An independent inquiry into the workplace culture at Blind and Low Vision New Zealand (BLVNZ), found an already poor culture was made worse by the transformation work initiated in 2019, but is now improving thanks to organisational and policy change.
Following complaints about the treatment of clients and staff, the inquiry was commissioned by the Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind (RNZFB) board in August 2021 and was conducted by employment lawyer Rob Towner.
Going back to 2019, Towner learned that the RNZFB board mandated a significant transformation programme for BLVNZ in response to low outputs, which were well below international standards, and service delays. Compared to other countries, service delivery costs were three times higher than expected, mainly due to sizeable overheads. The organisation also had issues with low staff productivity and high staff turnover in management roles, including in the human resources function.
Although deemed critical for future service delivery, Towner found the change programme resulted in a number of negative consequences, including redundancies, staff feeling disillusioned, stressed and insecure in their positions, genuine concerns about the organisational change having an adverse impact on services to clients, a negative impact on an already poor workplace culture, and a worsening in the relationship between BLVNZ and and patient advocacy group Blind Citizens New Zealand.
He also concluded that CEO John Mulka had acted within his remit and the criticism against him was largely unjustified. “There was in 2019, when CEO John Mulka commenced his employment at BLVNZ, a poor workplace culture in the organisation which had existed for many years, as confirmed by culture surveys undertaken by the organisation in 2012, 2015 and 2018. Inadequate steps had been taken by the organisation prior to the appointment of the CEO to address its poor workplace culture. The organisational transformation worsened that existing poor culture, some of which was unavoidable, given the extent of the transformation,” Towner wrote in the inquiry summary.
