritius returned to profitability, earned a 4-Star Skytrax rating and improved employee engagement and customer satisfaction. Originality/value – By shining a light on a unique company and its island home nation, this case study provides valuable advice to HR leaders on how they can use cultural changes to play a more significant role in their companies.

Consumer reactions towards femvertising: a netnographic study

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana Marina Lima ◽  
Beatriz Casais
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Case Study Research ◽  
Female Empowerment ◽  
Women Consumers ◽  
Cultural Changes ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Online Comments ◽  
Consumer Reactions ◽  
Corporate Social

PurposeThis paper identifies consumer reactions towards female empowerment in advertising in order to explore the supporting arguments for criticisms of lack of authenticity and the figuring of sexist stereotypes.Design/methodology/approachThe authors conducted a multi-case study research with content analysis of 905 coded online comments in a video hosting website towards four femvertising campaigns.FindingsResults indicate that femvertising plays an important role in the emotional connection between women and brands, but consumers may react negatively to femvertising when brands do not show knowledge about the real feminist values, maintaining sexist stereotypes. Consumers also blame companies of hypocrite and exploitation to sell products if there is not authenticity and brand-cause fit.Originality/valueFemvertising appears as a consequence of cultural changes and corporate social responsibility in order to engage women consumers. This paper contributes with explanations to sustain the dichotomic reactions towards femvertising, showing evidence of why some people react favourably and other people react negatively.

How culture, leadership and engagement helped a small business survive during the pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
John F. Blattner ◽  
William P. Karmia ◽  
Thomas J. Walter
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Culture ◽  
Employee Engagement ◽  
Value Systems ◽  
Workplace Culture ◽  
Organizational Survival ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Company Culture ◽  
Organizational Culture Inventory ◽  
Business Challenges

Purpose The purpose of this case study is to investigate how a small catering company has coped with the current Covid-19 pandemic. Initial research was performed in 2014 and repeated in 2018. Given the far reaching business challenges of the pandemic, the authors examined the viability of the organization within the current climate. Design/methodology/approach Embedded organizational components of culture, leadership and engagement are explored as key elements in the sustainability of the company during the pandemic crisis. Prior research data using the organizational culture inventory is used to assess organizational culture over a four-year period. Employee data and interview analysis within company structure is used to determine how leadership and employee engagement is impacted. Culture research is examined to determine the influence of company culture upon organizational survival. Findings This paper identifies workplace culture elements that contribute to company sustainability. Embedded core value systems, strong employee engagement mechanisms and focused leadership styles were observed to be critical influences upon company survival during the pandemic. Originality/value This research would assist industry professionals and practitioners in understanding the active workplace culture mechanisms found to be effective for organizational survival during periods of crisis. Companies that adopt similar practices may acquire sustainability advantage during the pandemic.

Unmasking conflict in vertical coopetition

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anni Rajala ◽  
Annika Tidström
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Manufacturing Sector ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Multiple Levels ◽  
A Company ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Different Levels ◽  
And Task

Purpose The purpose of this study is to increase understanding about vertical coopetition from the perspective of interrelated conflict episodes on multiple levels. Design/methodology/approach The empirical part is based on a qualitative single case study of a coopetitive buyer-supplier relationship in the manufacturing sector. Findings Conflicts in vertical coopetition evolve from being merely functional and task-related to becoming dysfunctional and relationship-related, as the level of competition increases. The nature of conflict episodes influences the development of vertical coopetition, and therefore, the interrelatedness of conflict episodes is important to acknowledge. Practical implications Although a conflict is considered functional within a company, it may still be dysfunctional as far as the coopetitive relationship with the buyer or seller is concerned. Competition may trigger conflicts related to protecting own technology and knowledge, which may lead to termination of the cooperation, therefore coopetition should be managed in a way that balance sharing and protecting important knowledge to get advantages of coopetition. Originality/value The findings enhance prior research on vertical coopetition by offering new perspectives on causes of conflicts, their management, outcomes and types. The value of taking a multilevel approach lies in the ability to show how conflicts occur and influence other conflicts through the interrelatedness of conflict elements on different levels.

How to make positive changes to re-engage and motivate employees after a company downturn

2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 104-108
Author(s):  
Marta Rebull
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Strong Sense ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Sense Of Purpose ◽  
A Company

Purpose What motivates people to work? When jobs are abundant, salaries are competitive, companies are out-perking themselves and the workforce is fickle – is that really motivation? And, how do you continue to motivate employees in a company that struggles with its mission and is experiencing a significant downturn and disengagement? The purpose of this study is to look at the measures Softonic, one of Spain’s most successful tech companies, had to take to motivate, re-engage and give employees a strong sense of purpose after the company suffered a significant downturn. Design/methodology/approach Taking an honest look at the situation and tacking head on. Creating a whole new playbook that relies on: Leadership by Example, Ownership and Empowerment, and Development and Recognition. Findings When you create a culture of transparency, break down the barriers and empower your employees to reach beyond their limits; they will re-engage and motivate. Originality/value This is a case study detailing how new management re-engaged and motivated the workforce of Softonic after a severe company downturn.

Developing an employee recognition program that promotes learning across the organization

2020 ◽  
Vol 34 (6) ◽  
pp. 45-48
Author(s):  
Simon R. Reese
Keyword(s):  
Employee Engagement ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Corporate Strategy ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Employee Recognition ◽  
Strategic Vision ◽  
Employee Alignment ◽  
Common Purpose ◽  
Learning Together

Purpose Recognition programs have proven to be a useful tool in engaging employees and helping align them around a common purpose. In this case, study the organization created a recognition program that promoted learning across the organization. The easy to follow steps provided herein can be replicated by leaders in any organization. Design/methodology/approach The case study provides a quick reflection of the steps taken by the organization to create a recognition program that linked behaviors, tactical actions and corporate strategy in a way that engaged all toward learning together. Findings With the new program, the organization not only improved employee engagement and alignment around four critical behaviors, the organization also witnessed employee alignment around strategic vision and revenue improvements. Originality/value Studies find that employee engagement is seriously lacking. Studies also find that employee engagement is beneficial to employee contribution and employee success. Recognition programs have been described as one method to improve engagement. This case study illustrates how an organization was able to implement such a program.

scholarly journals Driving internationalization through business model innovation

2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 201-220 ◽  
Author(s):  
Angelo Cavallo ◽  
Antonio Ghezzi ◽  
Bertha Viviana Ruales Guzmán
Keyword(s):  
Business Model ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Business Models ◽  
International Entrepreneurship ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Business Model Innovation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
A Company ◽  
North Western

Purpose This paper aims to investigate how a firm may innovate its business model to internationalize. Design/methodology/approach Owing to its novelty and to the depth of the investigation required to grasp the mechanisms and logics of business model innovation aiming at internationalization, a single case study has been performed related to a company located in North-Western Colombia. Findings The study provides detailed empirical evidences over the mutual connection and complementarities among value mechanisms of business models. Moreover, this study suggests that BMI fosters internationalization to scale, which, in turn, will require additional changes to match new customer needs as they emerge. Also, the study shows an extension of the action–space of lean startup approaches, intended as scientific approaches to international entrepreneurship. Originality/value This study connects business model innovation and internationalization as few studies have done before.

Customer retention is not enough

2005 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 101-105 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie Coyles ◽  
Timothy C. Gokey
Keyword(s):  
Customer Satisfaction ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Customer Retention ◽  
Holy Grail ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Spending Patterns ◽  
A Company

PurposeEvery company knows that it costs far less to hold on to a customer than to acquire a new one. That is why customer retention has become the Holy Grail in industries from airlines to wireless. Yet defecting customers are far less of a problem than customers who change their buying patterns. Today's typical metrics of customer satisfaction and defection do not tell a company how susceptible its customers are to changing their spending patterns. This article seeks to investigate this problem.Design/methodology/approachThe investigation was carried out through a two‐year study of the attitudes of 1,200 households toward companies in 16 industries.FindingsMcKinsey found that focusing on smaller changes in customer spending can have as much as ten times more value than concentrating on defections alone.Originality/valueThis is important for those companies that wish to retain their customers.

Creating “sticky” culture: how to drive lasting behavioral change

2018 ◽  
Vol 17 (6) ◽  
pp. 270-274
Author(s):  
Chris Dyer
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Change ◽  
Behavioral Change ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Leadership And Management ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Practical Advice ◽  
Company Culture ◽  
A Company

Purpose The paper aims to show how you can create a lasting cultural change within a company. Design/methodology/approach The paper is based on in-depth research that world-leading organizations are taking to build and maintain their culture, revealing the “seven pillars” of success. Findings In the author’s research into what comprises healthy culture in the world’s most successful businesses, the author identified seven crucial support pillars. Among these are leadership and management strategies that bolster employees mentally. These are what change people’s minds about how and why to perform well. Originality/value This paper gives practical advice on how to cement behavioral change in a company and create a promising, healthy new company culture.

Ideas in conflict: a case study on tensions in the process of preparing sustainability reports

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 166-190 ◽  
Author(s):  
Magnus Frostenson ◽  
Sven Helin
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Health Sector ◽  
Sustainability Reporting ◽  
Preparation Process ◽  
Content Type ◽  
In The Beginning ◽  
Corporate Social ◽  
A Company ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to understand conflicts in sustainability reporting (SR) preparation. Design/methodology/approach In the preparation of SRs, the logic of financial rationality is often assumed to take precedence over the logic of sustainability. Based on an explorative qualitative case study of a large Swedish retailer, the paper problematizes this view. Over a reporting cycle, employees and consultants involved in the preparation process are interviewed. Conflicting ideas about SRs are identified and analyzed through the lens of institutional logics. Findings The study identifies five tensions in SR preparation. These tensions relate to conflicting ideas of what an SR is, how it should be written and how it should be used. Among findings, a conflict of logics can be found as the basis of at least one tension. However, tensions may also emerge within a shared sustainability logic. Research limitations/implications A contribution of the study is that it sets its finger on the actual fieldwork with SRs. The study shows that it is unreasonable to claim that SRs are “self-evidently” captured by management according to financial rationality. Possibly, the nature of the studied firm, a company within the pharmaceutical and health sector, implies a stronger sustainability logic than in other firms. Practical implications According to the study, the results of an SR preparation process are highly dependent on the sometimes conflicting ideas of preparers and others within the company. It is of high importance to identify and clarify such conflicting ideas already in the beginning of the process, to link the SR to the corporate social responsibility strategy of the firm, and to involve top management in the process. Originality/value The study identifies underlying tensions in SR preparation. It also introduces a theoretical framework that makes it possible to analyze tensions in the preparation process.

Strategic principles at Southwest Airlines

2015 ◽  
Vol 31 (8) ◽  
pp. 10-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Thomas
Keyword(s):  
Customer Satisfaction ◽  
Employee Engagement ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Strategic Principle ◽  
Article Analysis ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Working Practices ◽  
Southwest Airlines ◽  
Business Sectors

Purpose – Southwest is the world’s fourth largest airline and has consistently been one of the most admired organisations in the USA. Its founder and Chairman Emeritus, Herb Kelleher, attributes much of this success to the use of strategic principles. This gives a guiding framework for employees within the company but allows them leeway to make their own decisions. The result is greater employee engagement, a more efficient organisation that is adapting to the needs of its major stakeholders and greater customer satisfaction. Design/methodology/approach – The article analysis of the use of the strategic principle methodology at Southwest Airlines. It focuses on the position of Southwest as “THE low fare” airline and the use of humour and different working practices within the airline. Findings – The article shows that If this can be done in an industry as heavily regulated as aviation, it can be applied with the same success to many other business sectors and organisations.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document