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Essay on what an organizational culture
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In this paper, I have chosen to observe Mr Jereme Wong, Chief Operations Officer (COO) of clickTRUE during my internship in 2012, and will examine his leadership strength of creating the “right” organisational culture which enhanced the work performance of everyone involved. This paper will begin with a literature review of organisational culture, before observations are laid out and recommendations raised with regards to this leadership topic. 2. Literature Review 2.1 Defining Organisational Culture Definitions of organisational culture has ranged from “observable behavioural rules” (Van Maanen & Schein, 1979) and “dominant values” (Deal & Kennedy, 1982) to as “a means of stabilising behaviour” (Graves, 1986) for internal bonding while “keeping outsiders away” (Kramer & Foy, 1974). Most commonly, it is seen as “a set of key values, assumptions and norms shared by members of an organisation and taught to new members as correct” (Duncan, 1989; Smircich, 1983) or as “the way we do things around here” (Schein, 1985). It is important to note that there are differences in how one sees culture as well. One can …show more content…
Internal integration creates a common identity and guides effective communication, learning and collaboration. Motivation is enhanced and work life becomes enjoyable through positive interactions in a close knitted environment of trust. External adaptation is made easier when internal integration is achieved, as the team is well coordinated to respond quickly to changing trends. At clickTRUE, this is further enhanced with its learning and continuous improvement culture. When these two dimensions are achieved, the result is high performance – besides winning awards and securing partnerships, clickTRUE has also received substantial funding for regional expansion (Malaysia,
Organisation culture at Quinlan’s Organisation culture can be defined as the set of key values, beliefs, understandings and norms shared by members of an organization (Daft, Management, 2003, p88). It guides the behaviour of its employees that includes routine behaviour, norms and dominant values. As Schein pointed out culture can be analysed at three levels – visible artifacts, expressed values and underlying assumptions (University of Leicester, Management, People and Organisations, section 13). Visible artifacts are observable outcomes of cultural norms and assumptions. Examples of artifacts include the language spoken, dress code, the way employees think and other behaviour observed by anyone.
Geert Hofstede was one of the first researchers to analyse the influence of national culture on management practices. According to Geert Hofstede, “There is no such thing as a universal management method or management theory across the globe.” (Summary of Cultural Dimensions Theory 2014). He furthermore developed his initial statement by stating “Management is not a phenomenon that can be isolated from processes taking place in society. It interacts with what happens in the family, at school, in politics, and government.” (Hofstede's Cultural Dimensions: Summary, Forum and Expert Tips 2014). Based on extensive research from 1967 to 1973, Hofstede developed the cultural dimension theory is a framework for cross-cultural management. Culture is “total of the beliefs, rules, techniques, institutions, and artifacts that characterize human populations or “the collective programming of the mind.” (Understanding Cross-Cultural Management, Browaeys et al. 2011, pp131). Hofstede developed the original model after using factor analysis to examine the results of world-wide survey of employee values by IBM in between the 1960s and 1970s. The theory was one that could be used to observe differences between different cultures in a wide range of disciplines, including international management. The original theory proposed only just four dimensions; they include individualism/collectivism(IDV), power distance(PDI), uncertainty avoidance(UAI) and masculinity/ femininity(MAS).Hofstede(1991) stated that these dimensions concern “four anthropological problem areas that different national societies handle differently: ways of coping with inequality, ways of coping with uncertainty, the relationship of the individual with her or his primary group, and...
Another idea created by Johnson and Scholes (1997) is the cultural web. This aims to show how culture influences on behaviour occur and how this impacts on the organisation. The cultural web focuses on artefacts, which are defined by Dwyer (2001) as the “most visible and most superficial manifestations of an organisational culture” These include routines and rituals, stories, symbols, power structures, organisational structures and control symbols. Firstly, routine and rituals comprise the repeated patterns of behaviour from the workers. Routine is how employees behave towards those in and out of the organisation and supports Deal and Kennedy’s (1982) saying of “the way we do things around here”. Rituals, on the other hand, are more so social events which management arrange e.g. work meetings, Christmas parties. Another artefact is stories. Often colleagues will tell each other stories about the organisation which show and emphasise important qualities of staff. This will influence their behaviour and motivate. Symbols are often used in firms which Dwyer (2001) explains as “words, objects, conditions, acts or characteristics of persons that signify something different or wider from themselves, and which have meaning to an individual group” This even include the layout of the business and furnishings. Organisation structure is included in the cultural web. This is important as it is how the business delegates work and responsibility. It reflects the “centralisation, formalisation, complexity, configuration and flexibility in the firm” (Olsen et al, 1998, p, 211). Lastly, is control systems. This helps to control what is happening in the firm. Together, these make up the outer layer of a business’s ‘cultural web’.
Culture can be defined as “A pattern of basic assumptions invented, discovered or developed by a given group as it learns to cope with its problems of external adaptation and internal integration that has worked well enough to be considered valid, and therefore to be taught to the new members as the correct way to perceive, think and feel in relation to those problems”. Schein (1988). Organizational culture can be defined as a system of shared beliefs and values that develops within an organization and guides the behavior of its members. It includes routine behaviors, norms, dominant values, and feelings or climates. The purpose and function of this culture is to help foster internal integration, bring staff members from all levels of the organization closer together, and enhance their performance.
According to Professor Geert Hofstede, dimensionalizing a culture requires a complex analysis of a multitude of categories including differing nations, regions, ethnic groups, religions, organizations, and genders. Hofstede defines culture as "the collective programming of the mind distinguishing the members of one group or category of people from another". Throughout his many years of contribution as a social scientist, he has conducted arguably the most comprehensive study of how values in the workplace are influenced by culture, leading to the establishment of the Six Dimensions of National Culture. From this research model, the dimensions of Power Distance, Individualism, Masculinity, Uncertainty
Culture is “a system of shared beliefs and values that develops within an organisation and guides the behaviour of its members” (Schermerhorn et al. 2011). It plays an important role in any organisation. For instance, in Woolworths we can se...
Basically, Hofstede’s cultural dimension is divided into five dimensions along which national culture could be described: power distance (PDI), individualism-collectivism (IDV), masculinity-femininity (MAS), uncertainty avoidance (UAI) and long-term orientation versus short-term normative orientation (LTO).
The Hofstede model of national culture differences, based on research carried out in the early seventies, is the first major study to receive worldwide attention. This influential model of cultural traits identifies five dimensions of culture that help to explain how and why people from various cultures behave as they do. According to Hofstede (1997) culture is Ù[ collective programming of the mind? This referring to a set of assumptions, beliefs, values and practices that a group of people has condoned as a result of the history of their engagements with one another and their environment over time. In this study, culture refers to a set of core values and behavioural patterns people have due to socialisation to a certain culture. The author̼ theoretical framework will be applied to compare differing management practices in China and the West. The five measurements of culture identified by the author are:
Corporate culture is the shared values and meanings that members hold in common and that are practiced by an organization’s leaders. Corporate culture is a powerful force that affects individuals in very real ways. In this paper I will explain the concept of corporate culture, apply the concept towards my employer, and analyze the validity of this concept. Research As Sackmann's Iceberg model demonstrates, culture is a series of visible and invisible characteristics that influence the behavior of members of organizations. Organizational and corporate cultures are formal and informal. They can be studied by observation, by listening and interacting with people in the culture, by reading what the company says about its own culture, by understanding career path progressions, and by observing stories about the company. As R. Solomon stated, “Corporate culture is related to ethics through the values and leadership styles that the leaders practice; the company model, the rituals and symbols that organizations value, and the way organizational executives and members communicate among themselves and with stakeholders. As a culture, the corporation defines not only jobs and roles; it also sets goals and establishes what counts as success” (Solomon, 1997, p.138). Corporate values are used to define corporate culture and drive operations found in “strong” corporate cultures. Boeing, Johnson & Johnson, and Bonar Group, the engineering firm I work for, all exemplify “strong” cultures. They all have a shared philosophy, they value the importance of people, they all have heroes that symbolize the success of the company, and they celebrate rituals, which provide opportunities for caring and sharing, for developing a spiri...
...l man who enables others to think and do in his way (role model) and his employees work him for unconditional loyalty (e.g. his PA), also, adopt a fair system of rewards and punishments; however, as a leader sometimes he just needs some transformational styles which respect and communicate with followers equally rather than forced them to shut up rudely. As for organizational culture, the article obtains further understanding that some factors attribute to detect cultures existed in an organisation, communication system, for example. As a result, it can be identified that his culture not only can be classified as power but task. Moreover, due to the changeable outside environment, compounded and flexible cultures seems to be a better way for an organisation’s sustainable development. Therefore, leadership is tightly related to organizational culture.
The concept of organizational culture is one of the most debated topics for researchers and theorists. There is no one accepted definition of culture. People even said that it is hard to define culture and even more change it. It is considered a complex part of an organization although many have believed that culture influences employee behavior and organizational effectiveness (Kilmann, Saxton, & Serpa 1985; Marcoulides & Heck, 1993; Schein, 1985a, 1990).
It is a “pattern of beliefs, values and learned ways of coping with experience” (Brown 1994) that manifests itself into three layers: artefacts at the shallowest, values and beliefs in the middle and basic assumptions at the deepest. It is inseparable from the organisation that cannot be easily manipulated as it is fundamentally non-unitary and emergent. Finally, organisational culture is important as it is one of the main determinants as to whether a firm can enjoy superior financial and a comparative advantage over firms of differing cultures.
As it is taking years to set up one, changing it is even more difficult. This essay will explain in a first time the basis of an organization culture, with its main definition and emphasising its importance. Thereafter, this essay will concern the different implication of an organizational culture, relating the relationship between culture and performance, including the main frameworks to measure it, but also explaining the different meanings of a change.
Understanding the structure of an organization plays a vital role in laying the blueprint for how a company will be managed and organized. It provides a well-defined framework that outlines the roles and responsibilities of each employee in a particular company. It shows how each employee interacts and works one another in achieving the goals of a company. In other words, organizational structure is a reflection of the working relationships that govern the workflow of the company. It has a profound effect on a company’s structural dimensions, which includes formalization, specialization, hierarchy and centralization.
Organisational culture is one of the most valuable assets of an organization. Many studies states that the culture is one of the key elements that benefits the performance and affects the success of the company (Kerr & Slocum 2005). This can be measured by income of the company, and market share. Also, an appropriate culture within the society can bring advantages to the company which helps to perform with the de...