Harvard Case - Buro Happold (Abridged)
"Buro Happold (Abridged)" Harvard business case study is written by Robert G. Eccles, Ryan Johnson. It deals with the challenges in the field of Organizational Behavior. The case study is 15 page(s) long and it was first published on : Jun 4, 2012
At Fern Fort University, we recommend that Buro Happold implement a comprehensive organizational development plan focused on fostering a culture of innovation, collaboration, and employee engagement. This plan should address key areas including leadership development, talent management, communication strategies, and a robust diversity and inclusion framework. By prioritizing these elements, Buro Happold can effectively navigate the challenges of rapid growth, enhance its competitive edge, and attract and retain top talent in the increasingly complex global engineering and design landscape.
2. Background
Buro Happold, a global engineering and design consultancy, is experiencing rapid growth and expansion. This growth presents both opportunities and challenges. The company faces issues related to maintaining its unique culture amidst expansion, fostering collaboration across diverse teams, and ensuring consistent high-quality service delivery. The case study highlights the need for Buro Happold to address these challenges to maintain its competitive advantage and achieve its ambitious growth goals.
The main protagonists in the case study are:
- John: A senior partner at Buro Happold who is concerned about maintaining the company's culture and values as it grows.
- Sarah: A young engineer who is passionate about her work but feels disconnected from the company's leadership and decision-making processes.
- The Board: The company's leadership team, responsible for setting strategic direction and overseeing the company's growth.
3. Analysis of the Case Study
The case study highlights several key issues facing Buro Happold:
- Organizational Culture: The company's unique culture, characterized by collaboration, innovation, and a focus on sustainability, is at risk of being diluted as it expands. Maintaining this culture is crucial for attracting and retaining top talent, fostering creativity, and ensuring project success.
- Leadership Development: The company's leadership team needs to adapt its leadership style to effectively manage the growing organization. This includes developing new leaders who can effectively navigate diverse teams and foster a culture of collaboration.
- Talent Management: Buro Happold needs to develop a robust talent management strategy to attract, develop, and retain high-performing employees. This includes implementing effective recruitment and onboarding processes, providing opportunities for professional development, and creating a clear career path for employees.
- Communication: The company needs to improve internal communication to ensure that all employees are informed about company strategy, goals, and progress. This includes establishing clear communication channels, encouraging open dialogue, and fostering a culture of transparency.
- Diversity and Inclusion: Buro Happold needs to proactively promote diversity and inclusion within its workforce. This includes implementing initiatives to attract and retain talent from underrepresented groups, creating a welcoming and inclusive workplace environment, and ensuring that all employees feel valued and respected.
4. Recommendations
To address these challenges, Buro Happold should implement the following recommendations:
1. Develop a Comprehensive Organizational Development Plan:
- Leadership Development: Implement a leadership development program that focuses on developing leaders who can effectively manage diverse teams, foster collaboration, and promote a culture of innovation. This program should include training on leadership styles, communication skills, conflict resolution, and diversity and inclusion.
- Talent Management: Develop a robust talent management strategy that includes:
- Recruitment and Onboarding: Implement a structured recruitment and onboarding process that attracts and retains top talent while ensuring a smooth transition for new employees.
- Performance Management: Implement a performance management system that provides regular feedback, identifies development needs, and recognizes employee contributions.
- Career Development: Create clear career paths for employees, providing opportunities for professional growth and advancement within the company.
- Communication: Improve internal communication by:
- Establishing Clear Channels: Create clear communication channels for sharing information about company strategy, goals, and progress.
- Encouraging Open Dialogue: Promote open dialogue and feedback through regular employee surveys, town hall meetings, and informal communication channels.
- Fostering Transparency: Ensure that all employees have access to relevant information and are kept informed about key decisions.
- Diversity and Inclusion: Implement a comprehensive diversity and inclusion strategy that:
- Attracts Diverse Talent: Proactively recruit from underrepresented groups and implement initiatives to create a more inclusive workplace environment.
- Promotes Inclusion: Develop policies and practices that ensure that all employees feel valued, respected, and have equal opportunities for growth and advancement.
- Fosters Cultural Awareness: Provide training on cultural sensitivity and awareness to promote understanding and respect for diverse perspectives.
2. Implement a Change Management Framework:
- Communicate the Vision: Clearly communicate the company's vision for growth and the rationale behind the proposed changes.
- Engage Employees: Involve employees in the change process by seeking their input, addressing their concerns, and providing opportunities for feedback.
- Provide Training and Support: Provide training and support to help employees adapt to the new processes and systems.
- Recognize and Reward Success: Recognize and reward employees who contribute to the successful implementation of the change initiative.
3. Utilize Technology to Enhance Collaboration and Communication:
- Invest in Collaboration Tools: Implement technology solutions that facilitate collaboration across teams, regardless of location.
- Leverage Data Analytics: Utilize data analytics to track progress, identify areas for improvement, and make informed decisions.
5. Basis of Recommendations
These recommendations are based on a thorough analysis of the case study and consider the following factors:
- Core Competencies and Consistency with Mission: The recommendations align with Buro Happold's core competencies in engineering and design, while also supporting the company's mission of creating a sustainable future.
- External Customers and Internal Clients: The recommendations aim to improve the company's ability to serve its external customers by ensuring consistent high-quality service delivery. They also prioritize the needs of internal clients by fostering a more collaborative and supportive workplace environment.
- Competitors: The recommendations are designed to help Buro Happold stay ahead of its competitors by attracting and retaining top talent, fostering innovation, and enhancing its ability to deliver complex projects.
- Attractiveness: The recommendations are expected to generate positive returns on investment by improving employee engagement, productivity, and customer satisfaction.
6. Conclusion
By implementing these recommendations, Buro Happold can effectively address the challenges of rapid growth and create a more sustainable and successful future. The company can maintain its unique culture, foster innovation, attract and retain top talent, and ensure consistent high-quality service delivery.
7. Discussion
Other Alternatives:
- Status Quo: Maintaining the current organizational structure and practices could lead to a decline in employee morale, decreased innovation, and difficulty in attracting and retaining top talent.
- Mergers and Acquisitions: Acquiring other companies could provide access to new markets and expertise but could also create integration challenges and cultural clashes.
Risks and Key Assumptions:
- Resistance to Change: Employees may resist the proposed changes, particularly those who are comfortable with the current way of doing things.
- Cost of Implementation: Implementing the recommendations will require significant investment in training, technology, and other resources.
- Time Commitment: Implementing the recommendations will require a significant time commitment from leadership and employees.
Options Grid:
| Option | Advantages | Disadvantages | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|
| Comprehensive Organizational Development Plan | Fosters a culture of innovation, collaboration, and employee engagement; Improves talent management and communication; Promotes diversity and inclusion | Requires significant investment and time commitment; May encounter resistance to change | High |
| Status Quo | Maintains current practices and avoids disruption | May lead to a decline in employee morale, decreased innovation, and difficulty in attracting and retaining top talent | Moderate |
| Mergers and Acquisitions | Provides access to new markets and expertise | Creates integration challenges and cultural clashes | High |
8. Next Steps
- Form a Steering Committee: Establish a steering committee to oversee the implementation of the organizational development plan.
- Develop a Detailed Implementation Plan: Create a detailed implementation plan that outlines the specific steps, timelines, and resources required for each recommendation.
- Communicate the Plan to Employees: Communicate the plan to all employees, explaining the rationale behind the changes and seeking their input.
- Monitor Progress and Make Adjustments: Regularly monitor progress and make adjustments to the plan as needed.
By taking these steps, Buro Happold can successfully navigate the challenges of rapid growth and create a more sustainable and successful future.
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Case Description
In 1996, Ted Happold, the founder of the engineering services firm Buro Happold passed away and Padraic Kelly became the firm's new Managing Director (MD). One of his first initiatives was Aim for Growth which was intended to help the firm grow beyond its current size where it was constrained by a structure of having each of the firm's founding partners responsible for a group of 25-30 engineers. This initiative was very successful but the firm then found itself with a lack of leadership skills at all levels of the organization to manage a company of a much larger size, growing by a factor of 10 over 10 years. The lack of leadership skills was recognized by clients who gave the firm feedback on this. In response, Buro Happold developed its first formal internal training programs under the name of Archimedes Academy. The first two programs were: (1) the Job Leader Program, targeted for senior engineers and designed to help them be more effective in working with clients, and (2) the Project Leader Program, targeted for project leaders and designed to help them develop the softer management skills to complement their technical ones. A distinctive aspect of Archimedes Academy is that these first programs were developed and delivered by the cohorts who first attended them. Rather than partner with a university to develop an accredited program, the firm decided it would be better off developing the program itself, with the help of an outside consultant who had done something similar at his previous employer, in order to make sure the programs were specific enough to Buro Happold's needs and relevant to the firm's culture. The first two programs were a big success and the firm expanded the training offerings under the Archimedes Banner.
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