MEDIA RELEASE
12 December 2006
Adshel, Lion Nathan “In Great Company”
Approximately 500 CEO’s and senior Human Resources Managers were “in great company” to learn how to unlock the secrets
of cultural transformation at two events in Wellington and in Auckland recently.
Professor Dexter Dunphy, co-author of Human Synergistics’ “In Great Company – Unlocking the Secrets of Cultural
Transformation” explained how an organisation’s culture is changed by a number of key interventions and the example that
its leaders set. Supporting Dunphy and revealing ‘the pain and the gain’ of their own cultural transformation, were
Steve McCarthy, CEO of Adshel and Bob Barbour, People & Culture Director of Lion Nathan. Both organisations feature in the book, which portrays the challenges and their
respective responses with humour and a refreshing candour.
According to Dunphy, measuring the culture and generating valid data is absolutely critical in effecting change. “Human
Synergistics have generated a large database which allows comparison between organisations and across industries. The
connection between a constructive culture and high-performance is clearly understood and strongly emphasised,” he said.
Dunphy, a Distinguished Professor at Sydney’s Technology University, has over 30 year’s teaching experience in
organisational learning and change. Along with four others, he researched the outstanding results that five
organisations have achieved in transforming their culture from predominantly passive-defensive or aggressive-defensive
to constructive styles. The results of each case study are published as, “In Great Company”, a 350-page volume which is
available from Human Synergistics.
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About Human Synergistics
Human Synergistics are global leaders in the field of organisational leadership and culture. They provide a range of
unique services in individual, group and organisational development through their own consultants and their network of
over 400 Accredited Consultants throughout Australiaand New Zealand. Their emphasis is on measuring the relationship
between human behaviours and performance to help individuals and organisation achieve long term sustainable high
performance. Successful users of the Human Synergistics’ Integrated Development System number in the millions
internationally, with over 12,000 commercial and governmental organisations basing their developmental efforts on Human
Synergistics’ tools.
Human Synergistics began operating in New Zealandin 1979 and in Australiain 1989 and have offices in four major centres
(Wellington, Auckland, Sydneyand Melbourne).As part of the Human Synergistics International group of companies, they
have access to the latest international research and experience, blended with a commitment to helping strengthen New
Zealandindividuals and organisations.
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