The role of feedback in changing organizational routine: A case study of Haier, China

Abstract

The ability to change organizational routines according to the need of organizational transformation is difficult to achieve, but increasingly vital for an organization to survive in a highly turbulent business environment. However, despite fruitful research on organizational routines, how routines evolve through feedback remains unclear. This study aims to investigate the role of feedback in routine changes by examining a case study of Haier, the largest home appliance manufacturer in the world. The findings of this case show that feedback of a routine plays a critical role in routine changes. It highlights that feedback helps an organization to make sense of its behavior patterns and evaluate these patterns properly, which enable the organizations to better initiate and advocate routine changes that are necessary for a successful organizational transformation. Further, this case shows the importance of leveraging IT in managing routine changes. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd.