Subject category:
Strategy and General Management
Published by:
Wits Business School - University of the Witwatersrand
Length: 20 pages
Data source: Field research
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https://casecent.re/p/21984
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Abstract
In November 1998, Rob Angel was facing a second Everest. As CEO of Engen, he had spent close to ten years working on the transformation of the largest South African oil company into a successful, empowered organisation. Petronas, the Malaysian state-owned oil company, had just taken over Engen, and the financial formalities towards the delisting of Engen were under way. However, Petronas was a much more traditional, hierarchical oil company. In addition, Engen was considering a merger with Sasol Oil, the South African state-owned oil company, where the organisational culture was also very different from that which had developed in Engen. Both, Petronas and Sasol, very much adhered to the old command - control leadership culture. The acquisition of 20% of Engen by the South African empowerment company Worldwide was envisaged. Worldwide's corporate culture was rooted in the African culture. Rob Angel asked himself: 'How will I maintain Engen's culture of empowerment? Should I protect it by creating as rigid a wall around it as possible? Should I rather embrace integration with Petronas and help foster a blend of the two cultures? Or should we try to transform Petronas to take on our culture?'
About
Abstract
In November 1998, Rob Angel was facing a second Everest. As CEO of Engen, he had spent close to ten years working on the transformation of the largest South African oil company into a successful, empowered organisation. Petronas, the Malaysian state-owned oil company, had just taken over Engen, and the financial formalities towards the delisting of Engen were under way. However, Petronas was a much more traditional, hierarchical oil company. In addition, Engen was considering a merger with Sasol Oil, the South African state-owned oil company, where the organisational culture was also very different from that which had developed in Engen. Both, Petronas and Sasol, very much adhered to the old command - control leadership culture. The acquisition of 20% of Engen by the South African empowerment company Worldwide was envisaged. Worldwide's corporate culture was rooted in the African culture. Rob Angel asked himself: 'How will I maintain Engen's culture of empowerment? Should I protect it by creating as rigid a wall around it as possible? Should I rather embrace integration with Petronas and help foster a blend of the two cultures? Or should we try to transform Petronas to take on our culture?'