Abstract
Transformation (pseudonym for the organization being studied, a U.S. market leader in pediatric nutritionals and a world leader in adult nutritionals) was experiencing rapid rates of change, thus providing a fertile ground for a heuristic, descriptive, ethnographic case study exploring leadership’s role in changing the culture of the organization. Using a case study format with a mixed methods approach, this research study examined the relationships between leadership, culture, and change. The research questions were grounded in the literature of leadership, organizational culture, and planned change. Research results consisted of: (a) the internal and external forces driving organizational changes, (b) the unanticipated consequences of the change process, (c) the extent to which senior leadership influenced or managed the organizational change, (d) the impact of shifting from a science-based research company to a consumer packaged goods company, (e) how the practices at Transformation compared with the “best practices for change” as identified in the literature, and (e) what could be learned from this study about leadership, culture, and change.