Student Victoria Pecherska | Case study | “Change of Culture at Westcode Semiconductors” |

Case study “Change of Culture at Westcode Semiconductors”
This case study reveals corporative culture issues emerged in Westcode Semiconductors, United Kingdom. The company has recently been taken over by the German counterpart. Therefore, Melanie Schmidt was transferred to Westcode Semiconductors from Germany. She was promoted to the position of EMEA Manager for IXYS Semiconductors in charge of research and development.
According to German business practice, clear frameworks, bare facts and concrete proof are of highest value for each member of an organization. Melanie Schmidt was trained to follow such corporative culture, and intended to apply the same principles in UK.
From the first day she introduced team meetings and brain-storming sessions, which worked effectively in Germany. Thus, Melanie thought her team was setting a good example by living the principles of honesty and respect. However, this was her misconception.
Schmidt came across one Facebook group, crated by her UK employee, where he was slating IXYS, the merger and Melanie as a manager. She also found out that all managers from her team subscribed to that group and some of them even left comments.
Melanie is willing to defend her reputation. Consequently, a plan of action is needed.
First of all, Schmidt has to recognize her strategical mistakes. * Ideally, Melanie should have probed the internal environment of her new workplace and Westcode Semiconductors in general. Since German business practice differs from the British one, management approaches must also be different. That is to say that some things that worked good for Melanie in German counterpart will not be applicable or effective enough in UK. The case shows that Melanie is unable to change her strategies quickly to adjust to or