ACTIVITY SHEETS IN BMGT 102: BUSINESS ETHICS AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

(Week 3-4 – Corporate Culture)

Name: Keefe P. Mentino Yr.&Sec.: 12-ABM Inclusive Dates: Jan. 25-Feb. 5, 2021

Case study

Susan Chumley applied for a job at Suspenders plc, a subsidiary of the giant Megatron
organization. She was successful and was pleased to accept the job as her friend Maureen also
worked there.
On her first day Susan was given an induction by her line manager Dave Sparkel, who also
introduced her to the rest of the team. Susan noticed that the offices were very spartan and there
were no personal items on desks or pinned to the walls – she was told that this was company
policy. At lunchtime the other workers left the offices and returned ten minutes later with
sandwiches that they ate at their desks while continuing to work. No one showed Susan where the
sandwich shop was.
After several weeks her colleagues became more approachable and she was invited to join a few
of them for a drink after work. There she learned that their line manager Dave Sparkel was
rumoured to be having an affair with the purchasing manager of their biggest customer, Lofticel,
and that he had negotiated some private commission for himself in return for cutting prices to
Lofticel.
Susan also spoke to her friend Maureen who worked in a different department. Maureen told her
that a supervisor had recently been fired for sending an e-mail critical of management policy. She
also learned that, before she joined, seven members of the finance team had been made redundant
and had been replaced with casual workers. The remainder of the finance team was hostile to the
company and in order to revenge themselves on the company carried out small acts of sabotage
such as deliberately delaying payments to suppliers thus causing supply problems to
manufacturing units, and failing to claim discounts, thereby increasing costs.
The staff handbook claimed there was a whistleblowing hotline that was totally confidential but
the only person known to have used it was marched off company premises by security and never
returned.

Discuss
1. What are the main features of the corporate culture at Suspenders plc?
ANSWER:
A corporate culture may vary from shared meanings, values, attitudes and beliefs that are created
and communicated within an organization up to the set of shared taken for granted implicit
assumptions that members of an organization hold and that determine how they perceive, think
about and react to their various environments. Culture here represents the set of unique beliefs
and behaviors that guide the company in its internal interactions and transactions with the
external stakeholders.
From the facts and scenarios stated above in the particular case, we can be able to formulate some
clear corporate culture of Suspenders plc. First, there is a lack of collaborative and
communicative interaction within the organization. This is due to the fact that no one even
accompanied Susan after he was introduced regarding their lunchtime habits. Another corporate
culture of them that I have noticed is that they are rules-based and has a hierarchal functioning.
This is evident as Dave who was the line manager, was the one who introduced Susan to the
team. The most notable culture of them that I have noticed is that the workplace feature does not
allow personal touches of the employees. This can be seen from the absence of items for personal
sentiment or belongingness. With this, we can also say that in their culture, employees are only
seen as mere factors of production rather than human resources with their own emotion and
feelings. There is a toxic employee-to-organization relationship in the company. Individualistic is
also one of the traits of their culture. Every individual is held responsible for their own functions,
no one catches you if ever you fall. That is apparent in the recent firings of supervisors due to a
mistake in a critical management policy. Due to the fact that the organization does not engage to a
healthy employee relationship, grapevine or circulation of rumors is inferred to be rampant.
Another reason to it is also the lack of communication within the firm. Adhocism is also
prevalent as permanent staff have been laid off and casual workers have been inducted. This is
manifested in the replacement of seven members of the finance team to casual workers. With this,
we can say that they are not good in strategic long-term planning is they are more focused on
urgent planning, with no abundant attention to policies. Criticism or evaluation of management
policies is also not encouraged and personal integrity is not as important. The company and
senior management is also financially motivated as some seniors even cut prices for their own
good. This is noticeable to the act that Dave has done in negotiating private commission with
Lofticel. Lastly, whistleblowing mechanism has been undermined completely, which can show
that they severely punish actions outside group norms and that they reject criticism from outside
ruling group. This is conspicuous to the act that the only person who used the whistleblowing
hotline was marched off the company premises by the security and never returned.
2. What impact does this culture have on employees like Susan and Maureen?
ANSWER:
This culture can demoralize or dishearten employees like Susan and Maureen. Due to continuous
blaming and pressure, it can lower down their confidence to do well in their jobs. They are also
working in this environment which is not collaborative and wherein they cannot voice out their
opinion. This could lead to the restriction of their innovation abilities and revolutionary ideas, and
prevent the development of their potential higher managerial skills. As soon as they still continue
to be in this company, their intrapersonal skills may not fully mature and grow, causing them to
be less of a value as a professional and even as an individual. On the other side, as soon as they
leave the company, their experience with the company will not be equipped to handle jobs with
higher responsibilities like management of people.
 On the bright side, I personally think that this culture can also make them grow in the practical
side of being an individual. They will be faced to this dissatisfying scenario and will be
challenged to overcome it. It’s a learning process for them on how to deal with conflicts and not
so good events in life. This will also make them prepare for what would have been worse in their
next companies. They would be able to know how to adjust in this certain type of culture. Even
though there is still good points of this culture, majority are still disadvantages. This is the reason
why employees like Susan and Maureen should do a background check of the corporate culture of
the firm or company that they want to work with.

3. Does the culture and climate of the company need to be changed and if so how could this be
achieved?
ANSWER:
Definitely, there is a need to do some changes in the culture and climate of the company. They
should allow greater collaboration and cooperation upon which the first step toward it is through
making policies that are centered to the employees or employee-centric. The suspicions and
gossips of the employees about the management being critical to them should be changed or
erased and a new healthy policy that allows employee feedback should be mounted or installed.
The mechanism for whistleblowing should also be strengthened by restoring it and giving enough
or adequate freedom for the official in charge or responsible in examining complaints. There
should also be a properly functioning structure upon which communication per level or
department will flow through. They can also encourage friendly interactions and team unity or
cohesion through various team building and out of work activities.

4. What benefit might any changes bring to the company?

ANSWER:
Changing the present culture to a more dynamic and collaborative one will bring positive changes
especially for the employees. Employees will not feel that they are only a mere factor of
production rather they are aligned together with the company on to achieving its strategic
objectives. In other words, they will feel that they are together with the company on achieving its
objectives, making a situation of goal congruence. Such situation will then result to higher
efficiency in the business performance and operations which is essential to the firm. Moreover,
installing the feedback system would serve as a room for new ideas to sprout that can improve
processes and propel product innovation. By accepting comments on the function of the
management and evidences which are credible enough to show a wrongdoing or misconduct in
the firm, high standards of governance and control will be upheld and maintained. With this
changes being said, the image of the firm in the market will be enhanced for its current and
potential shareholders and customers.

Activity
Interview Activity: Interview 3 people from different companies but in the same industry. (e.g 3 bankers
from different banking institutions). Ask the following:
1. Can you describe to me your company’s culture?
2. Does your company culture fit your personality type?
3. What's the best part of working here that I wouldn't be able to see on a tour?
4. Describe the work-life balance of employees.
5. What's one thing you would change about the company if you could change absolutely anything?

Compare and contrast their answers. Discuss your findings and learning in a separate sheet of paper.

ANSWERED IN A SEPARATE FILE NAMED MENTINO-12ABM-INTERVIEW-ACTIVITY-IN-

BMGT102. IT IS ALTOGETHER SUBMITTED WITH THIS FILE IN ONE MESSAGE.

For written works and compositions:

Criteria Excellent Good Fair Poor
Focus and (8-10 points) (6-7 points) (4-5 points) (0-3 points)
Details Topic is well-focused There is a clear There is a The topic and
and specific. Main and well- focused topic main ideas are
ideas are clear and focused topic. but main ideas not clear.
well supported by Main ideas are are not
detailed and clear but are not especially clear.
accurate supported by
information. detailed
information or
facts.

Date Accomplished: Feb. 4, 2021 Date Submitted: Feb. 5, 2021