ABC Energy Limited: Culture and Formalization

AWARD-WINNING CASE: Adjudged third-best case at the ISB Case Competition 2010 held in partnership with the Richard Ivey School of Business and the Association of Indian Management Schools and sponsored by the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants.<br><br>ABC Energy Limited (ABCEL) was created in March 2007 by ABC Infra Private Limited and XYG Private Limited. In September 2007, MNP Finance Limited joined ABCEL as an equity partner. In 2010, ABCEL operated in power generation and had plans to diversify into transmission and distribution. It aspired to be a world-class energy company with operations in India and neighbouring countries. ABCEL had grown by investing in greenfield projects and acquiring existing operations. The promoters of ABCEL had set a target of achieving a project portfolio of 30,000 megawatts by 2015, up from the current portfolio of 8,655 megawatts. The chief executive officer of ABCEL wanted to discuss the following issues at the board meeting on July 31, 2010, with regard to the opportunities and challenges in the growing market: 1) the key organizational needs that ABCEL might have in achieving its target by 2015, 2) the present culture of ABCEL, 3) the relationship between the culture and extent of formalization and hence the ramp-up of formalization that ABCEL might require, and 4) the method of introducing this formalization.

This case seeks to:<ul><li>Help students understand and assess the culture of an organization in all its complexity.</li><li>Help students understand the relationship between growth, organizational culture, and extent of formalization (structure, procedures, roles, responsibilities, span of control, and incentives). </li><li>Help students understand the methods by which formalization can be introduced. </li><li>Introduce students to the concept of participative management styles, such as Appreciate Inquiry. </ul></li>

• Formalization
• Organizational Culture
• Growth Strategy
• Power Generation
• India
• Ivey/ISB