Will Big Bazaar’s culture change work?

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Kishore Biyani, Group CEO, Future Group, had last month said, "Retail is our religion, the stores are our temples, and customers are our gods. So, we are not treating customers as king, but are treating customers as god in our temples, which are our stores."

 

Last month, the Future Group's Big Bazaar chain appointed a Chief Belief Officer to transform the company's culture and make a day at work feel like a day at home.

 

Big Bazaar wants to blur the line between the personal and professional lives of employees. So, the store manager is the Karta, the company is Kundli or horoscope, departments are rashis or zodiac, employees are grahas or planets, and the customer is Lakshmi or Goddess of wealth. Ringing in this radical change is Author and Mythologist Devdutt Pattanaik, whose new avatar is that of Chief Belief Officer at Future Group.

 

So, what changes will that ring in? CNBC-TV18's Sagar Malviya finds out.

 

Devdutt Pattanaik, Chief Belief Officer, Future Group: "Just by changing the language, we are making him aware that his role is not limited to the task sheet. It's not just about incentive, inventory management, sales, and topline and bottomline. It's also about listening to the team, making sure they are progressing in this. So, it's through language that you are making him aware of what his role is supposed to be. That's a small example of things that we do."

 

The company is also using this approach to reach out to its vendors. The idea is to go beyond a transactional relationship to a deep rooted emotional one called Sambandh. In fact, it's quite literally going to be one big family. The vendors will be given Future Group I-cards so that they can enjoy the same special privileges as Big Bazaar employees. That includes access to offices, training areas, staying arrangements, and discounts. By doing this, the company hopes to strike an emotional chord with partners - just the way traditional businessmen function. 

 

Damodar Mall, Customer Director, Big Bazaar: "Change of belief leads to more efficient and more harmonious working. We have seen this in whichever business we have piloted this with. Whether it is in training new employees through a system of gurukul, whether it is taking the vendor relationship programme to sambandh, or whether taking the store responsibility to the level of Store Karta, we have seen an immediate change in the manner in which people bond and perform."

 

"In India, even for smallest of things we will check out if we know anybody. Koi relative hai kya? If you have to buy even a toaster, you will check if dukaan mein pehchaan hai kya? This is the Indian way. Why do we have to resist it and fight it and say this is negative? Just accept this in an Indian way and encourage and enhance and focus on it. It's easier then by try to change people and make them Western and impose Western values to them," Pattanaik said.

 

Don't be surprised if the next time you are at Big Bazaar, you will feel more at home. That's because salesmen will be more caring and interactive, - just like your brother. But will this personal touch work? We'll have to wait to find out.