BA 951, Ram Mudambi Video case CISCO Discussion BA 951, Ram Mudambi Video case © Ram Mudambi, 2004

Cisco Systems has few degrees of separation, a corporate culture of open communication and open exchange of ideas and opinions, and a highly networked workforce, so the communication between the top and the bottom layers of the organization is more direct. When the CEO or senior management sends a message to the company, the message is delivered globally and simultaneously, leaving little opportunity for misinterpretation. Simply stated, if an individual desires not to change or feels compelled not to “get the message,” the peer pressure to accept the message and change will be intense and swift. © Ram Mudambi, 2004

Cisco’s organizational culture model is a meritocracy Cisco’s organizational culture model is a meritocracy. However, when it comes to implementation, it is an autocracy with an underlying theme of ruthless execution. Once a group completes implementation and training of a new system, Cisco eliminates the prior application within a few weeks. Doing so essentially forces the users to adopt the new system, which increases the adoption rate and results in significant returns on the investment in the application. © Ram Mudambi, 2004