[LEAD STORY]
TURNING THE SHIP AROUND
TRANSFORMING WORKPLACE CULTURE
Sunanda Rao
Business Editor
people and management
C
ulture is like the wind. It is
invisible, yet its effect could
be sensed. When it is blowing
in your direction, it makes for
smooth sailing. When it is blowing
against you, everything is more
diffi cult.
For organisations seeking
to become more adaptive and
innovative, a change in culture is
often the most challenging part of
the transformation. Innovation
demands new behaviours from
leaders and employees that are
often antithetical to corporate
cultures, which historically focus on
operational excellence and effi ciency.
Nevertheless, cultural change
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can’t be achieved through the
top-down mandate. It lives in the
collective hearts and habits of the
people and their shared perception
of ‘how things are done around
here.’
I am sharing a Case Study: Dr.
Reddy’s Laboratories Ltd. to
explain the evolution of culture.
Mr. G.V. Prasad is the Co.
Chairman & CEO of Dr. Reddy’s,
a 30-year-old Indian multinational
pharmaceutical company based
in Hyderabad, India that produces
affordable generic medication. With
the company’s more than seven
distinct business units operating in
more than 20 countries with more
| Vol. 9 Issue 6 • Sep-Oct 2018, Noida / Pre-Event Edition
than 20,000 employees, the decision
making had grown more convoluted
and the branches of the organisation
had become misaligned. Over the
years, Dr. Reddy’s had built in lots
of procedures, and for many good
reasons. However, those procedures
had also slowed the company down.
Mr. Prasad sought to evolve
Dr. Reddy’s culture to be nimble,
innovative, and patient-centered.
He knew it required a journey to
align and galvanise all employees.
His leadership team began with a
search for purpose. Over the course
of several months, the Dr. Reddy’s
team worked with IDEO to learn
about the needs of everyone; from
shop fl oor workers to scientists,