MeatPack: Leadership, Cultural and Performance Change Analysis

This case study analysis focuses on MeatPack, a family-owned food-processing company led by CEO Derek Bison. The analysis examines the effectiveness of senior leadership changes, including the development of leadership competencies and the shift to a flatter organizational structure. It evaluate...Read More

CASE STUDY ANALYSIS: LEADERSHIP, CULTURAL AND PERFORMANCE CHANGE
AT MEATPACK 1
CASE STUDY ANALYSIS: LEADERSHIP, CULTURAL AND PERFORMANCE
CHANGE AT MEATPACK
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INTRODUCTION
MeatPack is a food-processing company located in Sydney in Australia. It’s a family-owned
business with several processing plants in Queensland and New South Wales. It has dealt with
the processing of meat products and fresh soups for over 27 years now. Its customers mostly
include the food-service companies and the retail chains within Australia and in other countries.
Derek Bison is the Chief Executive Director (CEO) of the MeatPack company being the 4th
generation down the family line to lead the organization. The company has set various targets
that have to be met to become successful and grow to greater heights. The significant changes
that have been implemented include; cultural and performance shift as well as senior leadership
changes. The paper, therefore, focusses on the effectiveness of these changes, barriers to the

CASE STUDY ANALYSIS: LEADERSHIP, CULTURAL AND PERFORMANCE CHANGE
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cultural change, as well as the best approach (either hands-on or hands-off) to carry out their
business.
A Hands-off or hands-on approach in the business management
Managing and leading a company is a task that requires to be taken with seriousness. How a
manager will lead the company will determine its failure or success in the long-run. Within an
organization there are various employees of a different culture, therefore, there many
disagreements that can arise, as such the manager has to find means through which he or she will
resolve those issues. Otherwise, failure of addressing such matters will affect the working
relationship of the employees and eventually the output will decrease (Algahtani, 2014). As a
manager, you need to select the best style and approach of dealing with situations that arise
within the organization. Currently, Bison employs the hands-on approach in dealing with the
junior staff and leaders. For instance, he inspires the line managers in taking a hands-on
approach, especially when hiring new personnel’s or when performing performance appraisals. I
believe Bison need to keep on using a more hands-on approach in the management of the
business has it involves direct interaction with the employees and day-to-day needs, activities,
and operations of the organization.
Hands-on leaders work to connect the world of management and leadership through the creation
of a vision as well as modeling behavior of the organization (Giessner and Wong, 2016). The
manager, however, does not detach himself from daily operations of the company. He involves
himself in the standard work that other employees are involved. Just like the way Bison engages
himself in training the employees on the vital business skills, a hands-on-approach encourages
managers to coach their team and invest heavily in their progress. According to the 21st VUCA

CASE STUDY ANALYSIS: LEADERSHIP, CULTURAL AND PERFORMANCE CHANGE
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(Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity) business model, the Leader-Manager
approach is usually preferred over the Manager-Leader approach (Nandram and Bindlish, 2017).
A manager having leadership skills as the principal role in the management of business
operations (leading rather than managing) can recognize future challenges that a company may
face and hence make significant changes and shifts. In a hands-on approach, the manager
interacts directly with the junior staff and takes part in the ongoing projects. Employee
mentoring is crucial, and the line of communication from upwards or downwards is always open
(Saleh and Watson, 2017). The employees can ask the manager and other top managers any
question and get clarification immediately. Such kind of interaction is vital in creating a
conducive environment for employees to work smoothly. The culture of the organization will be
family-oriented making every worker to feel accommodated and hence increase their
productivity (Ward, 2016).
If Bison keeps on using the hands-on approach in managing the MeatPark company, there is a
guarantee they will reach their set target of 1 billion dollars by the year 2020. Due to this, the
manager can obtain diverse ideas from the employees on how to run the company. The
relationship between the employees and the manager is open such that they can tell him their
problems, areas that need improvement, and what can be done for the company to be more
productive. As a manager also, you get to have a deeper understanding of the business at large
from all the corners (Samovar et al., 2015). It is easy as such for a hands-on manager to
understand areas that need improvement in the organization and implement the appropriate
techniques that can overcome those challenges. Since the employees more focused due to the
manager’s active role in the participation of the daily activities, there are high chances for the
continued growth of the company.

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On the contrary, a hands-off manager leaves all the operations and running of the business in the
hands of the employees and their team leaders. As such, he has limited command on the way the
business activities are carried out. He has little knowledge on the ongoing operations of the
business as well as the details. He is not much involved in the projects neither does he make
much effort to ask employees to keep him in the loop (Nisbet, 2018). He also does not invest
much time in listening to the employees or following the agreements made. Much of the work is
left to the employees. Such kind of approach is risky as the manager may fail to foresee a threat
and hence crumble the business as at once. Also, it’s only a few employees who will work under
minimum supervision while the rest will not thereby affect the quality of their output. Therefore,
Bison should keep on using the hands-on approach in carrying out the activities of the MeatPark
company.
The effectiveness of the senior leadership changes at MeatPark company
Some of the leadership changes that Bison implemented in the organization is the development
of leadership competencies, particularly for the senior strategy team. He also shifted the structure
of the business from a hierarchical organization to a horizontal one, thereby giving the front-line
workers and the rest a more responsibility and accountability regarding their performance
(Williams, 2014). Other changes include; development program for the leaders, coaching
consultation for every member of the senior strategy team, and change in the set-up of the
company’s human resource department. These changes have been effective so far as Bison has
seen tremendous changes and improvement in the company concerning productivity and growth.
In particular, the senior strategy team experienced a positive dynamism through the changes
introduced. The open dialogue fostered between the manager and other employees, for instance,
has encouraged free conversation between the employees as well as with the manager (Williams,

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2014). Through this, it is easier to understand the needs of the workers and come up with
appropriate solutions.
However, despite the positive changes seen within the organization due to changes experienced
with the senior leadership styles, there have been some shortcomings. For instance, the
composition of the strategy team is not known, and this has brought about uncertainty within the
team members. The members never understood whether they were indeed part of the team or not
(Williams, 2014). The employees also have issues in determining the exact roles of the strategy
team and those of the senior leadership team as well as the functions of Bison. Some of the
senior strategy team, for instance, fear questions decisions made by Bison since he is the CEO of
the company despite the freedom they have been given to question him of anything. They don’t
understand who should hold another accountable; is it Bison holding the senior strategy team or
the board holding Bison accountable. Such confusions affect smooth operations of the company
as each member does not understand their role hence may leave some unattended (Jaques, 2017).
The structural changes that the strategy team was to introduce in the company as well brought in
a heated discussion concerning the position of the members. They did not understand whom they
would be reporting to if Bison became a Chairman of the company instead of the Executive
Chairman. Such changes, therefore, brought a lot of issues within the organization since they
never understood their position and what they were supposed to do or respond to amongst the
leaders (Núñez, 2016).
The manner in which the senior leadership at MeatPork can influence more positive
change in the organization

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The manner in which the senior leaders’ effect change in an organization will determine how
other employees will take it. Otherwise, they might be met with a significant resistance that will
bring huge differences affecting the operations of the business (Cameron and Green, 2015). This
is what happened in MeatPack when the senior leadership tried to bring in a new structure of
business management. Therefore, the senior leaders need to bring in new strategy on how to
bring the proposed change to the organization. For instance, communication breakdown can help
bridge the differences that arose within the MeatPack. Through this, the leaders should share all
the information regarding the change and explain step-by-step how the change will be useful. For
example, when CFO raised various concerns concerning the new structure in the annual general
meeting, he was not answered satisfactorily, and this frustrated several members. However, if the
senior leaders cared to explain the whole process slowly and clearly, the members could
probably understand and hence cement any differences (Stayer, 2009).
In future Bison and other senior leaders should be willing to collaborate and coordinate with
other employees in bringing a change within the company (Doppelt, 2017). When employees
feel involved in bringing in their ideas, they will accept the change fast and also push for its
implementation. Allowing workers to have input, listening to their needs, and solutions can play
a huge role in bringing in a positive change. If the company takes in the issue of employee
engagement earnestly, then there are assured of creating a positive change in the company in the
future. Effective leadership means driving positive change in an organization. Senior leadership
can only ensure their ideas are implemented, and the change is effective if they inspire the
employees (Cummings and Worley, 2014). Bison has been employing the hands-on approach,
and that’s what other leaders have to do. By working with the teams at a personal level allows
one an opportunity to explain to them logically the significance of the change and hence they

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will embrace them. If the senior leadership of MeatPack can employ these tactics in bringing in
the transition, there is a high chance of attaining a positive response from the staff. Eventually,
the future of the company will bright since the workers will support the change and work
towards achieving the best outcome for the business.
The extent to which the MeatPark flatter structure has helped in creating cultural and
performance change
The Executive training that Bison got from Harvard Business School played a significant role in
influencing him to implement a flatter structure within the organization. An organization culture
refers to the shared practices and beliefs in a company (Hickman and Silva, 2018). Creating a
positive culture within the organization that is inclusive of all the employees offers a feeling of
fulfillment and enjoyment thereby improving employee productivity and performance. The
flatter structure across the MeatPack company has given supervisors and managers powers of
greater accountability and responsibility. Bison encourages his leaders such as the line managers
to keep using the hands-on approach in carrying out the activities of the business such as in
recruiting of personnel and offering performance appraisals (Nisbet, 2018). The flatter structure
drives senior leadership to lead as compared to managing. Managers who apply Leader-Manager
model in business obtains high turn-over concerning productivity and performance. Workers
need to feel cared for, and their leaders are involved in their day-to-day activities. Usually, the
diverse culture experienced in an organization with workers of different cultural background can
affect the working relationship of the employees if not managed correctly (LeVine, 2018).
However, at MeatPack the composition of the staff is from diverse cultural backgrounds with
many coming from various countries.

CASE STUDY ANALYSIS: LEADERSHIP, CULTURAL AND PERFORMANCE CHANGE
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Nevertheless, only a few cross-cultural clashes have been experienced, and this can be largely
contributed to the flatter structure. Although the flatter structure has brought positive change in
the company, it is essential for Bison and other senior leaders to implement the cultural changes
slowly (Hartnell et al., 2016). Most of the workers have been in the company for a more
extended period (10-15 years). Therefore, some may have some difficulties in adjusting to the
cultural changes proposed. Its culture is accommodative, friendly, honest, trustworthy, and has
created a family atmosphere. Even those that have moved to other companies, they still rank
MeatPack as the most systematic, collaborative, and organized regarding their organizational
culture.
Staff training has also been a critical area of cultural development for Bison. The training has
enhanced the leadership skills of the senior leaders that have seen them lead and manage their
teams better (Yap and Webber, 2015). It has also reinforced a culture of accountability where
now managers embrace the culture of Leader-Manager as opposed to Manager-Leader. Together
with the implementation of Rockefeller Habits model which emphasizes on priorities (strategic
goals), rhythm (accountability), and data (performance feedback), the managers have appreciated
this kind of investment, and the productivity of the managers and the company at large has gone
up (Harnish, 2002). Introduction of huddles between the day and afternoon shifts also has seen
an increase of productivity concerning yield output as well as eliminated the loss time injury
(LTI).
Barriers to the cultural change
The cultural and performance change that Bison and the senior leadership were trying to
implement in the organization was met with some challenges. First and foremost, Bison could

CASE STUDY ANALYSIS: LEADERSHIP, CULTURAL AND PERFORMANCE CHANGE
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not remove certain individuals from their positions since they had established such strong
emotional ties and relationship with other members. Even though such members were not
delivering, the past culture of the company prevented them from being fired (Mullins and
Schoar, 2016). The attitudes of the people towards the cultural changes also varied since the
company involves people of different cultural backgrounds. The junior staff is also worried that
the involvement of too many managers in leading their teams leaves some duties unattended
(Peng et al., 2016) What the managers say should tally with what they do. Differences
experienced between the afternoon and day shifts due to their cultural norms brings a lot of
pressure to the managers. However, despite these few barriers the cultural changes implemented
in the MeatPack company, saw it increase its productivity.
Conclusion
For a successful organization, managers and other senior leaders need to lead the company
effectively. Wrong decisions or strategies will lead to the collapse of the business in the long-
run. Bison has understood the significance of this, and that’s why he chooses to use a more
hands-on approach in the business administration. When managers get involved in the daily
running of the business, there is a high chance of business success since they can understand
areas that need to be improved. Bison proposed the implementation of senior leadership change
as well as cultural and performance change through the establishment of the flatter structure.
These changes have seen the MeatPack grow, increased productivity, and created a friendlier
cultural relationship between all the workforce in the company.

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