Abstract

The case “Godrej: Transforming Its Organizational Culture” talks about the initiatives taken by Indian conglomerate The Godrej Group (Godrej) to transform and adapt its organizational culture to ensure it was in tune with societal changes and the competitive landscape. The case starts out by providing a glimpse into the history of the 123-year-old family business that strove to adhere to the high principles of its founder Ardeshir Burjorji Sorabji Godrej (Ardeshir), who was renowned for his honesty and integrity. The case then talks about the way the third generation, with Adi Godrej (Adi) at the helm, transformed the business into a conglomerate with operations in various business areas and an international presence, without compromising on its principles. The factors that drove Adi to bring about an evolution in organizational culture is then discussed. The case takes an in-depth look into the changes brought about in the organizational thinking, recruitment practices, workplace diversity, leadership development programs, and avenues of conversations. Will Godrej continue to successfully manage its culture change in tune with changes in its business goals in future also?

Learning Objectives

The case is structured to achieve the following Learning Objectives:

• Understand an organizational climate and the principles that drive it
• Create and sustain an organizational culture
• Align Human Resource (HR) Systems with business strategy
• Generate organizational change
• Develop an employee acculturation process

Keywords

Organizational Culture; Cultural Change; Leadership Development; Training and Development; Change Management; Cultural Code; Conversations; Workplace Diversity; Talent Management; Best Place to Work; Founder’s Values; Human Resource (HR) Systems; Organizational Climate; Employee Acculturation Process; Company Philosophy