There is a major difference in launching any new initiative where adoption is key to its success relative to introducing one where compliance can be demanded. BA Management, by not informing employees of the change, is in effect saying through their actions that compliance is demanded or they will lose their jobs. The sobering fact of 13,000 people let go or nearly 25% of the workforce is a force in the BA culture that implies compliance is critical if one is to stay employed. The swipe card is introduced by management through a compliance-driven strategy with none of the business benefits defined that are relevant to those most affected. Consequently, it fails as a program and serves as the volatile catalyst of a wildcat strike.

The lessons learned include the following. First, BA Management needed to be more transformational as a leadership team, less authoritarian and transactional. Transformational leadership seeks...
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