Quietly Brilliant: Transformational Change at HTC Case Solution And Analysis, HBR Case Study Solution & Analysis of Harvard Case Studies

The Cultural Web

Deal and Kennedy’s Cultural Framework

An alternate model that could be used as a conceptual model to analyze is ‘Deal and Kennedy’s cultural framework’. The model was developed by Terrence Deal and Allan Kennedy in the year 1982 which enables to understand the cultural model on the basis of six cultural elements. The six elements are the history of the company, values and beliefs, their ceremonies and rituals, heroic figures of the company, stories, and the cultural network. These six elements are then combined into four distinct types of cultures which include work hard/play hard, tough guy-macho, process, and bet-your-company.

Conclusion for Alternate Model

Tough-Guy Macho

This element describes the world of individualists and the people who want quick feedback from their decisions. In the case of HTC, similar situation could be observed where the two to three individuals are running the entire business and enjoying quick feedbacks from their decisions. The degree of individualism is very appropriate at HTC.

Work Hard/ Play Hard

This element relates to the sales world concept where everyone in the organization believes that the company will survive with the effort of all employees and staff members. In this regard, the company also believes that the team shall bring up the good performance, but the steps that have been taken in the company reflect otherwise.

Bet-Your-Company

This element describes that the company takes high risks decisions but it takes a longer time period to wait for the good times so that their efforts are paid off. Similarly, as Fred Liu reflected that the culture of HTC will take a longer approach and the new culture will take much longer time to embed in the minds of employees.

Process

In this cultural element, there are minimum feedbacks and risks. According to HTC, the risks are high because the company had invested everything they had left.

Deal and Kennedy’s model has revealed that not only the individualism has affected the company and its decision but it is the growth of the company which has rapidly increased in a short span of time which is making difficult for the employees to adjust in the culture. Therefore, employees are taking longer than the normal time to get settled in a new global stage. HTC understood that the employees will take time to settle in, but no drastic measures were taken to fill the gap between the behaviors of employees. The mindset that was created amongst employees reflected that they still were a contract manufacturing company. The previous model highlighted the line of authority drawback while this model described the mindset of employees as a drawback in coping up with the culture.

Cultural Web

Cultural Web is basically used to overcome the chances of failure where a company entering new market or new environment has to face the cultural differences. In order to compete in the market, HTC should look to use the cultural web to overcome the issue of environmental change.

Elements of the cultural web

Routines and rituals

The company while expanding its environment or entering new markets should consider maintaining its basic core where it should stick with the rituals. HTC has always been an innovative company therefore, it needs to focus on staying as a technically advanced company in telecommunication sector.

Stories and Myths

Over here, HTC has to ensure that the employees should know about the history of the company and how it has actually evolved in the market. Chou and Liu have to step up and ensure that they lead by example while HTC expands its global reach.

Symbols

The symbol of the company has been “QuietlyBrilliant” which indicates that the company quietly looks to offer innovation, quality and new products to its customers. Unlike competitors who do not look to focus on being expert smartphone manufacturer.

Power Structure

The power structure of HTC has been quite autocratic and centralized organization structure. The decision making at HTC is generally made by the top management which is passed on to the lower management and the employees. This has been the successful attribute for the company since its introduction.

Organizational structure

Organization structure of HTC can be changed in a way where the management can look to offer new rewards system which can be introduced to motivate the employees and increase their productivity to compete with the rivals in the industry.

With all the above discussed attributes of the company, it can be said that the Routines and rituals, Stories and Myths, Symbols of the company of HTC cannot be changed because these have been the features or success factors of HTC. However, the company in the future should look to change the power structure and organization structure by introducing.................................