Genesis, Inc. case: assessing employee satisfaction

CASE DESCRIPTION The primary subject matter of this case is human resource challenges of creating a new corporate culture following growth from a series of mergers and acquisitions. With a difficulty level of four and five, the case is positioned for senior human resources management classes at the undergraduate level or for beginning MBA classes in human resources, organizational behavior or management concepts. The case is designed to be taught in two 60 to 75 minute classes with the first session concentrating on the survey results and the second class focusing on implementing the cultural change process. It is expected to require three hours of outside preparation by students. CASE SYNOPSIS Genesis is a leading global supplier of nylon and carpet backing, yarns, and cord fabric. They are also a manufacturer of industrial textiles, reinforcement materials, and yarn used in the production of artificial turf, tires, conveyor belts and webbing. Their polyester coating fabrics are the reinforcing material for tents, tarpaulins, and awnings. Over a fifty-three year history, the company has grown throughout its seven international locations. As the specialty fibers industry has matured, the company has strategically pursued mergers, purchases, and combining plant locations. This industry consolidation is expected to continue in the future. At one of their North American plants headquartered in Dalton, Georgia, problems with employee relations resulted from the jumbled corporate culture that evolved from a recent merger and acquisition. Employees remained uncertain and anxious about their future with the company. After reviewing the company mission and history, Genesis management agreed a baseline level of employee satisfaction was needed. With the help of an outside human resources consultant, an employee survey was administered to 253 employees to determine their level of satisfaction with the workplace and culture as well as a number of key human resource practices and issues including management communication, employee feedback, compensation and benefits, and employee recognition programs. Students are provided the survey results and summaries of open-ended comments and are asked to make recommendations to management and suggest improvements to establish a new, single, cohesive corporate culture.
HISTORY OF GENESIS The original company began in 1955 and was established as Genesis USA. Thirty years later in 1985, an acquisition of Gemini Industrial Products was made. In 1995, [...]