Case Analysis

Written Analysis and

Communication

Submitted To:
Prof. Rihana Shaik

Submitted By:
Monika Khichi
PGP10156
Case Study:
Can A Strong Culture Be Too
Strong?

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Letter of Transmittal

August 17, 2019

Prof Rihana Shaik

Indian Institute of Management, Rohtak

Ma’am,

Subject: Analysis report for the case study on Lakeland Wonders

As per the guidelines provided by you during the classroom discussion, we hereby submit a
report on the case titled Can A Strong Culture Be Too Strong. This report has been prepared
after going through the entire case and carefully scrutinizing the facts and assumptions. The
report contains the relevant facts in the introduction, problem statement and list of possible
alternatives and best action plan to be implemented.

Kindly evaluate the same and provide your valuable inputs.

Regards
Monika Khichi
PGP10156

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Parivar, an IT services company is facing the problem of increased attrition rates and employee
dissatisfaction despite its efforts to create a culture conductive for its employees. An idea of
people support map is proposed for improving employee work life balance. The company’s VP
HR needs to evaluate the idea and suggest the best way to improve the current situation. It is
recommended that the company implements a modified version of the program with greater
involvement of top management and equal opportunity to the employees.

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Table of Contents

Title Page Number

1. Situation Analysis 5
2. Problem statement 5
3. Alternative Solutions 6
4. Evaluation Criteria 6
5. Evaluation of options 6
6. Recommendations 7
7. Implementation Plan 7
8. References 7

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SITUATION ANALYSIS:
Parivar was growing in revenue, profitability and reputation and was lifting above second grade
IT services companies. But as parivar grew it was confronted with the challenge of losing its
employees at a much faster than its employees hiring rate. Its turnover rate is upto 35% and
more than 100 employees gave notice in recent weeks. Parivar had an inclusive work
civilization and follow the concept of lovingness for its employees by attending to both
personal and professional affairs of the employees. Through future vision exercise company
has got an idea of People Support Map. It supported creation of a new function made up of
managers whose sole purpose would be to listen to other employees’ grievances and figure out
solutions. But the proposal of peoples support had been problematic with Indira. Vikram and
Kumar were debating that the friendly work environment had no longer been able to retain the
employees but the more wage employees are getting to work in IT service sector is the reason.
But this People support map was clearly aligned with the vision of CEO Sudhir.
Indira took exit interview of one of the employee Amal, and got to know
that Amal felt against the promises he was alienated from intersecting with senior executives
and only people closed to Sudhir gets family like attention. On the other hand Amal’s manager
gave a different review of Amal to her. According to him, Amal was an outlier and everyone
except him was satisfied with the company. With all these Indira was left in quandary of
whether peoples support map was the solution Parivar was looking for and what to state to
Sudhir in the approaching meeting.

PROBLEM STATEMENT:

There are two problems that Indira needs to address both of which are interrelated. First, is how
to decrease turnover rate. Recently over 100 employees have given notice. More people are
leaving the company than recruited.

Second is should Indira endorse People Support Function. If she oppose she would have to go
against the CEO Sudhir. If she supports, she would be ignoring facts and employees sentiments.
Her support would not be in favour of greater good of the company.

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ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS:

Problem Statement Should Indira endorse People Support function.

1. Indira should endorse People Support function.

2. Indira should not endorse People Support function.

EVALUATION CRITERIA:
1. Cost of Function: Cost of implementing People Support to company
2. Scalable: Ease of implementation as the company grows
3. Employee Retention: Effect of function on increase in employee retention
4. Employee Productivity: Increase in employee productivity due to implementation
5. Competitive Edge: Effect of function on company’s competitive edge
6. Alignment with Company Culture: Alignment of function with the company culture
7. Employee Satisfaction: Increase in employee satisfaction due to implementation
8. Talent Attraction: Role of function in attracting talent evaluation

EVALUATION OF OPTIONS:
Option1: Indira should back People Support Map. Implementing people Support Map will
be hard as company grows in size and across the earth. It will not guarantee employee keeping,
productiveness and satisfaction as employees are more inclined towards higher pay than
supportive civilization. The map will be in perfect alliance with company’s supportive
civilization but this will not guarantee a clear competitor border for company.

Option 2: Indira should not back Peoples Support Map. Move will not be aligned with
company. New endowment of attractive force will not happen. On the other hand, cost will be
saved. If map would be implemented there would have been extra cost. In this case cost will
be saved. Employee satisfaction will remain same. There will not be any consequence on
competitor border of the company

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RECOMMENDATION:

Based on the analysis, I recommend that Indira should not back People Support Map. Instead
of hiring new people and training them explicitly to become listeners to the employees,
Company instead should develop existing managers and directors to become good listeners. It
will be less complex and more efficient. Without investing extra money, they will achieve
company’s objective to create informal environment and will create stronger bond, by
removing extra bed of people between higher authorities and employees.

IMPLEMENTATION PLAN:
1. Supply preparation to the directors on how to be good “listner”
2. Developing a contributing informal civilization in the company which makes directors
more accessible by their employees.
3. Empower the director so that they can decide the grudges reported to them
4. For the grudges which are not solvable by the directors, develop a channel so that the
directors can describe it to the pertinent authorization which would be able to decide it

CONTINGENCY PLAN:
If the shareholders and Cheryl does not mutually agree on the plan then Cheryl should step
down from the post of CEO. She is a seasoned professional known to stay one step ahead of
market and known how to generate profit. She has struggled to convince the team to move
according to her plan but things didn’t work out as the way she wanted it. She will get another
job easily as she has great skills and potential to take the company to the next level.

REFERENCE
Can A Strong Culture Be Too Strong-Case Study from Harvard Business Review by David A.
Garvin

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