ABSTRACT
In the North-Central geo-political zone of Nigeria, it is a common belief that failures of most organisations are largely attributed to the inability of their leaders to efficiently and effectively analyse and evaluate the prevailing organisational and traditional cultures in the zone. This study on “Effect of Culture on Change Management in North-Central Geo-political Zone of Nigeria” sought to ascertain the degree of influence of organizational and traditional cultures in managing change in organizations. It also aimed at investigating the extent to which the failure of organisations in the North-Central geo- political zone of Nigeria within the period 1996 – 2008 was due to sustained employee resistance to change. Furthermore, the study sought to ascertain the degree to which lower management employees were involved in initiating and implementing change policies in the selected organizations. Lastly, the study aimed at determining the relationship between the selected organizations’ financial resource base and their having efficient and effective change management programme. Chi Square Distribution tool was employed to test the hypotheses that organisational and traditional cultures had significant impact on introducing change in organizations. It was also used in testing the hypothesis that sustained employee resistance to change contributed significantly to the failure of organisations in the North-Central geo-political zone of Nigeria within the period 1996 – 2008. Lastly it was employed in testing the hypothesis that there was relationship between the selected organizations’ financial resource base and their having efficient and effective change management programme. In the test of the hypothesis on the degree to which lower management employees were involved in initiating and implementing change policies in the selected organisations, Z-test of difference between proportions was employed. The findings of the study show that organisational and traditional cultures had significant impact on implementing change in organisations. The study equally found that sustained employee resistance to change contributed to the failure of organisations in the North-Central geo- political zone of Nigeria within the period 1996 – 2008, and that lower management employees were not deeply involved in initiating and implementing change policies. Lastly, the study revealed that there was significant relationship between organisations’ financial resource base and their having efficient and effective change management programme. Among others, the researcher recommended the need for a more comprehensive approach for managing organizational change such that all the components or constituents of the organizations are actively involved in the change process amidst cultural traits. There is the need for organization planning for change to carry out needs assessment across the board to be able to identify and understand the current organizational culture as a guide for future change management. Lastly, in the likelihood of negative outcomes from change implementation such as downsizing, Management should be vigilant about finding ways to ameliorate them for individual employees. For future research, further studies with similar objectives on this subject area are encouraged for other geo-political zones of Nigeria as well as on effect of ageing on change acceptance by employees in organisations.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
The dramatic increase in products, markets, enhanced technology, and robust competition has led to a dynamic global business environment. Companies that have flourished in the 21st century are those that have learned to respond to turbulence by managing change effectively. Most organizations are aware of the need for change; however, the challenge lies in implementing strategies that stick. For a number of reasons, including a lack of understanding of deeper organizational issues or a failure to recognize the cross-functional implications of change, system-wide change often goes awry (Mark and Rossy, 2007). Evidence suggests that organization members are more inclined to embrace change when the organization’s culture is aligned with the mission and goals of the company. Although Management may espouse a set of values that they assume defines the organizational culture, the reality is that the way members perceive what is rewarded and what they believe to be the underlying message will constitute the “real,” in-use culture of how things are accomplished. In this context, Mark and Gerard (1999) suggest that a cultural analysis be undertaken to facilitate the planning and implementation of organizational change. In recent time, managing change efficiently amidst established organizational culture has become a veritable tool for achieving the final component of desired successful organizational objectives with the right strategy, process, and people in most modern organizations. Besides, staying competitive in the face of demographic trends, technological innovations, and globalization requires organizations to change at much higher pace than ever before. An effective and efficient change management is a continuous and on-going combination of art and science that assures alignment of an organisation’s strategies, structures and processes (Edgar, 2006:22) and (Bateman and Crant, 1999:21).
Change implies to make difference, alter, or modify the way an organization is run. Schein (1990:25) defines organizational change as an introduction of new patterns of action, belief, and attitudes among substantial segments of population while DeBettignies and Boddewyn (1971:221) view change as the process of adaptation by the organization to change internal and external circumstances. Managers anticipate a need for change when there is a gap between desired and actual performance levels (James et al, 2004). Environmental and internal forces can stimulate the need for an organization to change. Organisations depend on and must interact with their external environment in order to survive. Any factor in the external environment that interfere with the organisation’s ability to attract the human and material resources it needs, or to produce and market
its services or products, becomes a force for change. Similarly any factor in the internal environment that affects the way the organization carries out its activities becomes a force for change. Meanwhile, in the light of gross and incremental changes constantly occurring in the internal and external environment of organizations in the view of Bateman and Crant, (1999:21), leaders need to realize that their organizations can only survive if they anticipate, recognize, strategize, plan, and implement adequate change in a timely manner given the dictates of their organizational and environmental culture. As argued by Bateman and Crant (1999:24-25), organizations face a variety of challenges, including competition from global markets, managerial restructuring by down-sizing or right sizing, mergers, acquisitions, break-ups of companies, increased business regulations and heightened media scrutiny.
There is also the challenge of employee’s desire to take a more significant part in the decision- making process, a disturbing trend in business ethics. This has resulted in increased employee and shareholder activism and above all, the prevailing organizational culture. Such a changing and increasingly unpredictable business environment under given cultural practices requires leaders to ensure their organizations are constantly and properly aligned with the new business realities. It is important that leaders anticipate possible changes under known organizational culture in the business environment before they become a threat to their organizations. Bateman and Crant (1999:68) suggest ‘proaction’, that is, actively creating change within the context of existing organizational culture and other determinants of change success, and not merely anticipating it. Moreover, it is important to redefine the ethical framework for proper business conduct of an organization in global business setting. Without introducing adequate change in a timely and difficult time significantly hampers organizations’ chances of long-term survival. The rapidity and degree with which change occurs in modern society complicates both the human and organizational experience. Shifting activities and emphasis demands different skills for adults alike so they could cope with life and work. ‘The only thing that we know about the future is that it will be different” (Drucker, 1996)’. Change is a permanent feature of an organization’s life. To be able to survive in the face of increasing competition, quicker routes to the market and pressure to deliver better results, in the opinion of Buono (2005:27), organizations cannot afford to remain static.
Organisations find themselves buffeted by external forces: technological, market, political and cultural and as such are challenged to become ever more efficient, effective, productive and competitive with the questions of how they could be active masters of change rather than reactive servants; how could change in organisations be driven by their people rather than the organisation in the abstract, or its leaders having to drag them along. As argued by Burman and Evans (2008),
organisations will fail if they are not capable of learning, in a collective sense, as well as the individuals who spend their days at work there. They will fail if they do not regard themselves as places of continuous personal and corporate reinvention, of individual and institutional transformation. The organization and every person within it need to envision themselves, not as a change object, but as an agent of change.
Changing organizational culture as affirmed by Janet, et al (2008) is the toughest task the firm will ever take on as the organizational culture was formed over years of interaction among participants in the organization. The culture of any organisation grows over time given that people are always comfortable with the current organizational state of doing things. For people to consider culture change, usually a significant event must occur. An event that rocks their world such as flirting with bankruptcy, a significant loss of sales and customers, or losing a million dollars, might get people’s attention. Even then, as argued by Edgar (1999), to recognize that the organizational culture is the culprit and to take steps to change it remains a tough journey. When people in an organization realize and recognize that their current organizational culture needs to transform to support the organization’s success and progress, change can occur which, in most instances, is not pretty and not easy.
Failed change initiatives and inability to efficiently manage resistance to them leave in their wake cynical and burned out employees even as they stick and believe in the culture of the organization which management is working towards replacing, making the next change objective even more difficult to accomplish. In the view of Adkins and Caldwell (2004), it should come as no surprise that the fear and/or inability to manage change and impacts of organizational culture on Management’s effort are a leading cause of anxiety in managers and employees in modern organizations. Contributing, Christopher and Yvonne (2006:1) asserts that growing number of companies are undertaking the kinds of organization changes needed to survive and prosper in today’s environment even as subsisting organizational culture has continued to pose resistance to successful change programme in organisations. In recognition of the dynamism of change and the level of managerial expertise required in managing it, Calian (2006:47) asserts that the age of the knowledge worker has arrived. This is a time when managers must lead, workers must innovate and organizations must grow organically. With the market economy conquering the world culminating in the shrinking of it into a global village, organizations have to change their stance, with a strategy focused at the global market and acquire agility to respond quickly to the customer expectations. Such organizational change can be brought about by building high performing synergistic work systems comprising many inter-related parts, which must function as a whole to reach the goals of
meeting customer needs. Such synergistic work systems involve tailored configurations of work structures, practices and processes. An organization which desires to change its culture must proceed cautiously, realizing that culture change is more difficult to effect than behaviour change, and usually takes longer as well. Sathe (1983) shows that culture’s durability and efficiency represent both an asset and a liability for an organization and a smart organization must learn to stop perpetuating a culture that is unimpressive to the needs of the business. Often only the top Management has the power and influence to institute a change in overall organizational culture, which involves not merely structural and technological change, but also change in share symbols, rituals and beliefs.
Organisational change as argued by Chatman & Jehn (1994) is bound to occur, given the variety of forces for change that exist both within and outside an organizations. Orgnaisational change can involve structure, technology, and/or people. Structural changes may be made by application of classical management principles, decentralization or changes in work flow. Technological changes may require redesign of work operations even as technostructural changes combine technological and structural elements. Many of the efforts to change people, as postulated by James and Charts (1986:373) are referred to as Organizational Development (OD) techniques and which applies the principles of behavioural science to improve the effectiveness of individuals, groups, or the
Entire organisation.
Culture is defined as the integrated pattern of human behaviour that includes thought, speech, action, and artefacts and depends on man’s capacity for learning and transmitting knowledge to succeeding generations (Bateman and Cant, 1999). The culture of a people refers to the collective mental programming that these people have in common; the programming that is different from that of other people or nations. Culture in this sense of collective mental programming, is often difficult to change. This is so because it is shared by a number of people, and because it has become crystallized in the institutions these people have built together. Organizational culture, as argued by Schein (1992) is the collective behaviour of people that are part of an organization, it is also formed by the organization values, visions, norms, working language, systems, and symbols, it includes beliefs and habits. It is also the pattern of such collective behaviours and assumptions that are taught to new organizational members as a way of perceiving, and even thinking and feeling. Organizational culture affects the way people and groups interact with each other, with clients, and with stakeholders. Ravasi and Schultz (2006) state that organizational culture is a set of shared mental assumptions that guide interpretation and action in organizations by defining appropriate behaviour for various situations. At the same time although a company may have “own unique culture”, in
larger organizations, there is a diverse and sometimes conflicting cultures that co-exist due to different characteristics of the management team. The organizational culture may also have negative and positive aspects. Deal and Kenedy (1982) define organizational culture as the way things get done around here. Deal and Kennedy created a model of culture that is based on four different types of organizations with each focusing on how quickly the organization receives feedback, the way members are rewarded, and the level of risks taken.
Culture is a key organisational driver, but not because it has a simplistically unifying dynamic of shared values, singular vision and cloning to the ideal of the corporate person. Its dynamic today, more often than not, is one of productive diversity. This, in the view of Schein (2009) is not the diversity of affirmative action or remedies for discrimination. Rather it is the diversity that is at the heart of organisational cultures, including workaday domains such as human resource management, product and service diversification strategy, sales and marketing into a myriad of niches, and customer relationship management which recognises that no two customers are the same. Schein (2009), Deal & Kennedy (2000), Kotter (1992) state that organizations often have very differing cultures as well as subcultures. Culture as a variable takes on the perspective that culture is something that an organization has. It is just one entity that adds to the organization as a whole. Culture can be manipulated and altered depending on leadership and members. This perspective believes in a strong culture where everyone buys into it. Accordingly culture is basic, but with personal experiences people can view it a little differently and which, according to Ravasi and Schultz (2006) the view of an organization is created through communication and symbols, or competing metaphors. The organizational communication perspective on culture views culture in three different ways:
* Traditionalism: views culture through objective things such as stories, rituals, and symbols
* Interpretivism: Interprete culture through a network of shared meanings (organizational members sharing subjective meanings).
* Critical – Interpretivism: Views culture through a network of shared meanings as well as the power struggles created by a similar network of competing meanings.
Cultures are formed regardless of organization’s management team’s desire for the company to embody a particular type of attitude. How employees work, talk, manage and solve problems often become cemented in the organization’s culture as a result of the way leaders respond to everyday situations. Leaders often do what they do simply because that’s the way it has always been done either in the organization or in the environment. Edgar (2006:22) asserts that an organization’s
culture develops to help the organization cope with its environment. A leader’s success depends, to a great extent, upon understanding the organizational and environmental culture. Employees in a dysfunctional culture will then persist in applying old (and irrelevant) strategies to new problems denying their obsolescence and blaming external causes and individuals for their failure, rather than violating the culture. Continuing, Buono (2005) stresses that left unchecked, this behaviour can continue until the culture causes the organization to collapse rather than adapt. The rate of change can be accelerated through the development of a change strategy. Such a strategy needs to influence an organization’s culture by: broadcasting clear messages; aligning people around a common purpose; involving everyone in taking action and opening up strong two-way communication channels. As far as human beings are concerned, there is no such thing as instantaneous transformation. As a result, asking an organization to change or telling the people in the organization to change over time without giving them resources and training to do so by gradually abandoning their current cultural orientation and attitude appears a fool’s errand. Turning the organization on a dime or pulling the organization through a knothole is metaphor that does no justice to the process of managing change. Worse still, such wrenching procedures create cynical attitudes among employees (Buono, 2005).
The culture of an organization evolves overtime, yet it is heavily influenced by the beliefs and philosophy of the organisation’s founders. Janet, et al (2008) believe that a firm’s founder transmits his or her beliefs to a small of close associates, often family members who already share the same values or at least know each other well. As the firm grows, the founder’s values determine who gets hired and who gets to stay, and the selection and socialization processes facilitate the rooting of the founder’s values. Organisations use a variety of approaches to maintain and reinforce their culture overtime. These, in the view of Lee (2000:19-31) may be deliberate, as in the case of cultural symbols, rituals, and the choice of company heroes who best embody the firm’s values, or they may be largely unconscious, such as the use of stories, language, and leadership style. Organisations vary in the extent to which a uniform culture permeates the entire organization. In some large organizations, according to Gomez-Mejia and David (2002:115), different subcultures may be found in different parts of the firm. When divisions are largely autonomous and each has a different strategy for its own unique products or services, it makes sense for each division to have a different culture. Organisational culture can facilitate or inhibit change in an organizations as opined by Lee (2000). Managers anticipate a need for change when there is a gap between desired and actual performance levels.
Culture as earlier argued by Sathe (1983), is a set of important understandings (often unstated) that members of a community share in common, and which consists of norms, values, attitudes and beliefs and the community in question may be as wide as intergral part of orgganisational life, and has important implications for managerial action. The culture of a particular organization, as affirmed by James and Charles (1986:372) may be inferred from the things, sayings, doings and feelings held in common. An organization’s predominant culture may change quite rapidly, or be forced by competition into change. Peters and Waterman (1982) affirm that organizations with strong cultures that are focused externally – that is, centred on services to the customers – may, in fact, be more sensitive to environmental changes and more quickly able to adapt to them than organizations without strong cultures.
Hofstede (1980) studied for national differences between over one hundred thousand employees fifty different countries and three regions of the world, in an attempt to find aspects of culture that might influence business behavior. He suggested about cultural differences existing in regions and nations, and the importance of international awareness and multiculturalism for the own cultural introspection. Cultural differences reflect differences in thinking and social action, and even in “mental programs”, a term Hofstede (1991) use for predictable behaviour even as the study relates culture to not only ethnic and regional groups, but also organizations, profession, family, society and sub-cultural groups, national political systems and legislation. Hofstede (1980) suggests of the need of changing “mental programs” with changing behaviour first which will lead to value change
Two common models and their associated measurement tools have been developed by O’Reilly et al. and Denison (1990). O’Rielly et al (1991) develop a model based on the belief that cultures can be distinguished by values that are reinforced within organizations. Their Organizational Profile Model (OPM) is a self reporting tool which makes distinctions according to seven categories – innovation, stability, respect for people, outcome orientation, attention to detail, team orientation, and aggressiveness. The model is not intended to measure how organizational culture effects organizational performance, rather it measures associations between the personalities of individuals in the organization and the organization’s culture. Employee values are measured against organizational values to predict employee intentions to stay, and predict turnover. This is done through instrument like Organizational Culture Profile (OCP) to measure employee commitment.
Denison (1990)’s model asserts that organizational culture can be described by four general dimensions – mission, adaptability, involvement and consistency. Denison (1990)’s model also allows cultures to be described broadly as externally- or internally-focused as well as flexible versus
stable. The model has been typically used to diagnose cultural problems in organizations. According to Schein (1992), culture is the most difficult organizational attribute to change, outlasting organizational products, services, founders and leadership and all other physical attributes of the organization. His organizational model illuminates culture from the standpoint of the observer, described by three cognitive levels of organizational culture. At the first and most cursory level of Schein’s model is organizational attributes that can be seen, felt and heard by the uninitiated observer
– collectively known as artifacts. Included are the facilities, offices, furnishings, visible awards and recognition, the way that its members dress, how each person visibly interacts with each other and with organizational outsiders, and even company slogans, mission statements and other operational creeds. Artifacts comprise the physical components of the organization that relay cultural meaning. Denison (1990) describes artifacts as the tangible aspects of culture shared by members of an organization. Verbal, behavioral and physical artifacts are the surface manifestations of organizational culture.
Rituals, the collective interpersonal behaviour and values as demonstrated by that behaviour, constitute the fabric of an organization’s culture. The contents of myths, stories, and sagas reveal the history of an organization and influence how people understand what their organization values and believe even as language, stories, and myths are examples of verbal artifacts and are represented in rituals and ceremonies, technology and art exhibited by members or an organization as examples of physical artifacts. The next level deals with the professed culture of an organization’s members – the values. Shared values are individuals’ preferences regarding certain aspects of the organization’s culture (such as loyalty, customer service). At this level, local and personal values are widely expressed within the organization. Basic beliefs and assumptions include individuals’ impressions about the trustworthiness and supportiveness of an organization, and are often deeply ingrained within the organization’s culture. Organizational behavior at this level usually can be studied by interviewing the organization’s membership and using questionnaires to gather attitudes about organizational membership.
At the third and deepest level, the organization’s tacit assumptions are found. These are the elements of culture that are unseen and not cognitively identified in everyday interactions between organizational members. Additionally, these are the elements of culture which are often taboo to discuss inside the organization. Many of these ‘unspoken rules’ exist without the conscious knowledge of the membership. Those with sufficient experience to understand this deepest level of organizational culture usually become acclimatized to its attributes over time, thus reinforcing the invisibility of their existence. Surveys and casual interviews with organizational members cannot
draw out these attributes – rather much more in-depth means is required to first identify, and then understand organizational culture at this level. Notably, culture at this level is the underlying and driving element often missed by organizational behaviourists.
Using Schein (1992)’s model, understanding paradoxical organizational behaviours becomes more apparent. For instance, an organization can profess highly aesthetic and moral standards at the second level of the model while simultaneously displaying curiously opposing behaviour at the third and deepest level of culture. Superficially, organizational rewards can imply one organizational norm but at the deepest level imply something completely different. This insight offers an understanding of the difficulty that organizational newcomers have in assimilating organizational culture and why it takes time to become acclimatized. It also explains why organizational change agents usually fail to achieve their goals: underlying tacit cultural norms are generally not understood before would-be change agents begin their actions. Merely understanding culture at the deepest level may be insufficient to institute cultural change because the dynamics of interpersonal relationships (often under threatening conditions) are added to the dynamics of organizational culture while attempts are made to institute desired change.
In Schein (1992), the two main reasons why cultures develop in organizations is due to external adaptation and internal integration. External adaptation reflects an evolutionary approach to organizational culture and suggests that cultures develop and persist because they help an organization to survive and flourish. If the culture is valuable, then it holds the potential for generating sustained competitive advantages. Additionally, internal integration is an important function since social structures are required for organizations to exist. Organizational practices are learned through socialization at the workplace. Work environments reinforce culture on a daily basis by encouraging employees to exercise cultural values. Organizational culture, as postulated by Schein (1992) is shaped by multiple factors, including the following:
External environment
Industry
Size and nature of the organization’s workforce
Technologies the organization uses
The organization’s history and ownership
1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
In the North-Central geo-political zone of Nigeria, it is a common belief that failures of most leaders of organisations are largely attributed to their inability to efficiently and effectively analyse and evaluate the prevailing organizational culture in the zone. Further to this, many are of the view that leaders of organizations that have fallen, actually failed to realize that the Northern region of Nigeria has its own peculiarities in terms of culture, traits, beliefs and behavioural norm. Ndanusa (2009) argues that leaders who came into organizations in the zone prepared to “shake the place up” and institute sweeping changes often experienced resistance to change. In his view, there is widespread belief that management of change in North-Central geo-political zone of Nigeria is culture conscious and that if an organization embarked on implementation of change neglecting the prevailing culture both within and outside the organization results in employee resistance and subsequently failure.
Prominent among these organizations that failed within the period referred above are: Plateau Bottling Company Limited (March 1975 – 1998); Mining Corporation, Jos (1981–2006); Alma Engineering Company Limited, Minna (1991 – 2004); Lupai Agro-Processing Company Limited, Kontagora (1999 – 2005); New Era Printers and Publishing Company Limited, Lokoja (2001 –
2008); Agei Oils Processing Plants, Okene- Kogi State (1995 – 2007); and Tilley-Gyado Alluminium
Company limited, Makurdi (1982 – 2001). Others are: Giant Textiles Nigeria Limited, Ilorin (1978 –
1999) and Almakura Flour Mills, Lafia (1973 – 1996).
There is belief in business circle that the organizations failed due to employee resistance to change. At the moment there is no available study that proved in precise terms why the organizations failed as there is dearth of empirical studies on organizational failure in North-Central geo-political zone of Nigeria. Meanwhile to what extent the above beliefs and opinions are the case remains a challenging issue that needs to be addressed.
1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
Given the statement of the problem, the objectives of this research in specific terms are as following:
1) To ascertain the degree of influence of organizational and traditional cultures in managing change in organizations.
2) To find out the extent to which the failure of organisations in the North-Central geo political zone of Nigeria within the period 1996 – 2008 was due to sustained employee resistance to change.
3) To ascertain the degree to which lower management employees are involved in initiating and
implementing change policies in the selected organizations.
4) To determine the relationship between the selected organizations’ financial resource base and their having efficient and effective change management programme.
1.4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS
(i) To what extent do organizational and traditional cultures impact on change in organisations?
(ii) To what extent has sustained employee resistance to change contributed to failure of organizations in the North-central geo-political zone of Nigeria within the period 1996 – 2008?
(iii) To what degree are the lower management employees involved in initiating and implementing change policies in the selected organisations?
(iv) Is there a relationship between the selected organization’s financial resource base and their having efficient and effective change management programme?
1.5. RESEARCH HYPOTHESES
The following hypotheses are hereby formulated to guide this study
1. Organisational and traditional cultures have significant impact on change management in organisations
2. Sustained employee resistance to change contributed significantly to the failure of organizations in the North-Central geo-political zone of Nigeria within the period 1996 –
2008
3. Lower management employees are deeply involved in initiating and implementing change in the selected organisations
4. There is relationship between the selected organization’s financial resource base and their having efficient and effective change management programme.
1.6. SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
This study certainly is significant from the following perspectives
1. The study bridge the academic gap identified in the area of change management amidst cultural influence in North-Central geo-political zone of Nigeria
2. The findings offer organizations more comprehensive strategies for managing
Culture-bound change effectively and efficiently
3. The study serves as reference point and framework for future researches on this subject area
1.7. SCOPE OF THE STUDY
Specifically this study focuses on six organizations selected from the six states of the North-Central geo-political zone of Nigeria with its uniqueness, peculiarities in terms of cultural norms, traits, beliefs and complexities within the period 1996 – 2008.
1.8 LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY
As part of research experience across the world, certain limitations hindered the smooth and effective collection of data for study. These, in specific terms, include:
Constraints which resulted from inadequate financial resources base to execute the study
Poor attitude and reluctance on the part of some respondents to release information as at when needed
Logistic challenges resulting from the socio-political crisis ravaging
the North-Central geo-political zone of Nigeria during the administration of the research instrument
1.9 PROFILE OF SELECTED ORGANISATIONS UNDER STUDY
1.9.1. Nasco Group of Companies, Jos-Plateau State
The company started operations in 1963 with the establishment of a jute bag-manufacturing factory in Jos, Plateau State of Nigeria with a staff strength of barely 58 employees. It later diversified into
the production of a wide range of quality products manufactured through associated companies, which are distributed all over Nigeria and beyond. Its services today cover Manufacturing, Marketing, Trading, Management, Consultancy and Technical Services. Basically, Nasco Group of Companies comprises of the following: Nasco Fibre Products Limited, Nasco Foods (Nigeria) Limited, Nasco Household Products etc. It produces items like jute bags to meet the bagging requirements of Nigeria’s agricultural produce like cocoa, palm, kernels, groundnuts, cotton, and coffee.
Also, it produces carpets of various types: Cordex, Velour and Supertiles in a wide range of designs and colours. The plant also produces underlay felts, waddings and carpets for various industrial applications including blankets of different qualities and sizes. Other products include Nasco biscuits, cornflakes, household detergent, toilet and laundry soaps, industrial detergents and textile auxiliaries. The Company also produces industrial chemicals such as: Glycerine, Sulphonic Acid, Sodium Silicate, Textile Scourer (NTS 21), and Chain Lubricant (NCL 20). Other packaging materials produced include corrugated sheets and boxes, printed transwraps films and polybags, cellophanes, multicolour offset printed cartons and labels.
In addition, it produces beauty and body care products such as: Nascoline Petroleum Jelly, Curl Activator, Normal Hair Shampoo and Salon Shampoo, Antidandruff, Setting Lotion, Haircream Relaxer and Conditioner and Rinse off and Skin cream. It is involved in product development, pack design, sales, distribution, advertising, market research, sales promotion and other related functions. It provides specialised management support to associate companies, manpower planning and development, including various financial and administrative services. Its total workforce currently is
2,387. Out of this, 61 are management staff while 283 and 2043 are middle and junior officers, respectively
1.9.2. DunamisConstruction NigeriaLimited Mararaba,Karu,NasarawaState
Dunamis Construction Nigeria Limited is located in Mararaba Karu, Nasarawa State, and was founded in February, 1995 as Geo-Consults Limited. Later, it was reincorporated as Dunamis Construction Nigeria Limited in May, 1997 to take over operations of several specialised small firms in the provision of services in the areas of Geology, Petroleum Geochemistry, Water Engineering, Civil Engineering Hydro-geology, Analytical and Research Laboratory Services and Environmental Pollution Control, as well as, Management, Technical and Consultancy Services. The Civil Engineering Department of the Company was developed and became a comprehensive organisation of Professional Builders, Marketers and Engineers with partnership members drawn largely from
North Central Geo-political Zone of Nigeria. The capital base of the company as at then was N100,
000,000 (One Hundred Million Naira) only, approximately 1.2 million US Dollars at 85:$1). The
Company has a workforce of 873 employees out of which 41 are management staff while 213 and
619 are middle and junior officers respectively. Also, it has a five (5) member Board of Directors and is headed by a Chairman/Managing Director. Other members of the team include: Executive Director Operations, Civil Construction/Operations Manager, Administrative/Marketing Manager, Head of Technical/Engineering and Head of Accounts and Supplies.
It is made up of formidable team of professionals which enable the Company tackle clients’ construction needs with ease, to be able to compete favourably with its counterpart especially those within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja. The Company, since inception in 1995 has been in construction of virgin roads, sand fill and surface dressing of roads including land-scaping of premises, such as, motor parks, residential premises, playing ground etc. It is also involved in drainages, supply of bitumen and construction materials for communities, operational bases, Government agencies and companies all over Nigeria. The types of construction materials and bitumen supply to clients include:
60/70, for Asphalt of roads
S-125 for surface dressing of roads
MC01, for priming of surface and roads
MC-O, for priming of surface or roads.
1.9.3. Ajaokuta Steel Company, Ajaukuta, Kogi State
The Ajaokuta Steel Plant was established in pursuance of a technical and economic cooperation agreement between the Governments of Nigeria and the U.S.S.R in 1967 by a team of Soviet experts on iron and steel. The Plant was designed to produce 1.3 million tonnes of liquid steel per annum at
the 1st stage, with a provision for immediate expansion to 2.6 million tonnes per annum and later to
5.2 million tonnes per annum. The Plant is composed of the following major units: Raw Material Preparation Plant with Sintering Plant; Coke Oven and By-Product Plant; Blast Furnace; Steel Making Complex; Rolling Mills; while the Auxiliary Units include: Line Plant, Dolomite Plant, Refractory and Lime Shop, Repair Shops Complex for spare parts manufacturing and repair services, Thermal Power Plant and Turbo-Blower Station and Oxygen Plant. The Ajaokuta Steel Plant Project covers a site area of about 800 hectares, and involves 21 million cubic meters of earthworks in site leveling and terracing. It also has 1.7 million cubic meters of concrete, 210,000 tonnes of structures,
181,000 tonnes of equipment, and 60,000 tonnes refractory bricks.
The Global Contract was signed with Messrs Tiajpromexport of USSR on the 13th of July, 1979 at a cost of #1.355 billion at an exchange rate of N1.5 for US$1. The contract covered the preparation of working drawings, supply of equipment, structures and materials, the execution of all erection works and the training of personnel. Financing was in form of a deferred payment arrangement. In October
1980, the Civil Engineering works of the Plant was awarded to three Civil Engineering Contractors viz: Messrs Frugeolle (Nig.) Limited, Belfinger-Julius Berger (Nig.) Limited and Dumez (Nig.) Limited, at a total cost of N838 million. Financing was originally from external loans arrangements by the contractors. PAN African Consultancy Services Limited in association with MECON of Indian were appointed as Management Consultants for the Ajaokuta Steel Construction Project. The Company which formerly had a total staff strength of 17,863 now only has 3,500 employees: 283 top management, 1,017 middle cadre, while 2,200 are junior staff. This is largely due to its present poor stage of production.
1.9.4 Biteck Construction Company Limited, Minna, Niger State
The Biteck Construction Company Limited, a Civil Engineering and Building Construction Company located in Minna, Niger State was incorporated February, 1990 to fill the gap created by the paucity of competent indigenous companies in this area of national development. The Company is an indigenous firm which has very experienced and qualified Engineers whose combination of youthful vigours, professional competence, tenacity of purpose, excellent human relations and construction expertise has led to the phenomenal growth of the company to date.
At the beginning, the Company started with the construction of the internal road network and rehabilitation of some township roads in Minna, Niger State. Thereafter, it handled a number of community projects and began to consolidate by embarking on other projects in the neighbouring States such as Kogi, Kwara, Kaduna, including Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory. The Company’s timely and excellent delivery has today enjoyed tremendous patronage from a lot of States. It has carried out various projects in different States across the federation especially in the areas of road construction and bridges. It is also handling a number of Federal Government projects as well as road maintenance retainerships The Company is headed by a Managing Director and ably assisted by one Executive Director, a General Manager, a Financial Controller and a Project Manager who are supported by an array of experienced professionals in diverse fields of engineering who worked in other major construction companies before joining the company. It is a cardinal principle of the Company to strive relentlessly to be a good corporate citizen by way of social responsibility through the provision of employment opportunities and scholarship schemes for indigent students to university level, sports development and sponsorship both in kind and in cash. At the moment, the
Company has a total staff strength of 1,1672, comprising 58 as managerial, 449 middle cadre and
1,165 junior staff. Today, the Company has branches in Abuja, Lokoja, Ilorin, Kaduna and Port
Harcourt.
1.9.5. Benue Cement Company Plc, Gboko
Benue Cement Company (Plc) is an indigenous Cement Factory, established in 1977 and is situated in Gboko, Benue State largely due to the huge deposit of limestone in the locality for required quantity of production. It started production of cement in March, 1980 barely four(4) years after its registration. The Factory has two lanes (1and 2) with equal optimum production capacity of 900,000 tones. The Company has eight (8) members Board of Directors and a Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer who coordinates the day-to-day affairs of the Company. Its Chairman is Alhaji Aliko Dangote, who is the major shareholder of the Company. In addition, it has six (6) operational departments, thus: Production, Marketing, Administration and Finance, Procurement and Supplies, Corporate Affairs, as well as, Research and Documentation. Each department is headed by a General Manager who reports directly to the Chief Executive Officer. Earlier the entire management of the Benue Cement Company Plc was purely Nigerians. However, with the on-going expansion programme being embarked upon at the Factory, 60% of the management are Nigerians while 40% are foreigners. As part of her social corporate responsibility, the Company maintains a very high standard of safety within the working environment which is in compliance with the Factories Act of
1987. It also monitors and oversees the probable consequences of the production process on the environment in accordance with the Federal Ministry of Environment’s rules and regulations. The Company operates a scholarship scheme for the resident community as well as sponsorship of sports activities
The total staff strength of the Company is 952. Out of this, 141 are senior category while 811 are junior staff. Besides its Head Office which is strategically located in Gboko, it has Sub-offices in Abuja, Enugu, Jos, Kaduna, Lagos and Makurdi with depots all over the federation. Production at present in the Factory is slightly below the capacity largely due to the huge consumption of LPFO oil used in burning the cement as a result of depreciation of plants and machinery.
1.9.6. Lubcon Nigeria Limited, Ilorin kwara State
The Company was incorporated on 18th August, 1991 as a limited company to carryout the business of blending automotive and industrial lubricants together with uplifting distribution and sales of petroleum and allied products. The company commenced business on the 3rd of January, 1995. The
Company is the biggest and fastest growing independent lubricant manufacturing company in Nigeria. The company is currently considering participating in the upstream sector of the petroleum industry. This is to support Government efforts in improving local input in the oil industry. The company has a technical partnership agreement with REPSOL YPF of Spain, a leading oil and gas company in Europe. The partners provide technical support and personnel training among others.
Lubcon is the first in Nigeria to be awarded the prestigious NIS Award in 2000 for lubricating oil. It also became the first indigenous oil and gas company to be ISO 9002 certified in Nigeria in year
2002 by Standards Organisation of Nigeria. As one of the biggest and fastest growing independent companies in Nigeria, it is pursuing vigorously as diversification programme into production of packaging materials.
The company boasts of an ultra modern Blending Plant of 10,000,000 litres capacity per annum on a single shift which is located at Adewole Industrial Layout in Ilorin and as a mini-plant of about 2.5 million litres per annum capacity located at Zaria road, Tamburawa, Kano together with area offices spread all over the country. The Company presently is an active member of Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) LUBCON blends, distributes and markets quality and high-grade lubricants that meet international standards. These include:
Automotive lubricants of various grades
Industrial lubricants of all grades and types
Marine lubricants of all s Custom blended products Greases, Gear Oil
Marketing of Petroleum and allied products
Retail development
The Company has a staff strength of 3,129 which comprises of 123 as top management, 849 and
2,157 as middle and junior staff respectively
1.10 DEFINITION OF KEY TERMS
1.10.1. Planned Change:
Planned change is defined as the systematic attempt to redesign an organization in a way that will help it adapt to changes in the external environment or to achieve new goals ( James et al, 2004:
412).
1.10 .2 Organisational Culture:
Organizational culture is a set of shared mental assumptions that guide interpretation and action in organizations by defining appropriate behaviour for various situations ( Ravasi and Schultz, 2006).
1.10.3. Change: This implies to make difference, alter, or modify the way an organization is run (James et al, 2004)
1.10.4. Change Management: Change management means to plan, initiate, realize, control, and finally stabilize change processes on both corporate and personal level. Change may cover such diverse problems as for example strategic direction or personal development programs for staff (Edgar, 2006:12).
1.10.5. Change Agent: A change Agent is an individual or group who undertakes the task of introducing and managing a change in an organization ( Deal and Kennedy, 1982).
1.10.6. Learning Organization: A Learning organization is well interrelated with the concept of organizational culture where the culture of the organization influences many common behaviours and lifestyle of workers especially in the workplace (Teece, 1998).
1.10.7. Culture: Culture is the integrated pattern of human behaviour that includes thought, speech, action, and artefacts and depends on man’s capacity for learning and transmitting knowledge to succeeding generations (Bateman andCant, 1999).
This material content is developed to serve as a GUIDE for students to conduct academic research
EFFECT OF CULTURE ON CHANGE MANAGEMENT IN NORTH–CENTRAL GEO-POLITICAL ZONE OF NIGERIA
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