TOTERS DELIVERY: CULTURE DRIVING PERFORMANCE
CASE STUDY SOLUTION
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pl
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SYNOPSIS
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Lebanon had been assailed by numerous ongoing adversities stemming from the economic crisis in October
2019, to the COVID-19 pandemic, and finally to the Port of Beirut explosion on August 4, 2020, all within
the space of one year. As organizations felt the threat to their continuity, many start-ups failed to remain
operative. Toters Delivery (Toters), a high-tech Lebanon-based start-up, was threatened by these challenges
and had to respond. In August 2023, three years after the Beirut explosion, Tamim Khalfa, the company’s
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chief executive officer (CEO), invited his senior team members to reflect on how they had dealt with the
tio
challenges while expanding into new territories and countries. The CEO and leadership team believed that
organizational culture played a key role in sustaining and expanding the organization’s activities despite
the challenges it faced. They reflected on the following: How did Toters respond to the challenges it faced?
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And what role did organizational culture play in its success in overcoming them? How could the company
prioritize its culture while expanding into new territories and countries?
So
OBJECTIVES
• Understand the role that organizational culture plays in sustaining organizations.
• Explore how organizational culture can enable start-ups to face grand challenges.
• Recommend how to scale activities without jeopardizing organizational culture.
The Case Solution Starts From page 6
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ASSIGNMENT QUESTIONS
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1. What is your definition of organizational culture? Do you think that Toters’s organizational culture is
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strong? If so, what has driven its strength?
2. What are the three organizational culture layers or levels you can extract from this case? Based on
Toters’s culture, evaluate these layers using Schein’s model.
3. Toters faced several grand challenges. What are the characteristics and scopes of a grand challenge?
How did Toters respond to these grand challenges? What role, if any, did culture play?
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4. Do you think a start-up’s organizational culture differs from an established organization’s? Provide
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supporting arguments for your stance. You may use your own experience and examples.
5. As the business was expanding globally, Toters’s leadership wanted to ensure that its culture did not
become compromised. What strategies would you recommend to ensure a smooth scaling
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geographically, while maintaining a strong organizational culture?
So
The Case Solution Starts From page 6
,ANALYSIS
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pl
1. What is your definition of organizational culture? Do you think that Toters’s organizational
culture is strong? If so, what has driven its strength?
m
The first factor contributing to Toters’s strong culture was its emphasis on transparency and communication.
Sa
The company implemented several initiatives to promote transparency, including regular meetings between
management teams and employees, and an open-door policy for feedback and suggestions. This open
communication helped foster trust and collaboration among employees, which can be a key driver of a strong
culture. The second factor driving Toters’ organizational culture was its commitment to employee
n
empowerment and engagement. The company had a flat organizational structure that encouraged
collaboration and teamwork. It provided opportunities for employees to take ownership of their work and
tio
make decisions that affect the company’s success. This empowerment and engagement created a sense of
ownership among employees and contributed to a strong sense of shared purpose and commitment to the
lu
So
The Case Solution Starts From page 6
, 5
5. As the business was expanding globally, Toters’s leadership wanted to ensure that its culture
did not become compromised. What strategies would you recommend to ensure a smooth
scaling geographically, while maintaining a strong organizational culture?
• Establish a routine process of cultural assessments and surveys to continuously assess the overall health
of the organization’s culture. Conduct anonymous employee surveys through an independent third party
to pinpoint any weaknesses or areas where different offices might not be aligned. This enables the
e
leadership team to promptly address any issues before they become deeply rooted.
• Nominate culture ambassadors from within each department to serve as advocates for Toters’s values. These
pl
esteemed team members will serve as role models for desired behaviours, facilitate the exchange of best
practices among offices, offer feedback to the executive team, and help reinforce the company’s culture.
m
•
Sa
•
n
tio
•
lu
So
The Case Solution Starts From page 6
, EXHIBIT -1: AN ADAPTATION OF EDGAR SCHEIN’S ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE PYRAMID
Artifacts
The most visible
elements in a firm
such as technology,
office layout,
language, et cetera
(easy to collect but
e
pl
m
Sa
n
tio
lu
So
The Case Solution Starts From page 6
CASE STUDY SOLUTION
e
pl
m
SYNOPSIS
Sa
Lebanon had been assailed by numerous ongoing adversities stemming from the economic crisis in October
2019, to the COVID-19 pandemic, and finally to the Port of Beirut explosion on August 4, 2020, all within
the space of one year. As organizations felt the threat to their continuity, many start-ups failed to remain
operative. Toters Delivery (Toters), a high-tech Lebanon-based start-up, was threatened by these challenges
and had to respond. In August 2023, three years after the Beirut explosion, Tamim Khalfa, the company’s
n
chief executive officer (CEO), invited his senior team members to reflect on how they had dealt with the
tio
challenges while expanding into new territories and countries. The CEO and leadership team believed that
organizational culture played a key role in sustaining and expanding the organization’s activities despite
the challenges it faced. They reflected on the following: How did Toters respond to the challenges it faced?
lu
And what role did organizational culture play in its success in overcoming them? How could the company
prioritize its culture while expanding into new territories and countries?
So
OBJECTIVES
• Understand the role that organizational culture plays in sustaining organizations.
• Explore how organizational culture can enable start-ups to face grand challenges.
• Recommend how to scale activities without jeopardizing organizational culture.
The Case Solution Starts From page 6
, e
pl
ASSIGNMENT QUESTIONS
m
1. What is your definition of organizational culture? Do you think that Toters’s organizational culture is
Sa
strong? If so, what has driven its strength?
2. What are the three organizational culture layers or levels you can extract from this case? Based on
Toters’s culture, evaluate these layers using Schein’s model.
3. Toters faced several grand challenges. What are the characteristics and scopes of a grand challenge?
How did Toters respond to these grand challenges? What role, if any, did culture play?
n
4. Do you think a start-up’s organizational culture differs from an established organization’s? Provide
tio
supporting arguments for your stance. You may use your own experience and examples.
5. As the business was expanding globally, Toters’s leadership wanted to ensure that its culture did not
become compromised. What strategies would you recommend to ensure a smooth scaling
lu
geographically, while maintaining a strong organizational culture?
So
The Case Solution Starts From page 6
,ANALYSIS
e
pl
1. What is your definition of organizational culture? Do you think that Toters’s organizational
culture is strong? If so, what has driven its strength?
m
The first factor contributing to Toters’s strong culture was its emphasis on transparency and communication.
Sa
The company implemented several initiatives to promote transparency, including regular meetings between
management teams and employees, and an open-door policy for feedback and suggestions. This open
communication helped foster trust and collaboration among employees, which can be a key driver of a strong
culture. The second factor driving Toters’ organizational culture was its commitment to employee
n
empowerment and engagement. The company had a flat organizational structure that encouraged
collaboration and teamwork. It provided opportunities for employees to take ownership of their work and
tio
make decisions that affect the company’s success. This empowerment and engagement created a sense of
ownership among employees and contributed to a strong sense of shared purpose and commitment to the
lu
So
The Case Solution Starts From page 6
, 5
5. As the business was expanding globally, Toters’s leadership wanted to ensure that its culture
did not become compromised. What strategies would you recommend to ensure a smooth
scaling geographically, while maintaining a strong organizational culture?
• Establish a routine process of cultural assessments and surveys to continuously assess the overall health
of the organization’s culture. Conduct anonymous employee surveys through an independent third party
to pinpoint any weaknesses or areas where different offices might not be aligned. This enables the
e
leadership team to promptly address any issues before they become deeply rooted.
• Nominate culture ambassadors from within each department to serve as advocates for Toters’s values. These
pl
esteemed team members will serve as role models for desired behaviours, facilitate the exchange of best
practices among offices, offer feedback to the executive team, and help reinforce the company’s culture.
m
•
Sa
•
n
tio
•
lu
So
The Case Solution Starts From page 6
, EXHIBIT -1: AN ADAPTATION OF EDGAR SCHEIN’S ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE PYRAMID
Artifacts
The most visible
elements in a firm
such as technology,
office layout,
language, et cetera
(easy to collect but
e
pl
m
Sa
n
tio
lu
So
The Case Solution Starts From page 6
