The cultural strategy of lonely Planet is to attract creative individuals who will continue their innovative spirit after being hired. Lonely Plant accomplishes this by breaking down any traditional barriers that obstruct new ideas. The physical removal of office walls creates a horizontal management style that encourages employees to interact with each other. Casual wear, music, and parties also help create and environment that spurs creativity. .
The restructuring at Lonely Planet took on a Divisional Structure. The firm was experiencing difficulties in coordinating activities, and it was time create a more open perspective. The Divisional Structure maintain small teams that would be held accountable for their own performance - which improved decision making abilities as well. The company was diversifying itself, and each team needed to be personally accountable for their actions. The eight publishers were accountable to Richard Everist, while the functional business divisions were accountable to Steve Hibbard. .
This structure supports the organizational strategy of innovation because it empowers groups to make decisions and be responsible for them. The breadth of publishing requires a structure that will not bottleneck creativity, as well as impede decision-making. The Divisional Structure accomplishes both of these.
