Surviving the hard times
Case Study – Surviving the Hard Time
The case study “Surviving the Hard Times” is about a landscaping company that undergoes an economic hardship, and is kept together because of the culture that was cultivated producing loyal, hard working, employees.
The organizational culture at Green Thumb Nursery is one that is people. According to Robbins and Judge Green Thumb Nursery is a people orientated business. Management decisions about schedules and work hours take into consideration the effect of outcomes on people within the organization. (Robbins & Judge, 2014, pg. 249) I would also state that the Nursery can be considered team orientated in that the business is divided into two different crews.
The ultimatum that Patty issued to her employees was fair. When a company falls on tough times it sometimes takes drastic measures for it to survive. In the book Conscious Capitalism the founder of Whole Foods went through a very similar ordeal. They had their business destroyed by a flood. They asked their employees and suppliers to hold off on payment so that they could get time to reopen and rebuild. (Mackey & Sisodia, 2014) If they hadn’t taken this drastic step there would be no multi-billion company known as Whole Foods today. Patty stated that if the employees choose not to stay, and moved on to find another job that she would mail them their last paycheck no questions asked.
The thing that should change within the organization that will make it successful again would be to hire a business manager. This manager would focuses on the day to day business and insure that the company is financial responsible.
This is a story about how a company and its employees come together for a common goal of building a successful business. A business that is based on the organizational culture of being people focused.
References:
Robbins, S., & Judge, T. (2014). Essentials of organizational behavior. (12th ed.). Upper Saddle River, New
The case study “Surviving the Hard Times” is about a landscaping company that undergoes an economic hardship, and is kept together because of the culture that was cultivated producing loyal, hard working, employees.
The organizational culture at Green Thumb Nursery is one that is people. According to Robbins and Judge Green Thumb Nursery is a people orientated business. Management decisions about schedules and work hours take into consideration the effect of outcomes on people within the organization. (Robbins & Judge, 2014, pg. 249) I would also state that the Nursery can be considered team orientated in that the business is divided into two different crews.
The ultimatum that Patty issued to her employees was fair. When a company falls on tough times it sometimes takes drastic measures for it to survive. In the book Conscious Capitalism the founder of Whole Foods went through a very similar ordeal. They had their business destroyed by a flood. They asked their employees and suppliers to hold off on payment so that they could get time to reopen and rebuild. (Mackey & Sisodia, 2014) If they hadn’t taken this drastic step there would be no multi-billion company known as Whole Foods today. Patty stated that if the employees choose not to stay, and moved on to find another job that she would mail them their last paycheck no questions asked.
The thing that should change within the organization that will make it successful again would be to hire a business manager. This manager would focuses on the day to day business and insure that the company is financial responsible.
This is a story about how a company and its employees come together for a common goal of building a successful business. A business that is based on the organizational culture of being people focused.
References:
Robbins, S., & Judge, T. (2014). Essentials of organizational behavior. (12th ed.). Upper Saddle River, New
References: Robbins, S., & Judge, T. (2014). Essentials of organizational behavior. (12th ed.). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey:Parson. Mackey, J., & Sisodia, R. (2014). Liberating the heroic spirit of business conscious capitalism. Boston Massachusetts: Harvard Business Review Press.