Two qualities make this case important for me. 1) The cultural frames’ strong impact on individual behavior and 2) the amorphous quality of culture that varies depending on the organization. Lehurutshe failed to respond in time, but as we discussed in class he may have made the right decision for him. Despite what we may think about his dishonesty, Lehurutshe was clearly not a good fit for his former company’s culture. My takeaway from this case is that culture naturally selects for the “right fit” in many cases. Popular examples are the finance industry, public sector work, and technology companies. The personality types that are drawn to each industry serve many companies and individuals alike. The matching in this natural selection allows each industry to fulfill its mission with precisely the right personnel in each organization.
– CK
I have often witnessed these “fit desicions” truly vetted once an individual is already on board, as recruitment process rarely zeroes in on the fit ,but rather on qualifications,experience and other parameters .I read once that i believe, South Western Airlines ,set up interviews with candidates and made it part of the requirement that candidates report for interviews in shorts on bottom and business attire on top.Company was serious about the “fit” from the get go..one can agree with some candidates who were put off with this approach,but it is hard to argue that this approach by the company left anything for candidates to figure out in terms of culture at this company and by that extension ,a true fit later on..
“Lehurutshe was clearly not a good fit for his former company’s culture. My takeaway from this case is that culture naturally selects for the “right fit” in many cases.” While Lehurutshe may not have been a good “fit” for the company, I truly believe that there is more to this case than what we are reading. I think a lot of it gets lost in translation since we may have read without the context. This case really made a lot more sense to me once a classmate brought up where it was from, and who are the players involved. In understanding the background and knowing some history about South Africa, things really started to come together.
Although Lehurutshe may have not been a good fit in the end, another classmate pointed out something to me that gave me the impression that maybe he was always expected to fail at this social cue. According to the case, “At the golf tournament, Lehurutshe’s absence was noticed. The managing director and the general manager asked questions about him. They were told that he had gone to a funeral. “Tyical! just like my MAID,” muttered the managing director under his breath. “These events are important; this is the only time people get to understand each other.” The part that says that Lehurutshe was acting just like the managing director’s maid led me to examine some more. What is he insinuating by automatically categorizing Mr. Lehurutshe with his maid? Could it be that they were both people who seemed to make excuses or maybe just both Black? Either way, the tone that I took that sentence was that of the managing director already knowing that Lehurutshe was not going to fit in. Lehurutshe’s “Cracking the Cultural Code” trying to find his “Way into the Inner Circle may have been a little more than him simply missing an event.
True Lehurutshe didn’t get the cue that he should attend the golf social to earn welcome into the group. The fact that the culture was defined by a “weekend golf outing” is narrow in the context of an organization that needs an affirmative action officer. Lehurutshe wasn’t a good fit while he was there. But that culture was flawed. In a time when affirmative action has had an impact and a more diverse staff makes up the company the culture may shift to include activities that would embrace workers who travel home on their weekends.
I enjoyed this case and I will say Lehurutshe missed some really big clues about the importance of the event to his coworkers and bosses. However, I’m still conflicted and found it a bit off putting that the organization was so easily willing to write off a good employee based on this one incident. I get that cultural dynamics are important, but what’s the cutoff point? What does it say that his failure to attend an event outweighed his job performance? In an ideal world we would all find organizations where we “fit”, but everyone isn’t afforded the luxury of finding that instant fit. With most things there is an adjustment/learning period and if the goal is to create an inclusive environment where everyone feels comfortable that takes time. Modestina great point about the maid comment, it adds the possibility that some other underlying issues may have been going on.