Genentech case study

In addition to the difficulties experienced in reconciling the differences in the features of the four key brands, the period just prior to the change initiative was marked by huge interruptions, dismissals, uncertainties, and numerous changes in the leadership of Genentech. These events were caused directly by the Roche-Genentech unification. The Change Imperatives In the context of the Genentech case study, change imperatives can be defined as the factors and/or influences that necessitated the launch of the change initiative. One of the key change imperatives was the need for unity. Cook states that when she took over the GIO department, the four products had reasonable sales performance when considered individually. The authentic leadership philosophy is based on the idea of a leader being genuine.

This philosophy requires leaders to be true in the manner which they work, to be inspired by the prospects of achieving greater purposes rather than by their egos, to make decisions based on organizational value systems and moral standards rather than based on what is popular, and to stay focused on lasting sustainability (Simpson, 2012). Cook was genuine in launching the change initiative as evidenced by her past leadership roles and actions. The article records that Cook had, on two occasions, initiated efforts related to organizational cultural changes in other divisions of Genentech in an attempt to bring various teams together and assist them to establish a shared sense of togetherness and purpose. It is clear that in the two instances, Cook was acting for the greater good of the company and her decisions and efforts were aimed at promoting organizational culture and value system.

Methods Employed by Cook to Facilitate the Change To facilitate the change she desired, Jennifer Cook organized an action plan consisting of five levers. The five levers had sub-divisions which were composed of team members who had special culture-related tasks to perform. The following is a list of the five levers and their sub-divisions: a) Recruiting lever: the recruiting lever had a sub-division known as recruiting initiative. The recruiting initiative consisted of team members whose task was to outline recruitment procedures to ensure that GIO’s desired culture and values are propagated to new employees at the hiring stage. b) Training lever: this lever was sub-divided into • New Hires Initiative where the team concentrated on the orientation of new recruits so as to ensure the process was consistent with future culture desires of GIO.

The success was great to the extent that initiatives like the Culture Advisory Initiative had to be dissolved after a few years. The initiative no longer had work to do because GIO culture had become the second nature of virtually all the employees. Apart from changing people’s attitude towards organizational culture, the change initiative also opened up communication channels (both horizontal and vertical communications channels). Chatman (2014) reports that the people at GIO started connecting with leaders both within and without their franchises, allowing them to construct bridges that enabled information sharing across brands. The open communication also broke down the barrier of animosity created by the competitive spirit that prevailed shortly after the merger, enabling various franchises to empower their brands through exploring brand commonalities.