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Org Anal - Essay 1 - Divanshu Dubey
Org Anal - Essay 1 - Divanshu Dubey
(DISCLAIMER: This case is not based on researched facts. Case details are fictional and designed for discussion
purposes. The case is meant to highlight the lessons drawn from the course on Organisational Analysis, solely as
a basis for class discussion. Any resemblance to actual organisations, people or situations is incidental. It is not
intended to serve as endorsements, source of primary data, or illustration of effective or ineffective management.)
Case: A company that is a part of a family owned business group in an emerging economy
grew in the economic boom period (2000s) expanding rapidly. The management was appointed
by the family, which typically nurtured loyalty over merit and competence. The result was that
while the company had grown in size the larger part of the top management structure was old
school and internally grown. The family owners hired consultants during this period of growth,
which influenced some of the organisational and business decisions as well as the processes
concerning these. While the structure was tweaked every now and then, over time a minority of
the top management were people bought in from other group companies or global corporations
and fitted into various places in the organisational structure. The company also sponsored many
education programs for their top management in various business schools.
While the company had hired the consultants on multiple occasions, it did not quite reap
the rewards that were intended as a consequence of these engagements. A newly hired middle
manager in the company was going over a five year old report of a well-known consulting firm,
realised that the company was still grappling with the same issues and problems that the
engagement of the firm sought to resolve. Within moments of finishing this report, the manager
received an E-mail, announcing the engagement of arguably the worlds top most consulting
firm, with a view to transform the company and take it to a different level of success.
Meanwhile, people at the top of a business unit in the organisational structure often
struggled to maintain their authority, especially if they were outsiders, typically from
multinational corporations and the likes. Some of the home-grown leaders seemed to wield more
power than their official titles would allow them. Many organisational restructuring attempts were
made, but on this front as well as the business front, the company did not quite achieve the same
level of success as many of its peers. Over a period of time many of the management hired from
multinationals left the company after short stints. In a recent move the board of directors
approved the second extension of the CEO of the company after his retirement. This was with a
view that he oversees the transformation of the company, to be undertaken by the consultants.
In an open forum announcing the engagement of consultants to the employees, while
expounding the need for engaging them, the CEO commented In the last 25 years that I have
been with the company, I have found that the company hasnt changed much.
The company was structured in a way that would be typical of any regular corporate with
hierarchical business unit and functional reporting channels. The design of this structure was
meant to allow people at different places in the organisation, control over those reporting to them.
The organisation did have a number of processes in place to achieve high level decision making
which appeared Rational. The decision to hire renowned international consultants in the early
stages of the growth phase was one that was taken by the companys owners with the clear goal