Canadian Organizational Cultures

WestJet Wins!

WestJet Airlines (Calgary, Alberta), was voted Canada's 10 Most Admired Corporate Cultures of 2011. In fact WestJet is under the Hall of Fame for this recognition as of 2010. In order to qualify for the hall of fame, organizations must have been named under the Canada’s 10 Most Admired Corporate Cultures program four times. If this isn’t impressive enough for our home-grown Canadian business, In 2011 WestJet was designated as a J.D. Power Customer Service Champion (one of two companies in Canada and the only airline to make the list), ranked 3rd in Aon Hewitt's best employers in Canada (http://www.waterstonehc.com/cmac/hall-fame).

What makes the WestJet Culture so award-winning?

Organizational Culture

A company's culture is a mix of written values, morals and codes of behaviour-and many that are unwritten-and it reveals an organization's true internal priorities. It's everything from how leaders communicate with employees, what kinds of achievements are rewarded and in what way, how accountability is demonstrated, what kinds of people are promoted or hired, and who gets fired (and how) (Wahl, 2005, 115).

A recent research project conducted by Waterstone revealed that senior managers of over a hundred different organizations recognize how important culture is to the success of their companies. In fact, fully 82% believe there is a direct correlation between culture and financial performance, while 20% claim it's the principle driver of success. At the same time, though, 72% of respondents said their own organization's culture is not the one they desire in the future-and 64% are actively trying to do something about it (Wahl, 2005, 114). Culture is changing and adapting with each generation. A successful organizational culture is much different than it was twenty years ago, one today, and one in the future. Today family and equality are principle, in the past, the focus was on hierarchy. Who knows what future organizational cultures will depend on.

According to Don Bell, the founder of WestJet, "Culture means a lot of things. It drives productivity, it drives safety, it drives customer service” (Magnan, 2007, 164). Bell states, if you take care of the people, they'll take care of the customer and the investor. Don't build bureaucracy for the sake of bureaucracy. This philosophy attracted the kind of people that Westjet has become known for today. According to WestJet, a Hall of fame organizational culture, “good corporate culture happens when you put people first, have an egalitarian environment, and a set of values and philosophies that's lived from the top down. Don't get laid down with bureaucracies and policies. Do unto others as you'd have them do unto you” (Magnan, 2007, 164).

WestJet's work atmosphere is rated as exceptional. I would enjoy working for WestJet after hearing about it's culture; employees enjoy business casual dress, can listen to music while working, the company has employee sports teams, organized social events. The social committee (called the CARE Team) organizes a variety of free and company-subsidized events for employees and their families throughout the year, including separate holiday parties at Christmas for children and adults, an art gala celebrating employees' art submissions, a winter ski day, family skating at Calgary's Olympic Oval, an annual Fall Fair, summer baseball and golf tournaments and a summer family barbeque. Employees can also provide feedback and are kept informed about new company developments through a company newsletter; corporate intranet site; email suggestion box. “Empowering people is also a key part of WestJet's culture. Employees are given the freedom to make judgment calls when dealing directly with customers, without having to check in with a supervisor. For example, call-centre representatives have the authority to waive fees and override fares in certain circumstances” (Magnan, 2005,125). Reasons such as these make it an ideal organization culture.

"I don't ever want to quit. I want to retire here. They're going to have to take me out in a wheelchair."

Herlich, WestJet employee

SHAW

The communications industry is constantly changing and adapting to change. This is due highly to competition. Shaw communications is a national company that supplies Canadians with cable, internet and digital home phone service. They are the leading company in supplying internet and digital cable because of their untouchable speeds and their coaxial cable advancements. This has made them the most reliable company and the most for what you pay. The one thing that the communications industry does is it fluctuates in price they charge and are being charged to broadcast as well as in the amount of customers. This company has made the changing industry very simple to explain to its employees. When you are a constantly changing company you adapt and come up with ideas to get the new communications across to your employees. Shaw has a internal system called the wire that they have adapted to get new messages across through the medium of email. This is a huge change that they have come up with to keep their employees in the loop. The employees must be trained to adapt to changes in the company because communications industry is constantly changing and improving. 

Shaw in particular is changing because all of the other companies have come up with new great ideas and advancements. Shaw is the first company to supply cable to customers in Canada and has not changed their interface for their television guide in many many years. This has set them back a little bit because they are resistant to change. Recently, Shaw has come up with a new high definition guide that will help them to get back in to the market. This is a good example why companies can not be resistant to change. Companies need to accept change or they will loose customers and they will have no business to run. Shaw has and still is loosing business everyday to the competiting companies TELUS and Bell communications. As new companies enter the market like Dish TV and other communications companies Shaw will have to keep adapting to the changes. 

What companies need to do to deal with the change is come up with new ideas and always be making changes themselves in their company and use the resources they have to create new and happening changes. Shaw needs to keep on top of the changes and be willing to change in order to stay a top communications company. 

Telus Corporation

Telus Corporation has employed over 28,000 employees and have been chosen one of Canada’s Top 100 Employers for 2013 by Eluta. Telus Corporation is a great example of a company that provides an interesting organizational culture.

Telus’s head office provides as variety of onsite amenities including a lounge, television, games, a fitness facility and a mediation room. These amenities are all accessible to the employees that work there. Telus also offers great year-end and performance rewards for many in the organization. They offer a “work styles” program that was created to enable flexibility in the workplace. All of these examples impact Telus’s organizational cultures. By providing these job features they are creating satisfied employees, which directly impacts the organization’s culture. (Yerema, 2012)

Other aspects that make this organizational culture interesting are that of the work atmosphere. Employees enjoy casual dress codes and have the ability to listen to music while working. Telus also hosts regular meetings where employees are provided with the opportunity to meet the CEO and ask questions about the organization. The organization also communicates very effectively through an intranet site which all employees have access to. (Yerema, 2012). All these aspects of business demonstrate Telus has an interesting organizational culture.