DaVita, a kidney dialysis company, had always promoted quality assurance, teamwork, integrity, accountability, and services into her culture and presented as “a community first and a company second” by the senior management. This case, along with the history of DaVita, traces the acquisition of Health Care Partners (HCP), an integrated health care provider, by DaVita and determines the challenges encountered by the company and its CEO, Kent Thiry. There was a significant difference between the workforce of both companies. The case provides the guidance on the particular industry, its diverse culture, and its path of success during the last 15 years. It describes the formation and development of a culture through incorporating various processes and events, including the careful use of language, symbols, and traditions.
The company is supposed to be as a “village”, team members are “citizens”, the use of slogans like “one for all and all for one”, broad exchanging of information, incorporating team members, three musketeer costumes, wide recognition and performance appraisals, promoting training and socialization through investment, and with a company song. This unique culture would have significant impact on DaVita’s bottom line and its success through the attraction and retention of employees and patients, minimizing the cost, and development of clinical results. The issue, DaVita was confronting that whether it would be better to transform the culture of Health Care Partners by this culture.
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