Listening to Michael Bonsignore's discussion and examining it in the lens of our readings on the impacts of organizational culture, I think he certainly has good intent in his decision to bring together the best practices of Honeywell and Allied Signal, and I like to think it will be a successful fusion of corporate cultures. Having said that, the video discusses mostly the general idea and as I recall it didn't mention any specific best practices they were looking at implementing. Without any specific examples in mind, it is difficult to make a specific judgment call on whether there will be any second order consequences or if particular initiatives will clash with other ones, which are potential issues highlighted in Donald R. Brown's An Experiential Approach to Organizational Development. Having said that, the fact that Bonsignore is considering a controlled creation of a new post merger culture rather than just running with the Honeywell culture he knows suggests to me an appreciation for different ways of doing business, and indicates to me he has the flexibility and know-how to make informed decisions that taps into the resources he has available.
That isn't to say I don't see potential barriers or challenges. Bonsignore discussed the fact that the company is very old and rather content with its place in the market when he came in, which suggests a challenging environment for enacting change and a great deal of inertia to overcome. Not only that, once the merger with Honeywell and Allied Signal did take place, he had to overcome the bad press generated by owning up to the fact that projected earnings were not going to be as high as the company thought it would be. Overall, Bonsignore came into a situation where he had to overcome change resistance, maintain the best of the characters of both companies, and sell the way ahead to his employees and Wall Street. He walked into something of a perfect storm with leading the company towards his vision, pressing them through a rough patch, and maintaining the success of his organization.
When it comes to crafting the culture of the new Honeywell, the critical success factors are very closely related to the task of overcoming the previously noted barriers. Mainly, Honeywell will have to work to consciously analyze what their former halves bring to the table, and find means to effectively integrate them. This may involve a long hard look at how they integrate any change strategies across the board for technology, behavior, and structure, and they may have to consider formalized organizational development efforts. Honeywell leadership will also have to be very conscious of the need to keep employees in the loop, as they make the company's mission happen and are in effect another stakeholder. Bonsignore noted that employees can be very resilient, so long as they're involved in what's happening and feel like the boss is communicating with them.
Having viewed this interview, I certainly enjoyed some greater perspective. Even at the highest echelons of America's biggest company, there are real people that are capable of making mistakes and have to own up to them. It was also interesting to get the perspective on creating something new rather than merely settling for an amalgamation of old cultures and standards. Finally, I appreciated hearing the thoughts on the need to be level. As for what I can take away immediately, I know my own organization is still in the middle of something of a transitional phase in standing up some new functions, and we're now doing that with some additional constraints on spending and manning. I'd certainly like to consider how we might start creating a new organizational culture out of our recent changes, and once again its refreshing in its own way to hear about even the business elite hitting harder times and overcoming obstacles.
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