Management of Organisational Culture - Literature review Example

Introduction

By definition, organisational culture can be termed as the climate and the organisational practices that determine the way an organisation is run (Clouthier & Desson, 2010, p. 4). The organisational culture thus helps to define the beliefs and values of an organisation, and it provides the platform onto which an organisation operates. For this reason, supporters of organisational culture argue that it is important to understand and manage culture as a way of effectively managing and running an organisation (Clouthier & Desson, 2010). However, although my researchers and academicians agree on the issue of culture and its importance to an organisation, there are those who have contrary views. Specifically, there is always disagreement on how culture is defined, and what organisational culture constitutes. There are those who believe that the culture of an organisation cannot be fully described, and therefore it is very difficult to manage it. In this research, the idea of organisational culture and the need to manage it is of central focus. An attempt will be made to discuss both sides of the debate about the management of organisational culture.

Understanding organisational culture

Although the concept of organisational culture might appear abstract, there are a number of characteristics that help define the culture of a given organisation. The first refers to the mission of the organisation as shared by all employees. This may be in the form of mission statements, principles, goals and staff beliefs (Parker, 2000). Secondly, organisational culture is seen the principles and values that are used in decision making throughout the organisation. This refers to how the organisation defines and practices elements such as security, safety, learning and integrity (Willcoxson & Millett, 2000). Third, the management style of the senior staff is also part of the organisational culture. For example, an organisation may be known for its top-down approach to the preferred management style. This then becomes part of its culture that guides current and future managers. Fourth, organisational culture is also seen by the manner in which the daily activities of an organisation are conducted (Willcoxson & Millett, 2000). For example, the culture might define how an organisation handles conflicts within the organisation or how much responsibility an employee is given. Finally, culture is also seen in how employees and managers develop relationships with each other. For example, a particular organisation could be known for adopting a trustful relationship between the senior managers and the employees.

The need to understand and manage organisational culture

Supporters of corporate culture management argue that it is the social glue that binds all employees together. It is through organisational culture that employees feel part of the organisational family, and therefore are able to deliver their best based on their talents and capabilities (Kane-urrabazo, 2006, p. 190). Therefore, organisations that have a strong culture generally have confident and committed employees, and this helps to promote their performance. It is through organisational culture that employees’ and the goals of the organisation are aligned, thereby helping to improve the overall productivity (Mathew, 2007).

It is also argued that understanding organisational culture is one of the important steps in helping management understand how changes may impact different groups within the organisation. For example, employees in cultures that are characterized as high uncertainty avoidance are likely to be negatively affected if management often changed their jobs (Kane-urrabazo, 2006, p. 191). This is because such employees are generally concerned about their knowledge of their current jobs and therefore will be unwilling to take the risk of engaging in a new role. In addition, understanding organisational culture helps in analyzing how any changes or improvements in the existing systems and processes align with the goals of the organisation as a whole (Owoyemi & Ekwoaba, 2014). Managers therefore can get an idea of how the changes will affect the bottom-line before they are actually implemented.

It is through an organisational culture that management can ensure teamwork is built throughout the entire organisation. Because employees share common practices and beliefs, it becomes very easy for them to cooperate and work together in accomplishing any task (Adewale & Adeniji, 2013). This is not only important for enhancing performance but also for ensuring that there is effective management and supervision of the employees because they are operating as a unit. Also, team work helps create an environment where employees and their seniors can share information, and this helps in the efficient running of the organisation and efficient conflict resolution. It is through an organisational culture that management promotes communication and cooperation through teamwork.

Finally, understanding and managing organisational culture helps enhance the competitive advantage of the organisation (Owoyemi & Ekwoaba, 2014). Because organisations operate in a highly competitive global marketplace, organisations have to ensure that they improve all aspects of their operations. Organisational culture is one of these aspects because it helps portray how an organisation is run. For example, if an organisational is seen to have a culture that supports employee development, it is likely to attract some of the best employees in the market. Also, clients are also likely to be attracted to an organisation that is well managed and run. Through the traits that define organisational culture, a business can sell to the global market.

How to manage the culture of an organisation

Because organisational culture is a concept that varies from one organisational to another, the manner in which it is managed may vary. However, there are general practices by management that determine how culture is managed. First, the way leaders react and respond to incidences and crises in the organisation is an important factor. The manner in which leaders deal with challenging situations in the organisation helps to create new norms and values that determine how the organisation will be run in future (Madu, 2009). It is under such difficult conditions that the core values of the organisation are exposed, and also determines whether or not the organisation will adopt new values. It is important for leaders to use such challenging situations in the organisation to support ethical behaviours that become embedded into the minds of the employees. As a result, the leaders then become coaches, mentors, and teachers.

Secondly, managing organisational culture is related to how resources are allocated. If the management adopts a balanced allocation of resources, then it will mean that the organisation values and supports every branch of the organisation (Madu, 2009). More importantly, this will indicate that the overall efficiency is improved, and this enhances customer satisfaction. Having equitable allocation of resources is one of the strategies that helps promote a culture of togetherness among all employees and business units. Also, allocation of resources should be done in a transparent manner that demonstrates to all employees that management is not favouring certain units or groups. This then becomes part of the culture of the organisation.

Third, organisational culture management is also determined by what leaders measure and control. If leaders are consistent in what they pay attention to and control, then that particular thing gets embedded into the organisational culture (Madu, 2009). Subordinates usually want to know what the manager is looking for or measuring, and then work on it to improve. For example, if cleanliness becomes one of the key principle areas that management focuses on and measures, it is obvious that the subordinates will strive to improve in this area. As a result, cleanliness becomes part of the overall organisational culture. It is important for the leaders to use positive and negative signals to draw the attention of the subordinates onto a particular aspect that is deemed important to the organisation.

Managing organisational culture also involves direct training and role modelling from the part of the management (Madu, 2009). Leaders have the potential to send powerful messages to the subordinates based on what they say and practice. It is not just about what the leaders or managers say but also about what they practice. Also, as leaders of an organisation, the responsibility of passing a particular practice to future generations is of great importance. This can be through formal or informal approaches depending on what the organisation chooses. Direct training is one of the methods that management can ensure that certain practices are transferred to employees.

Finally, management of organisational culture is about the selection, recruitment and promotion criteria used by the organisation (Madu, 2009). Because culture resides in the people, managers have to ensure the people brought into an organisation are competent enough to promote and improve the existing culture. This then requires careful selection of candidates that have the values required to promote the organisational culture. When hiring people, an organisation should look at the specific characteristics that make them suitable for the advertised positions.

Against organisational culture management

Critics of organisational culture management argue that since organisational culture is an evolving phenomenon, it is very difficult to manage it (Witte & Muijen, 2000, p. 497). There are several arguments that are offered against organisational culture management. The first is that since different people have varying views about work, it is very difficult to develop a single meaning to it. To the critics, organisational culture simply puts a single meaning towards the necessity of work, and this cannot be achieved even when slogans and campaigns are used (Keyton, 2011, p. 160). Secondly, organisational culture attempts to impose new roles onto individuals, and this requires that these individuals develop specific organisational identities. To the critics, this only requires the individual to make the adjustments, not the entire organisation. Third, managing culture in an organisation implies that it is the duty of the senior managers. However, everyone has a role to play in setting the culture, and this makes managing culture a difficult venture. Furthermore, managers are likely to be biased due to their personal interests. Fourth, organisational culture should be viewed as a process, not as a thing. This means that it is hard to attempt to put together culture as a single thing that can be managed because in doing so, the histories of the employees and the organisation’s external influences are ignored (Keyton, 2011, p. 160). Finally, it is argued that since culture in itself is a social process, then it is always engaging in the process of self-organizing and hence does not require direct management.

Based on the above reasons, critics of organisational culture management point out that it is difficult to draw a direct link between the actions of managers and the cultural change within an organisation. It is difficult to control culture if the management cannot have a direct influence, and this makes organisational culture management a pointless venture. Because employees come from different backgrounds and hold different positions within an organisation, it becomes very difficult to have them react similarly to a given situation. Factors such as gender and job duties have a significant impact on employees react to change initiatives from management. Moreover, human beings are guided by two sets of values: their personal values based on education and life experiences on one hand and the organisational values on the other. Reconciling these two is purely based on the person and not management.

Conclusion

The discussion above has shown that organisational culture plays an important role in shaping the operations of an organisation, and can thus enhance its competitiveness. Management of organisational culture is viewed by supporters to be among the most important aspects of management today. However, critics argue that organisational culture is constantly changing and hence cannot be effectively managed. The role of management in interacting with and getting feedback from employees is one of the critical aspects of organisational culture. Despite the views by the critics, it is necessary for managers to make attempts to align the operations of their organisations in a manner that enhances competitiveness through employee satisfaction and cooperation.