Final answer:
The intervention by the major consumer-products company is an example of a bottom-up change strategy, where senior executives collaborated with front-line employees to foster entrepreneurial and marketing-oriented culture, reflecting Theory Y management principles and a move towards flatter organizational structures.
Step-by-step explanation:
The major consumer-products company's strategy to create a more entrepreneurial and marketing-oriented culture aligns closely with a bottom-up change approach. With senior executives working directly with front-line employees on special projects, the strategy circumvented middle management and fostered innovation from the lower levels of the organizational structure. This kind of intervention mirrors bottom-up change scenarios where local issues, typically addressed at the grassroots level, escalate and necessitate broader organizational engagement and solutions. The process is reflective of a cultural shift towards valuing the inputs and involvement of front-line employees, closely resonating with concepts from Theory Y management, where workers are encouraged to contribute to the organization's development and are not solely directed and controlled by management.
Additionally, this intervention fits into the broader trend of flattening organizational structures where increased reliance on teamwork and collaboration replaces rigid hierarchies. By directly involving front-line teams in special projects, the company not only aimed to energize its culture but also to adopt a structural transformation that supports quicker and more adaptive responses to the dynamic business environment.