Pros

The work/life balance at Kaiser is much better than I've seen at other companies. The working hours are earlier than other SoCal companies -- most people are in the office by 7:30 and leave by 4:30 or 5:00. But the good part is that people are not expected to work more than 40 hours a week most weeks. Also, weekend work seems to be rare.

Cons

The organization is a matrix structure so it means that generally, most people have two or more bosses. This leads to a culture of non-accountability and one in which decisions are very, very difficult to make. The culture is extremely consensus-driven and people tend to be passive-aggressive to a fault. This is not the environment where you want to be if you like to get things done. But, if you are happy to coast for a couple of years, it can be a great place to be. People talk about getting 'Kaiserized' if you stay at KP too long: you no longer know how to function in an organization that believes in accountability.

Advice to Senior Management

My advice would be to look at changing the organizational structure to be less matrix-dependent. The convoluted org structure leads to complicated budgeting and planning processes that effect the organization's ability to meet goals and produce results. I certainly understand that organizational change is difficult - but it is completely necessary in this day and age. The longer they wait the more difficult it will be in the end.