CONSOLIDATING ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE IN TIMES OF ADVERSITY: THE CASE OF TOTERS DELIVERY

Abstract

Lebanon experienced an ongoing set of adversities, from the economic crisis, followed by the COVID-19 pandemic, to the Beirut port explosion, all in one year span. All these events represent grand challenges in which problems can be plausibly addressed through coordinated and collaborated efforts. As organizations felt the threat to their continuity, many start-ups failed to remain operative due to breakage in their organizational culture. This project investigates the role of the organizational culture of Lebanese-based start-ups in responding to these challenges. The project also tackles the strategies adopted by start-ups as a response to the encountered challenges. Such strategies are changes in the business model, whether innovation, adaptation or both. Following a review of the literature, the study follows Edgar Schein’s culture framework – the layers of culture. The research takes the case of Toters Delivery, a Lebanese high-tech start-up, with one office in Lebanon and one in Iraq. To write the case, I participated in a 1.5-year participatory observation where data such as meetings with the staff, stakeholders, company files, and an interview with the CEO were collected. The result is a teaching case study that defines Toters’ background in the social and economic context of Lebanon. The study concludes with an application of the literature to the case.