Introduction
The case study analysis focuses on culture change issues associated with the Laser Electric Inc Company. Laser Electric Inc (LEI) Company is an upcoming yet very competitive company that specializes in construction activities in the electricity industry and also offers energy solutions. Corporate or company culture has a lot of impact on the performance of a business organization.
The bottom line of the corporate culture is evidenced in the overall outlook of business processes. Company culture forms the core of a business process. Corporate culture highly determines the quality and cost effectiveness of a business enterprise.
With reference to the agricultural sector, the planting process can serve to explain the manner in which corporate culture promotes the success of a business organization (Schmidt & Jackson, 2010).
Corporate culture
Brandon Berumen and Lenee Koch, the founders of LEI Company which is an electrical construction company in the city of Denver outline the significance of corporate culture. The authors of the case, having grown up from a low income background, managed to develop their family business from a small scale organization to an internally recognized and respected business organization.
Besides employing forty- six people, LEI Company has won many business awards. It is also among the top ten fast growing business organizations in Denver with a very promising future. Hiring of very competitive personnel is one of the many strategic business practices employed by LEI Company in Denver.
During the global economic recession in which many of its competitors were shutting down, LEI Company managed to reinforce its operations by creating more employment opportunities than any other electrical company operating at its level at the time.
Delivery beyond competitors’ expectations is the greatest aspect of business management. Evidently, the LEI Company focuses more on delivering more than what the competitors or contractors in the industry would expect thus giving it an even more serious and unmatched competitive advantage.
Shared leadership is another core aspect of corporate culture that pertains to the operations of LEI Company. Team work and consultative leadership at LEI electric company aim at streamlining business processes and focusing on the achievement of the set goals and not necessarily the top level managers achieving self centered glory and honor for the success of the organization.
Evidence from the case which is also in line with the core project management principles shows that shared leadership is a sure means of encouraging accountability, proper focus on the set goals and constant evaluation of the business process. The process helps in reducing or totally minimizing the risk levels. Leadership that is fully vested in a single business unit or a limited number of leaders derails development of other leaders.
Bad leadership does not encourage creativity and innovativeness since most members of the organization would feel discriminated against if this form of leadership is not implemented. Existence of teamwork and high level of performance strengthen personnel bonds as well as ensuring that such values permeate other clients.
A good leadership mechanism from a project management perspective not only helps in setting realistic and attainable goals but also offers a means of measuring the outcomes of all major business processeses (Kotter & Heskett, 1992).
There is a clear understanding across all levels of the company that for the organization to maintain competitive advantage, all stakeholders of the organization should take responsibility and ownership of all business processes. The success of the company as is evident in LEI Company’s corporate culture is wholly dependent on the ability and willingness of every individual to enhance a team spirit.
Workers should not leave the business owner to undertake all major business processes. Project management encourages people to be responsible enough and work towards achieving predefined goals. LEI Company’s founders have a high sense of responsibility due to the organizational structures and the continuous definition of business risks.
In the analysis of LEI Company which is a Denver company, issues such as ineffective planning, poor cost control mechanisms, futile business process scheduling, unrealistic time and resource utilization, estimation and the use of project goals as moving targets are some of the challenges that are evidently faced in the LEI Company’s corporate culture case study.
From the project management perspective, the need to keenly articulate specific business objectives in relation to the set goals, time factor, and the practicability of enhancing efficiency at LEI Company is vividly paramount. It therefore emerges that constant research, update of people’s social and productive measurement skills and consultation of business operations are fundamental aspects of business management.
Corporate culture at LEI is based on fully integrating business processes and building the wellbeing and wellness of all stakeholders. Moral values play a crucial role in determining the direction and development strategies of an organization.
Withholding of bad news, deceiving clients in order for one’s bidding process to be successful, withholding bad news from the clients, unethically maintaining production quotas, violation of standards and accounting concepts, unethical embezzlement of various charge numbers and violation of private or organizational decisions by the members of the organization all count as major challenges to the operations of a business enterprise.
Time management and cost control are some of the fundamental aspects of corporate culture that emerges from LEI’s case study. Such issues, as evidenced in the case outline are critical to the success of a business organization. Though assumed to be issues that affect all types of business enterprises, some of the issues that are often of great concern to the organization tend to be ignored.
In most of the instances, the LEI case reveals that failure to constantly monitor and evaluate the operations of the corporate could lead to the occurrence of very disastrous outcomes. Consequently, a business organization could end up suffering a lot of financial, social, political and technological losses.
Proper planning and streamlined allocation of resources remain to be vital aspects of business management that are also closely related to the overall outcome of the business decisions made by the top level management.
Change management is a very complicated business process that demands proper planning and cost effective allocation of resources. Though not easy, corporate culture demands a paradigm shift in people’s attitudes, behavioral patterns, ways of life, and networks. As an electrical installations company, change management is done by evaluating various construction techniques that could still be relevant in the industry.
The evaluation and implementation of various risk management strategies needed to streamline business performance help in ensuring that electrical and energy solution provision related challenges are identified and addressed in a timely, efficient, cost effective and transparemt manner.
The vision of a company also ensures that the company’s daily practices are fully aligned to the existing standards, contract operational mechanims and operational requirements.
Reasons for change and identification of the basis of implementing the desired or demanded changes are other critical issues that affect the corporate culture of people of a given business enterprise. Both personal and professional resistance to change should be accorded due consideration.
Addressing people’s needs in the implementation and definition of project goals and processes is fundamental to the attainment of consumer needs. In the energy sector that is depicted in the LEI Company case, provision of energy to clients is arguably an approach geared towards reinforcing the need for a high sense of accountability and responsive application of new modes of operation.
When dealing with corporate culture from a project management perspective, issues that involve assessment of technical risks, conceptualization of project objectives, project execution, technical risk assessment and scheduling of the risk assessment process should be undertaken in a professional and proactive manner. Organizational culture highly influences the organization’s corporate culture.
The LEI Company operates in a visible cultural market that demands constant evaluation and monitoring of all business processes. As a result, top level managers engage in regular research, consultative meetings, brainstorming and evaluation of critical business processes necessary for improvement of the level of growth and development.
Potential changes in an organization have an influence on organizational performance. Luckily for LEI, the company started when its founders were already a united family and possessed wide experience in entrepreneurship and a common vision for success. Its corporate culture was already in existence. LEI Company’s founders can no longer have a strong personal relationship with every employee.
This has provoked the founders to establish strong vision, mission and fundamental business principles. Core value definition is therefore a sure means of establishing trust and focus among employees.
As evidenced in the corporate culture of the case study organization, LEI Company believes in rewarding people, equipping them with relevant skills, addressing personnel welfare concerns, rectifying people’s mistakes and performance and objectively resolving conflicts.
By focusing on “elevating what is expected,” the company enforces top-notch customer service, acquisition of the best technical and technological skills and good team leadership skills, LEI Company’s top level managers ensure that there is a common ground from which every individual operates.
Inhibited fears and uncertainties underlie some of the major challenges that face business organizations in the contemporary society. Daniel, Haaland, and Goelzer (2004) explain the unending need for a shift in people’s behavioral patterns. It is vital aspect of business management and streamlining of organizational strategies.
Realistically, risk management is a very sensitive issue in the competitive management of risk levels. Customization of some of the key business concepts has emerged as the best way of aligning given business demands to core objectives of the company. Proper planning and management of risk strategies are evidently practices that have been perfected by LEI Company’s top level managers.
Through constant communication, personnel and customer interactions, LEI Company has managed to improve its operational standards and also endear itself to the clients and other stakeholders. Development of unique and streamlined rules and procedures, planning processes, direct contact, and business organization’s hierarchical referrals are all vital aspects of business management.
Creation of organizational corporate culture helps to creative a more informed business environment. The organizational culture enables the organization to better address its challenges and seize any emerging opportunities. The organizational culture also ensures that staff members are supportive of one another and that more proactive business strategies are employed.
Like other issues and processes involved in the management of business risks and enhancement of operational efficiency, the case of LEI Company in Denver is a perfect example of the success of corporate culture. Corporate culture should effectively outline the manner in which both common and uncommon business risks should be handled.
This should be done in an effective manner by ensuring that all possible risk loopholes are properly identified and risk concerns are addressed in a timely and cost effective manner. At LEI Company, corporate culture is evidenced in the hiring, promotion, development of personnel, streamlining of the decision making process, and fostering a consistent and rich customer experience.
Conclusion
Corporate culture and other project management issues are critical issues of concern in any business organization. As for the case study, the project mainly deals with the provision of electrical and energy solutions which are concerns that enhance timely response and effective completion of projects. Additionally, time cycle reduction and time compression are crucial aspects of corporate culture.
Formation of business organizations and impact of various special interest groups underlie the extent to which business processes and strategies should be managed and the effectiveness with which some critical business processes ought to be undertaken.
This positive attribute of business management is enhanced by the fact that LEI Company’s organisational structure has a lean leadership and decision making framework that minimises bureaucracy while improving efficiency.
Though no stringent qualitative risk management techniques are employed, it is evident that the lean leadership structure plays a critical role in ensuring that a collaborative decision making process is constantly employed. This argument is in line with the popular corporate culture belief that in any business setup, corporate culture can neither be formed nor changed overnight (Ravasi & Schultz, 2006).
References
Daniel, D., Haaland, S., & Goelzer, P. (2004). Corporate culture and organizational effectiveness: Is Asia different from the rest of the world? Organizational Dynamics, 23(4), 13-74.
Kotter, J., & Heskett, J. (1992). Corporate culture and performance. New York, State of New York, USA: Kotter Associates Inc.
Ravasi, D., & Schultz, M. (2006). Responding to organizational identity threats: exploring the role of organizational culture. Academy of Management Journal, 49 (3), 397-443.
Schmidt, G., & Jackson, L. (2010). Culture change case study: How a Denver company uses culture to drive productivity. Web.