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.

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.

“We want change”, but who’s we? How to transition cultural change in the digital era as a team

2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (5) ◽  
pp. 210-214
Author(s):  
Rafael Pablo Berges ◽  
Fabian Kon
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Culture ◽  
Employee Engagement ◽  
Cultural Change ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Digital World ◽  
Track Record ◽  
Digital Era ◽  
Key Aspects ◽  
Tools And Techniques

Purpose The new digital world and the big corporations who have been around for more than 80, 100 or more years tend to be perceived as incompatible. This study aims to highlight how the key to a digital mindset is not the size of the company or the company’s track record, but an evolving organizational culture. This case outlines the strategy, tools and techniques to make cultural change and digital transformation possible. Design/methodology/approach The authors synthesize their organization’s ongoing transformation in the past two years, engaging every person at Galicia, from top management to all 6,000+ employees through workshops, especially designed meetings and internal communications campaigns to align the company’s goals and move forward together. Findings This case study pinpoints the key aspects that should be looked after when working on organizational culture and the main players and/or concepts that organizations should count on as allies for change. Originality/value This case provides concrete methods and good practices to create cultural change and employee engagement, regardless of the scale of the company, through first-hand learnings that can be applied in any organization.

scholarly journals Case study on the effects of a disability inclusive mindset in a large biotechnology company

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chase Ochrach ◽  
Kathryn Thomas ◽  
Brian Phillips ◽  
Ngonidzashe Mpofu ◽  
Tim Tansey ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Culture ◽  
Employee Engagement ◽  
Bottom Line ◽  
Persons With Disabilities ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Diverse Workforce ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Employees With Disabilities ◽  
Group Interviews

PurposeEmployers increasingly seek a competitive advantage through inclusive hiring practices and recruitment of persons with disabilities. Early research indicates when employers consider individuals for their strengths rather than solely for their needs, the organization prospers. However, details about how companies pursue a disability inclusive workplace and the effect of those efforts are poorly understood.Design/methodology/approachAn inductive qualitative case study approach was utilized to understand one biotechnology corporation and their approach to recruiting, hiring, and retaining employees with disabilities. Individual and focus group interviews were conducted.FindingsResults suggest that when the company lives its mission around wellness and inclusivity, they benefit from working with and learning from a range of perspectives, furthering their growth. Placing equal emphasis on hiring a diverse workforce and prioritizing supports and wellness practices lead to greater productivity and innovation.Practical implicationsThis study illustrates how one company successfully recruits and hires persons with disabilities, resulting in benefits to their financial bottom line and to the organizational culture.Originality/valueThis paper offers insights for other companies intentionally hiring persons with disabilities, providing accommodations in the workplace, and creating an organizational culture where all employees feel valued and supported. These steps have a direct impact on employee engagement, productivity, and retention.

Employee engagement creates a brighter economic future at Jupiter Hotels

2014 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 81-85 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gary Cattermole ◽  
Jaime Johnson ◽  
Diane Jackson
Keyword(s):  
Employee Engagement ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Major Change ◽  
Business Success ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Business Results ◽  
Time Period ◽  
Hr Managers ◽  
Economic Future

Purpose – This paper seeks to address the role and impact of employee engagement within an organization that has undergone major change. It looks at the issues of how to monitor and increase levels of staff engagement over time to deliver business results. Design/methodology/approach – It draws on six-monthly employee engagement surveys and a case study to illustrate how HR can drive and monitor change through employee engagement. Findings – This paper follows a company through economic uncertainty to major organizational change and examines how the role of engagement and monitoring can drive business success. Research limitations/implications – The case study only looks at the issues over an 18 month time period. Originality/value – This paper illustrates how an HR department can build employee engagement to drive the business forward. The case study offers best practice material for HR managers.

Lean Six Sigma strategy in telecom manufacturing

2014 ◽  
Vol 114 (6) ◽  
pp. 904-921 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roy Andersson ◽  
Per Hilletofth ◽  
Peter Manfredsson ◽  
Olli-Pekka Hilmola
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Six Sigma ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Lean Six Sigma ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Strategic Emphasis ◽  
Company Culture ◽  
Difficult Times ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to elaborate, how the use of a joint-use strategy of Lean and Six Sigma can improve flexibility, robustness, and agility. Telecom manufacturing has been under tremendous change after dot.com bubble burst in the early 2000, and new competition has originated from Asia. Being successful requires now more than before, and joint-use of strategies is one option to survive. Design/methodology/approach – A single case study from a Swedish company operating in the telecom manufacturing was conducted. In particular, a Six Sigma project was followed and analyzed during 2002. However, the outcome of the Six Sigma project has been studied in longitudinal manner until 2014. Findings – The Lean Six Sigma strategy ensures flexible, robust, and efficient processes. However, to make them more agile in order to sustain in today's highly competitive environment, something more is required. This could include staff training, strengthening company culture and collaborating with key partners in the supply chain. Research limitations/implications – This study is limited to large company that usually has a lot of resources and choices where to put the strategic emphasis as well as has level of control of the supply chain operations. The situation could be very different in small and medium-sized companies and thus it may be more difficult to realize the Lean Six Sigma strategy in such environment. On the other hand, the processes in these companies are often less complex. Practical implications – This research provides guidance on how to manage the Lean Six Sigma strategy in order to ensure more flexible, robust, and efficient processes as well as how to perform a Six Sigma project in Lean environment, in a proper manner. Originality/value – This research provides guidance to companies regarding the applicability and properties of the Lean Six Sigma strategy. The paper will also serve as a basis for other companies and industries, on how to survive in difficult times.

scholarly journals MEASURING THE EFFECT OF SOCIAL NETWORKING, ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE TOWARD EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT IN SOES ORGANIZATION: CASE STUDY OF SOES IN INDONESI

2020 ◽  
pp. 181
Author(s):  
Victor Wiley ◽  
Thomas Lucas
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Culture ◽  
Social Networking ◽  
Employee Engagement ◽  
Employee Performance ◽  
Business Climate ◽  
Private Organization ◽  
New Strategies

SOEs in Indonesia has been expanded their project with tight time and more challenged business climate. In fact, similar to private organization, SOEs also faced with employee performance in their projects. The employee performance has many aspects of social networking, organizational culture and employee engagement. This study tested the influence of social networking, organizational culture and employee engagement on in several projects which ventured by State Owned Enterprises in Indonesia. The variables are analyzed by using SEM AMOS. It is explained that social networking, organizational culture and employee engagement affect employee engagement in SOEs-based projects in Indonesia. This study suggested an approach to improve social networking, organizational culture and employee engagement as new strategies for SOEs in Indonesia. This study result can be a recommendation to the SOEs managers to maintain social networking, organizational culture and employee engagement in order their project to be manageable.

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.

Identification of drivers of employee engagement in Indian power companies

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Samarendra Kumar Mohanty ◽  
Arunprasad P
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Culture ◽  
Employee Engagement ◽  
Social Exchange ◽  
Power Distribution ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Organizational Trust ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Power Sector ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Supervisor Trust

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to extend the scope of social exchange theory (SET) to explore employee engagement and test its application in the context of Indian power companies. The study also attempts to explore the antecedents of employee engagement. This study includes organizational culture and three trusts, that is co-worker trust, supervisor trust and organizational trust whose presence in the organization influences employee engagement.Design/methodology/approachThe study includes a sample of 812 executives who represent three major functions of the Indian power sector, that is power generation, power transmission and power distribution. The relationships between constructs are evaluated using structural equation modeling.FindingsThe findings of this study indicate that four resources in the organization influence employee engagement in different ways. Three constructs representing co-worker trust, supervisor trust and organizational trust partially mediate the relation between organizational culture and employee engagement. This study also compares the engagement levels of the employees from three power companies.Research limitations/implicationsThis study is focused on companies operating in only the government sector.Practical implicationsEnsuring engagement from employees for the critical power sector is expected to support the development of the HR practices in this sector. Identification of sector-specific resources is expected to aid both employees and policymakers from the organization.Social implicationsThis study assists the policy makers in the organization by showcasing the importance of organizational culture, interpersonal and organizational trusts and their impact on employee engagement.Originality/valueResource theory explains why certain resources in the workplace are exchanged for employee engagement. This study extends theories of engagement as well as SET and examines their application as employee engagement in the context of executives from Indian power companies. This understanding will aid the practitioners and researchers to further their understanding of employee engagement.

scholarly journals Social care mentorship and employee engagement in the transformation of the Social Care Workforce

2014 ◽  
Vol 26 (3/4) ◽  
pp. 267-280 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janet McCray ◽  
Hazel Turner ◽  
Barbara Hall ◽  
Marie Price ◽  
Gill Constable
Keyword(s):  
Employee Engagement ◽  
Social Care ◽  
Management Practice ◽  
Care Service ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Social Care Service ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Development Framework

Purpose – This paper presents the findings of a small scale research project exploring mentorship programme participants experiences and learning about their managerial role in an adult social care service seeking to build management practice, resilience and well-being in the context of transformation. Design/methodology/approach – A case study of one public sector workforce development project is presented. The programme involved the use of an individual social care mentorship model and continuing professional development framework to support and engage 60 social care managers in the facilitation of workforce practice transformation. A small scale research study of 15 managers was undertaken. Participants provided a written reflective review and narrative of their individual experience and of learning. The narrative of a purposive sample of 15 managers was analysed using a work by Tamboukou and informed by a work byLabov and Waletzky as a guide. Findings – Thematic analysis of managers' reflective accounts, identified the adaption of coaching methods and the used of role modelling skills in the workplace. Emotional well being and resilience was maintained during the mentorship programme. Structural analysis emphasised sequences or messages in the narrative indicating manager's cooperation with the organisation in achieving its' transformational goals and gaining employee engagement. Research limitations/implications – This is a small scale study exploring one aspect of the project's goals. Practical implications – The project delivery and research findings will be of interest to other organisations considering the implementation of mentorship to support transformation and change. Originality/value – There are very few evaluations and research studies of social care mentorship in the literature and this paper and the case study presented provides interesting new insights into the process and its possible outcomes.

Breaking through barriers: the impact of organizational culture on open government reform

2016 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 335-350 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erna H.J.M. Ruijer ◽  
Richard F. Huff
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Culture ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Open Government ◽  
Government Reform ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Use Of Technology ◽  
Practice Gap ◽  
Government Reforms ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of organizational culture on open government reforms by developing a theoretical framework bridging the theory and practice gap. Design/methodology/approach An exploratory qualitative study consisting of a document analysis and a case study was conducted. Findings An open organizational culture is a precursor to effective open government. A network strategy as a facilitator for developing an open culture was used in one US federal agency, breaking across boundaries within the organization, creating greater symmetrical horizontal and vertical openness. Originality/value Much of the focus in both theory and practice has been on the use of technology as a vehicle to increase government openness. This study argues that a movement toward openness is beyond the technical. Organizational culture is a key to openness and may need to be changed. A networks strategy may be one way to facilitate a transformation to a more open culture.

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