Assignment on Chapter 5:

Organizational Culture-Case
Study
Submitted by: Abiyot Abera
Section “C”

Class 2019 MBA:

Course Code: OM-(MBA 5131)

Instructor: Kassu Jilcha (Ph.D.)

Internarial Leadership Institute (ILI)

Addis Ababa: Ethiopia

1 August 2020

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NB: This case study answer has two parts. The first part is providing an analysis
based on case study guideline while the second part is focussing on providing
discussion for the discussion questions.

Part One:

1. Introduction

The key problem of this case study is emanating from the culture of task focusing nature of
the organization. It is because of the lack of policy and regulation backup to monitor and
implement the organizations’ goal. The first issue which needs special attention is that the
organization is task cantered in its nature. Task centredness has its own benefit also it has a
problem in creating a problematic cause for human element which is involved in achieving
the anticipated goal. As a result, the entire operation will be at risk. The second most
important issue for the case to be considered is, lack of organizational policy pertaining the
safety culture and procedures to be applied in every instances. The third most important issue
to be considered is that the coordination between divisions or departments in achieving the
set goal is minimal. This is also seen not only at the department level, but also seen at
individuals’ level. Finally, the human resource department is very much eager to see the
effect of the training that they have just provided within a days’ time. This shows that the
body who is providing a training and development service is lacking a knowledge of
changing the existing culture. Consequently, this is an important issue in identifying the
intended training, how to deliver the training, and how to measure the effect of the training.

Thus, in this case study, after finished analysing the outcome of organizational task
centeredness, lack of organizational policy and procedure, lack of coordination between
departments and absence of policy support in relation to training and development, I will
provide the conclusion of the impact of lack of organizational policy or procedure in affecting
organizational culture.

2. Background

It is obvious that an organization is organized to accomplish the goal for which it exists.
From this, we can understand that resources are come together and applied to generate the
expected result. When we see resources in detail, it incorporates human beings, financial
resources, fixed assets, intangible assets, etc. And, when all these resources are properly
coordinated, monitored, and controlled as per the desired goal, it emphasizes that the
importance of rules and regulations are heavy. Not only this, satisfying the preconditions set
by responsible body regarding satisfying labour laws, environmental protection guidelines,
etc. All these requirements must be fulfilled before commencing exercising organizational
obligation. As time goes, every organization will develop a culture. This culture is gradually
affected and/or in reached due to various reasons. So, change is the only thing remains
unchanged!

Relevant facts and most important issues

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As far as the case is concerned, it is important to identify the relevant facts and discuss them
accordingly.

Fact one is, both Sanjay and Sophia are from the same department which is human resource.
This is the area where both people and the organization provide due attention in identifying
the need for the training and insure the completeness of the training. Moreover, the timeliness
of the training and its completeness must have insured by involving concerned individuals,
for example, from production department.

Fact two, the CEO has nothing to do with the safety measures. This shows that the there is no
policy support which guard the implementers of safety rules which comes from the people
who have authority. On the other hand, the CEO must have a share in promoting the safety
culture. Thus, individuals who are assumed to be a figure within the organization would have
provided a lesson not only a safety measures but also any other constructive lessons.

Fact three, newly employed staff are disorganized, and they are acting in the manner that they
are thinking rather than abiding for the rules and culture of the organization. Thus, this shows
that whenever newcomers are joining the organization, there is a lack of complete induction.
Since newly employed staff are new to the culture of the organization, they are highly
susceptible to the rule and practices delivered to them during induction. In this instance, this
is an evidence that there is a lack of induction.

Fact four, the method with which employees are forced to achieve the expected performance
is terrible. It is a clue for existence of lack of employee motivational factors. It would have
been good if the organization were using motivational factors to enhance their performance.
However, the bonus which is set by the organization is not to motivate employees, but it is
designed to exhaustively utilize the potential of the employees.

Fact five, the productivity target set by the organization is resulted in creating a stress rather
than motivating employees to actively perform their task. Though productivity target by itself
is not a problem, it is the means by the organization is using to apply the productivity target is
not making the organization productive. In the opposite, the productivity target is resulted in
producing a stressed staff which in turn is a cost for the organization in creating unproductive
labour.

Fact six, Sanjay and Sophia are thinking themselves as a creator God; they expect a sudden
change from the training just provided. There are two major problems which may arise from
this instance. The first is from trainer itself. The trainer must ensure that the training had
successfully delivered. This must be cross checked with the application of the training
theories and concepts expected from the trainees in manifesting in the real-world practice.
Second, the trainer must consider that within training that they are challenging the existing
culture to the anticipated culture. But changing culture is not a sudden result, rather it is a
process which is changed through time. Thus, both people must understand this important
nature of the training and the culture.

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Finally, fact seven, is both people have decided to put a safety posture to remind all the
workers. Though this is one of the alternatives they have, but it is visible that they are not
using exhaustively all the available alternatives. Thus, before deciding this alternative, the
organization must hold a complete research to identify the gap and provide possible solution
for it. But they did not do this.

Demonstration for the researched the problems in this case study

Each problem in this case study has been evaluated based on the available ample experiences
that I have acquired so far. For example, the educational system that the country is using so
far is a concrete example to evaluate the case study in that respect. Even though the
educational system of our country is ultimately engaged in shaping and /or bringing
behavioural change over the lives of each student, the only result I have seen on our students’
behaviour is only a development of a skill of how to write and read. Apart from this, I have
never seen a change in behaviour of individuals who are engaged in getting a schooling.
Thus, training by itself is a supplementary for behaviour change. So, as far as the case is
concerned, those individuals expect a result based on two- or three-days training. This is
completely misleading suggestion. Thus, the method with which HR officials trying to
change a culture is insufficient.

On the other hand, I have tried also to evaluate the case based on my experience of formation
of an organization and applying systems and subsystems within an organization. As far as
organization is concerned, it is an entity which must have legal personality to achieve its
objective for which it is existed. Thus, the relationship between departments and coordination
effect is usually brings positive result. Therefore, in Sanjay and Sophia’s organization, the
CEO and the HR have different rules and regulations in applying safety measures.

3. Evaluation of the Case

3.1-Providing the outline for the various pieces of the case study that I am focusing on

 Evaluate the completeness of the training provided by HR,

 Evaluate whether there is a policy backup within the organization,
 Evaluate whether employee induction is existing,
 Evaluate whether there are employee motivational schemes,
 Evaluate whether the productivity target is established at the convenience of
employees or not,
 Evaluate the training and development package of the organization, its plan,
execution, and control for the achievement of the intended goal, and finally
 Evaluate the alternative method to be used for the safety measure application.

3.2-Providing an evaluation of these pieces by discussing what is working and what is

not working

 Based on the available information, the training designed by the HR department of the
organization is not working.

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  As per the analysis made using the available case study, the organization is not having
operations guideline which is used as a policy or procedure.
 Based on the information depicted from the case, there is no employee induction.
 Employee motivation scheme is totally null.
 Productivity target set by the organization is hurting the organization itself.
 The organizations’ training and development scheme is very weak.
 Putting a posture in production area as a safety measure is good, but it is not the only
means to deliver the message successfully.

3.3-State why these parts of the case study are or are not working well.

 The training must have designed or prepared in collaboration with production and
operations department for its successfulness.
 The reason why the organization has no policy is that any one from any other
department including the HR, will enter to the production department without any
limit. This shows that there is no rule or protocol to be used in each department.
 Newly employed junior staff are acting as per their desire without any limit and/or
exercising the tradition they have in any other area.
 To urge employees to perform as per the intended target, the organization is using a
terrible alarming method which is quite difficult to use it in a normal production
department.
 The productivity target set by the organization is a cost by itself. Since employees are
suffering from stress because of it.
 Though training and development is a process by itself, it needs sufficient time to
observe the effect. So, it is expecting a chicken from an egg on the day the egg is laid.
Thus, the training and development department of the organization is not following a
scientific method of training.
 Let alone an organization, a father who is leading a household is deciding efficient
decision. Both HR individuals have decided on the way forward without analysing the
available alternatives and without researching for a genuine problem, they have
decided to put a posture in production department. Though it is important putting the
posture in the production department, it is not the only means to avoid the problem.

4. Proposed Solution/Changes

4.1-Provide specific and realistic solution(s) or changes needed.

 The training manual must be prepared inline with the organizations’ strategic
objectives and the time span of activities to be carried out. For example, there are
training which are needed within short period of time also there are training
considered as a long term. Moreover, the training must comprise all perspectives from
all departments. In addition, recent developments in terms of policies, changes in
operations, technological advancements etc must be incorporated.

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  Pave a way with which the relationship between departments as well as individuals
interact with each other and set specific policy to be used by each department.
Furthermore, it is also important to put a penalty for whom breaching the policy.
 Newly employed staff must get an induction regarding the organizations’ general
objective as well as specific objectives. Moreover, introducing the duties and
responsibilities of the employee under consideration and the legal interaction they will
have with the rest of employees and the expected protocols in specific department in
which they are employed must be explicitly introduced.
 The organization must pave a means by which entire employees are motivated to
accomplish the performance expected from them. This may comprise activities from
the surrounding environment of the organization and any other factors which motivate
them to perform all expected from them by themselves.
 The organization must inspect to insure the coordinated productivity level. This is
strengthened when the set productivity target is achieved without damaging the
wellbeing of employees.
 Learned behaviours need frequent smashing to unlearn what is behaved. Thus, to do
this, sufficient time and different mechanisms must be applied.
 The organization must use scientific decision-making technique. Thus, it is important
to the objective of the decision, list possible available alternatives, and select the best
alternative which is cost effective.

5. Recommendations

 The organization must ensure the quality of training to be provided to its employees,
 The organization must design a protocol or discipline to be followed by the entire
staff,
 The organization must carry out an induction for an incoming employee,
 The organization must deploy a means by which employee motivation is ensured,
 The organization must ensure that the productivity target is not affecting the other
side of the organization,
 The organization must give sufficient time to observe the effects of the provided
trainings.
 To bring a successful behavioural change, the organization must analyse the available
alternatives before deciding to make use of the only alternative.

Case Study

Part Two: Providing discussions inline with the discussion questions

1- Why have Sanjay and Sophia failed to foster a safety culture in their workplace?
What specifically acts to undermine that change?

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The reason why Sanjay and Sophia are failed to foster a safety culture in their workplace
right after the successful training is because of the custom of the organization by which it has
been accommodating its objective and entire employee. Due to the period or time that this
trend stayed in this organization, every activity whether it is right or wrong is considered as
normal. As a result, all trends which takes place in the organization is considered that it is a
culture. Culture is the behaviour and traditions which inherited from the ancestors and
applied by the existing individuals. On the other hand, training, experience sharing, exposures
etc. are a means by which we can challenge a culture to design it as per our intended use.
However, all these things need ample time to have the expected result.

Therefore, even though Sanjay and Sophia delivered a training to their employees to change
their behaviour which is observed as a safety culture in their organization, they must wait
until the trainees’ behaviour is changed and so do the culture of their organization. Since it is
unexpected to change peoples’ behaviour overnight and expect a radical shift from left to
right.

Of the specific concerns which undermine the change, firstly the method with which the
training is delivered and the substance of the training matters most. Sometimes, utilizing the
budgeted hours and answering all training exams may not be the only means to ascertain that
the training is delivered successfully. Second, since training ultimately involves in shaping
peoples’ behaviour, expecting a sudden change may result in wrong decision. Third,
sometimes, even if employees have the awareness of the consequence of lack of safety
culture, due to their expectation and confidence of not having an injury may resulted in
undermining the change.

2- Will their new strategy (putting up posters) work? If yes, why? If no, why not?

Rather than this simple safety culture, it is easy to convince even a lie if you would apply
good strategy. Thus, yes is my answer for this question. However, not only posters, the
strategy should embrace any other means like creating a room for discussion about it usually
during tea break, lunch break, arranging sporting club which nourishes the festivals of the
safety culture, using social media in providing advertisements about it, putting posters, one to
one discussion etc. For this reason, the repetitive learning will be resulted in changing the
behaviour of using safety culture.

3- What would they have to do to institute meaningful change in the safety culture
at this organization?

The training manual must be prepared in line with the organizations’ strategic objectives and
the time span of activities to be carried out. For example, there are training which are needed
within short period of time also there are training considered as a long term. Moreover, the
training must comprise all perspectives from all departments. In addition, recent
developments in terms of policies, changes in operations, technological advancements etc
must be incorporated.

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Pave a way with which the relationship between departments as well as individuals interact
with each other and set specific policy to be used by each department. Furthermore, it is also
important to put a penalty for whom breaching the policy.

Newly employed staff must get an induction regarding the organizations’ general objective as
well as specific objectives. Moreover, introducing the duties and responsibilities of the
employee under consideration and the legal interaction they will have with the rest of
employees and the expected protocols in specific department in which they are employed
must be explicitly introduced.

The organization must have a means by which entire employees are motivated to accomplish
the performance expected from them. This may comprise activities from the surrounding
environment of the organization and any other factors which motivate them to perform all
expected from them by themselves.

The organization must inspect to insure the coordinated productivity level. This is
strengthened when the set productivity target is achieved without damaging the wellbeing of
employees.

Learned behaviours need frequent smashing to unlearn what is behaved. Thus, to do this,
sufficient time and different mechanisms must be applied.

The organization must use scientific decision-making technique. Thus, it is important to the
objective of the decision, list possible available alternatives, and select the best alternative
which is cost effective.

4- What do you recommend the organization manger and employee to do?

 The organization must ensure the quality of training to be provided to its employees,
 The organization must design a protocol or discipline to be followed by the entire
staff,
 The organization must carry out an induction for an incoming employee,
 The organization must deploy a means by which employee motivation is ensured,
 The organization must ensure that the productivity target is not affecting the other
side of the organization,
 The organization must give sufficient time to observe the effects of the provided
trainings.
 To bring a successful behavioural change, the organization must analyse the available
alternatives before deciding to make use of the only alternative.

Thank you!

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