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  • September 2019 (Revised December 2022)
  • Case
  • HBS Case Collection

Cooking Down a Storm: Changing Culture at Pasta Serafina (A)

By: Susanna Gallani, Francesca Gino and Raffaella Sadun
  • Format:Print
  • | Language:English
  • | Pages:19
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Abstract

Plant management at Pasta Serafina, a pasta producer in the south of Italy, is struggling to contain employee absenteeism. While the misbehavior is concentrated in a minority of the workers, its effects impact not only the plant’s performance, but also the climate and work environment. Embedded in an institutional and legal environment that allows very little room for corrective action, and already dealing with persistent low margins, management decides to address the issue by asking the employees themselves to find a solution to the problem. The case exposes students to managerial challenges associated with curbing moral hazard and changing the company culture in a setting where standard legal and contractual tools, such as firing workers for performance or using incentives to influence behaviors, are not available.

Keywords

Absenteeism; Moral Hazard; Employees; Behavior; Problems and Challenges; Organizational Culture; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Employee Relationship Management; Performance Productivity; Decision Making

Citation

Gallani, Susanna, Francesca Gino, and Raffaella Sadun. "Cooking Down a Storm: Changing Culture at Pasta Serafina (A)." Harvard Business School Case 120-013, September 2019. (Revised December 2022.)
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About The Authors

Susanna Gallani

Accounting and Management
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Francesca Gino

Negotiation, Organizations & Markets
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Raffaella Sadun

Strategy
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Related Work

    • September 2019 (Revised December 2022)
    • Faculty Research

    Cooking Down a Storm: Changing Culture at Pasta Serafina (B)

    By: Susanna Gallani, Francesca Gino and Raffaella Sadun
    • March 2022
    • Faculty Research

    Cooking Down a Storm at Pasta Serafina (A) & (B)

    By: Susanna Gallani
    • September 2019 (Revised December 2022)
    • Faculty Research

    Cooking Down a Storm: Changing Culture at Pasta Serafina (A)

    By: Susanna Gallani, Francesca Gino and Raffaella Sadun
Related Work
  • Cooking Down a Storm: Changing Culture at Pasta Serafina (B) By: Susanna Gallani, Francesca Gino and Raffaella Sadun
  • Cooking Down a Storm at Pasta Serafina (A) & (B) By: Susanna Gallani
  • Cooking Down a Storm: Changing Culture at Pasta Serafina (A) By: Susanna Gallani, Francesca Gino and Raffaella Sadun
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