Running head: SEAGRAM’S PROPOSAL 1
Seagrams Consulting Proposal
David Filipkowski
Liberty University
BMAL 504 – Leading Organizational Change
Running head: SEAGRAM’S PROPOSAL 2
Definition of Project:
Seagram’s must make a distinct shift away from a culture based on individualism,
entrepreneurship, authority, functional pride and personal relationships and embrace a new
culture that emphasizes teamwork, innovation, and customer focus (Jick & Peiperl, 2011). As
requested by the CEO we must work to develop a plan to introduce values to Seagram’s beverage
company and specifically recommend strategies to answer the following questions.
1. What should be done with the various recommendations for action raised by participants
in the values training programs?
2. How will employees who violate Seagram’s values be disciplined?
3. How will employees who exemplify and personify Seagram’s stated values be rewarded?
4. What should be done with the new employees acquired from MCA/Universal?
5. How is the momentum and attention sustained for this new values driven culture and
what can be done to institutionalize this culture?
Diagnosis of current situation:
Over the last few decades starting in the 1990’s Seagram’s has made a deliberate attempt
at diversification to a more global enterprise that consists of a very different portfolio than it has
had prior. Expanding their current spirits business into several companies acquired in the Asia
Pacific region, acquiring Dole Foods global fruit juice business and purchasing a large stake of
MCA Inc. are just a few of the decisions that have been made to this end. Concurrent with CEO
direction a value system has been created to help change behaviors and shift culture, however
these values and culture change have been met with some skepticism. The new processes will
require change in how employees interact with each other. Employees will need to learn how to
be more innovative, cooperative, communicative and customer focused.
Running head: SEAGRAM’S PROPOSAL 3
Recommendations:
1. Recommendations raised in training sessions by employees should be given serious
consideration and done so publically so that members of the group as well as other
employees throughout the corporation understand that ideas are taken seriously and given
due consideration. While it is not feasible to implement every idea, the goodwill and “buy
in” will be evident if ideas and recommendations are given serious consideration.
2. Your approach to dealing with violators of Seagram’s values will require cultural
stewardship and the same degree of urgency, attentiveness, and investment that is applied to
issues of cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, or any other business threat. When it comes to
culture, acting is important but acting visibly is even more important. Your employees need
to see firsthand your commitment to your values.(Clayton & Wisdom, 2019)
3. Reward programs are key mechanisms that can be used to motivate employees to act in
accordance with the organization's culture and values. Since teamwork, collaboration and
communication are all core values of Seagram’s, bonuses should value teamwork and not be
based on individual performance. The spotlight on those who personify the company's
values should be team as opposed to individual oriented.
4. With respect to the new employees from MCA/Universal, as they are integrated into the
company it is important to provide clarity of established culture and mission. This should
take place immediately, as early as onboarding to the company. In order to avoid an us vs.
them dynamic embrace the idea that MCA/Universal may arrive with aspects of their own
culture and values that work. Consideration should be given to adopting aspects that do work
into the existing culture.
Running head: SEAGRAM’S PROPOSAL 4
5. In order to sustain and institutionalize the values and culture a two-pronged approach is
recommended. Quarterly culture health checks should be instituted. These health checks
should include a leadership review. Is leadership leading by example and operating to the
established values or are they looking the other way and endorsing bad behavior? Is the
organization responding to complaint, enforcing consequences and rewarding culture
champions? In short, is the corporation holding itself accountable? Act visibly, regularly,
and credibly. When it comes to culture, acting is important but acting visibly is even more
important. Your employees need to see firsthand your commitment to your values.(Gatten &
Farkas, 2013) It brings peace of mind to customers, partners, and other stakeholders to know
that culture is a priority and, for many companies, it serves as a form of accountability,
incentivizing them to act in alignment with their values, both privately and publicly. “So
whatever you wish others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the
Prophets.” (Matthew 7:12)
Implementation Plan:
1. In order to implement a process to collect and evaluate recommendations given by
employees during training sessions a public repository will need to be created to collect
recommendations that employees can access to follow progress of each recommendations
vetting. Management will be required to assess each recommendation and provide
positive and/or negative feedback and finally a decision on whether to adpopt the
recommendation or not.
2. The process for dealing with company value violators will need to be not only swift but
visible. Significant emphasis will need to be given to informing the masses not only that
violations are being dealt with, but why they are perceived as violations. Informing
Running head: SEAGRAM’S PROPOSAL 5
employees in a public way allows them to not only see first-hand the commitment to the
value system but also allows employees to process and understand what has happened so
that they do not make the same mistakes. Making the process visible also removes the
chance for misinformation or rumors to be started.
3. To promote the overall culture of teamwork and collaboration, reward programs should
be set up to reward teams and not individuals. Accomplishments that lead to these
rewards should be shared company-wide, highlighting those key components of company
culture that the team has shown.
4. Integration of Seagram’s culture and values for newly acquired MCA/Universal
employees should begin immediately. Training seminars spelling out the culture and
values of Seagram’s should be part of the on boarding process. Conversely
MCA/Universal employees should be given the opportunity to provide feedback to the on
boarding team that can be taken to management with suggestions of how culture and
values adopted at MCA/Universal could be beneficial to the culture they are entering
into. Even if not adopted, giving the chance to these employees to provide feedback that
they can see has been given due consideration helps to facilitate buy-in of those new
employees.
5. Sustaining the momentum and attention on the values and culture of Seagrams should be
a two-pronged approach. First, making a concerted effort to act visibly so that all
employees are shown that leadership is willing to walk the walk and talk the talk and
conduct themselves in the same manner as they require their employees to do. “And as
you wish others would do to you, do so to them.” (Luke 6:31). Secondly, institute
Running head: SEAGRAM’S PROPOSAL 6
quarterly culture health checks. Hold all levels of leadership accountable for these checks
and enforce consequences when leadership is not accountable.
Summary:
In summary, the commonality among all my recommendations is deliberate visibility from
leadership down and the willingness to demonstrate that leadership is embracing the values and
culture that have been instituted. Employees across the corporation must see that senior level
leadership is taking the value system and culture changes seriously and continuously working to
make things better whether it is through a willingness to be open to ideas already working that
are coming from acquired companies ( MCA/Universal) or through regular culture checks that
hold everyone accountable. Being transparent will pay dividends and go a long way to gaining
the trust of the workforce and creating “buy-in” to the culture and values Seagram’ has instituted.
Running head: SEAGRAM’S PROPOSAL 7
References
Clayton, S. & Wisdom, J. (2019). Company Culture needs a Risk-Management Approach.
Retrieved from https://qz.com/work/1546621/company-culture-needs-a-risk-management-
approach/
Jick, T.D. & Peiperl, M. A. (2011). Managing change: Cases and concepts (3rd ed.) New York,
NY: Irwin/McGraw-Hill.
Katzenbach, J., Steffen, I., & Kronley, C. (2012). Cultural Change that Sticks. Retrieved from
https://hbr.org/2012/07/cultural-change-that-sticks
Rosenfeld, J., Gatten, R. & Gorran Farkas, M. (2013), "Building and sustaining a culture of
assessment: best practices for change leadership", Reference Services Review, Vol. 41 No. 1, pp.
13-31. https://doi-org.ezproxy.liberty.edu/10.1108/00907321311300857
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