A ray of sunlight (cultural change at Unilever)

A ray of sunlight (cultural change at Unilever)

Edwards C.People Management (UK), 23 Februay 2006, Vol. 12 No. 4, Start page: 26 (4 pages)

Purpose – Describes the process of cultural change that is being undertaken by Unilever at its UK factory in Port Sunlight. Design/methodology/approach– Quotes Damian Hughes, Unilever’s HR operations manager, and others at Unilever, including a trade representative, about why cultural change was needed and how it is being achieved. Findings – Explains the need to ensure that the workforce at Unilever feels enthusiasm about their work and that they want to be involved in improving work practices and factory productivity. Cites Hughes’ five ”pillars” of change –value, empowerment, inspiration, self-discovery and heartbeat. Describes how this was translated into new training and development initiatives, the development of a self-managing team of employees who have looked for operational improvements, a series of positive thinking events, and coaching. Points to reduced absenteeism and fewer disciplinary and grievance procedures as tangible evidence of improvement in the factory but also points to the growth in confidence and optimism among the workforce. Originality/value –Explains Unilever’s approach to cultural change.Style: Viewpoint35AG814

Keywords: Change management, Corporate culture, United Kingdom