HOT MESS CONSPIRACY: ‘KILLING-ME-SOFTLY-SCHEME’
It all started when one of the biggest branch of a known biggest food and beverage started to shake up its standing prior to its Noodles Production. This company already proven its sophisticated and strict ordinance and accordance in quality assurance and control from raw material to its productions limits and standards – Nestle Company situated in India.
When Khajuria, a head of corporate affairs of Nestle – India received a call prior to their main product which is the “Maggie” – instant noodle cup. This noodles had been booming in the food industry for almost three (3) decades in India household where it can roughly had a revenue of about 1.6 Billion USD quarterly. Unfortunately this airing of “MAGGIE” in the food industry seized due to the “accidental” knowing of Lead (Pb) content exceed to its regulated and standard concentration that if not address the soonest possible will create a dilemma prior to health especially to the children. Though their some issue like the Monosodiumglutamate (MSG) but the issue circulated technically to this Killing-Me-Softly kind of contaminant – Lead.
This incident made a wake-up call to any regulators, consumers, spectator and the company itself on how they can handle this shaky event.
The Nestle – India address this by talking with the government entities especially concerning Food Safety commissioner and other regulatory entities. But on how they handle the issues it left in their hands as it was reported to any kind of media like the Hindi Language Newspaper. Lots of people especially the mother were enraged for the said news – Maggi health scare.
Nestlé organization prior to managers at all levels are more concerned with leading and inspiring people to add value to the Company and society rather than with exercising formal authority. In an increasingly dynamic world, leaders face significant challenges and opportunities. These stem from shifts to new social patterns and unprecedented worldwide competition. There organizations lead to win, manage for results, and grow talent and teams and compete and connect externally. They have a decentralized and aligned organization type of organization.
Nestlé pragmatically implements the following organizational principles: (1) Being as decentralized as possible to optimally respond to the needs of consumers, within the framework defined by our fundamental policies, strategic directions and operational efficiencies. (2) Ensuring collaboration of all Nestlé businesses and compliance with Nestlé principles, policies and standards (Nestlé in the Market approach). (3) Building and maintaining a structure which assures operational speed, with a strong focus on results and removing unnecessary obstacles. (4) Establishing flat and flexible organizations with minimal levels of management and broad spans of control, which also enable people development. (5) Setting a shared vision and common goals to leverage the strength of people and organizational alignment. (6) Defining clear levels of responsibility. Teamwork does not affect the manager’s duty towards his/her people and business results.
Prior to the killing-me-softly-scheme event of Nestle – India, they were confronted by a daunting, multi-front challenge and that faced a frightened public, a clamoring media, unyielding regulators, and the always challenging conditions of doing business. According to the author, the following where the mistakes of company: (1) it was blinded by pride where the executives where complacent to the sureness of their product and safety controls. This translated to a lack of empathy when addressing alarmed regulators and consumers. They stayed quiet and issued canned legalistic state. They seemed arrogance prior to their rightness; (2) It failed to think two steps head because it somewhat when the event occurred, the executives in India was overwhelmed and having a hard time comprehending the issues. And when they started to address everything was late already and every regulators and consumers were angry; (3) It overlooked context because they only think that the event was only fleeting and nothing so serious about it; and (4) It communicated but didn’t engaged. They were slow to communicate, and when it did it talked of consumers rather than to them until Bulcke’s – CEO of Nestle Central press conference was faceless.
In addressing this event as if all are conspiring against the company then it’s time to address the issue the soonest possible. The company should have “Short-range Plan” and they don’t only focused for the “Long-term Plan”.
The Short-Range Plan involved addressing the issues the soonest possible through communication to the consumers. According to some expert, for so ubiquitous a brand, the first thing they could've done is conversed with the consumer. Whether guilty or not, it didn't matter; communication was nonnegotiable. The more the delay, the more the suspicion. Moreover, whenever a controversy happens, consumers pause and wait for clarity. The brand needs to come out, engage and keep the dialogue going.
There have been enough meltdowns on social media for most brand experts to recommend a well-defined strategy — communicate openly, give the company a face, say sorry if necessary, find your loyalists, have an honest discussion of the issue with them, give them an insight into the brand's perspective and hope they become your first line of defense at a time when the brand's credibility is badly damaged.
Though Nestle ran a campaign around the theme 'Main Aur Meri Maggi' inviting consumers to share their stories: one assumes they still had a database of loyalists, some of whom may have enjoyed social clout. Or it could have tapped into the numerous bloggers and people who were speaking up for it, many of whom were waiting for an official explanation. Instead it opted to remain uncommunicative.
The control process could have been implemented to prevent this event were (1) concurrent controls where it monitor ongoing operations and activities to make sure that things are being done correctly and they allow corrective action to be taken while the work is being done; and (2) feedback controls where take place after an action or operation is completed and focus on end results.
I recommend that when this conspiracy affect your company it would be better to address and communicate directly to the area which will be affected most like consumers. Talk to them. Though don’t stop you Long Range Plan which is addressing the regulators and other legal basis, still talk to other areas which contribute to the efficacy of your products or service. Don’t give them silent treatment and let them speculate everything.
theartofmadeline
blakekathryn