Facing Crisis: Saving a Company via Cultural Transformation

Abstract

Crisis may require an organization to transform itself; however, transformation may not necessarily help the organization overcome the crisis. Two crises occurred in Taiwan that forced many businesses to change their operating style. The earthquake on September 21, 1999 and the outbreak of SARS in 2003 forced organizations to change. These two calamities exposed companies to a series of challenges which often required creativity and change to overcome. This research is a case study of how a Taiwanese company overcame the challenges caused by these crises, transforming itself from a customer-led business to a market-oriented business. Specifically, we extend Lewin’s planned change model to investigate the storytelling and organizational communication styles used in different stages of this company’s transformation. The findings reveal that a company can actively respond to crisis thereby providing
guidelines for organizations facing catastrophe and chaos.