Pepsi Co is a multinational food and beverage corporation with more than 5000 employees in over 15 locations. The company believes that, in order to increase its productivity, it should recruit and maintain the best workers. This way, the company hopes it can increase its sales. This will ensure that they remain competitive in the global market. Maintaining their best workers will also ensure that they are able to lobby more customers in the market. Pepsi Co has in the recent past increased its sales. The company has also strived to increase the number of female employees to be equivalent to that of men, through work-life balance program. This has ensured that there was a gender balance among the employees and that there is no gender discrimination among the employees. In addition, it has also increased the size of its workforce. According to an organizational health survey conducted in 2006, many employees looked up to Pepsi Co to improve their lives. The employees complained of work overload and rigid working options. Due to these problems, the employees wanted the organization to revise their working timetables. They wanted the company to provide them with more flexible working options. The organization decided to address the problem by introducing a range of flexible working policies.
In 2007, the organization introduced FLEXTIME, FLEXDAY and FLEXPLACE policies. Under FLEXTIME, the organization introduced flexibility beyond core hours. This ensured that the employees were able to extend their core hours to compensate the hours that they had been absent from work. Under FLEXDAY, the organization enabled the workers to work for many compressed hours in some months. This ensured that the workers were able to work for lesser hours in the preceding months. This ensured that they were able to operate in a more flexible timetable. Another policy that the organization introduced was FLEXPLACE. Under this policy, the employees had an option of working from home for at least one day in a week. However, this policy was inapplicable to employees working in a 24/7 shift environment. The main aim of the organization in providing these policies was to provide a flexible work approach to its employees.
The flexibility culture increased work efficiency within the organization. Employees started to feel more involved and appreciated. An employee engagement survey carried out in 2009 showed that 80% of Pepsi Co employees felt that the company supported their efforts to balance their work and personal life. They felt that the company gave them the freedom to decide on how, where and when to work. FLEXPLACE policy has ensured that over 1000 nonoperational staff is able work from their homes on a regular basis. Pepsi Co, through its work-life balance program, has helped the business improve its women's representation in the workforce. 36% of its manufacturing managers are women. This has raised the morale of women, thus, giving them courage to take up leading roles in the company. Due to its women's representation, Pepsi Co UK was in the top 50 listings of the great places to work. These achievements have increased their publicity hence increasing their sales volumes. This, in turn, has improved the organization’s profitability index.
Culture change increases the performance of employees. Employees are motivated by a positive change in the organization hence increasing their productivity. For instance, a flexible culture motivates employees of Pepsi Co as they feel more entrusted with their work. A culture change can bring a negative response if does not accommodate all employees' suggestions. This causes low motivation among the staff reducing their productivity.
References
PepsiCo UK. (2004, April 5). Creating a flexible culture. Retrieved October Wednesday, 2012, from The UKRC and WISE: http://www.theukrc.org/for-organisations/success-stories/pepsico-uk-creating-a-flexible-culture
TMC. (2009, May 02). PepsiCo International Case Study. Retrieved October Wednesday, 2012, from TMC: http://www.tmcorp.com/Our-Solutions/Case-Studies/PepsiCo-International-Case-Study/110/
