Case Study: Hollard: The Office Move

Title
Hollard: The Office Move 

Author
Claire Beswick; Conrad Viedge 

Pages
11 

Product Type
Case 

Reference #
WBS-2009-7 

Teaching Note
 

Institute
Wits Business School 

Setting
Johannesburg 

Year
2009 

Keywords
Leadership, ODD, HR management, organisational culture, call centre management, building architecture



Summary/
Abstract
We shape our buildings, and afterwards our buildings shape us – Winston Churchill (28 October 1943) By April 2009, Hollard Insurance had been in Arcadia, its new building, for a little over three years. A key motive behind the move had been to draw all Hollard employees together, so as to sustain and reinforce a common culture and facilitate communication across business units. Now, Hollard’s CEO, Nic Kohler, had a few things to consider: had the new building had an impact on Hollard’s culture, and on balance; had this been positive; and should he now move the company’s call centres to a smaller town, where competition for talent would be less intense? This might improve employee retention and better enable the company to invest in its call centre employees. At the same time, it would lower the salary bill. But would it also alienate the call centre employees, who provided a critical interface with Hollard’s customers? If Hollard did decide to move them off-site, what should he do to minimise the potential negative effects of doing this?

 

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