Organization Culture - Case Study Example

Organization Culture Organizations rely on people to achieve the set goals and objectives. Culture is a part of every organization regardless of size and purpose (Keyton, 2011). The culture of an organization is the values, artifacts, and assumptions that emerge when members interact. It defines the correct course of action in different situations. Many employees find it difficult to describe the culture in their organizations, but it does not mean they do not know. They understand the values and actions that are considered right from the perspective of the company’s culture. The importance of organizational culture in work performance and employee motivation has prompted organizations like Google to hire Chief Cultural Officer (CCO). The CCO is tasked with the responsibility of protecting the culture of the organization as it undergoes growth and development (Fund, Four Ways Social HR will Transform Business in 2013, 2012). The growth of a company reduces the number of activities that can be controlled directly by the management. Therefore, it is reasonable to appoint someone who can make sure the organizational culture does not deviate from the foundational values and beliefs that facilitated success and growth of the organization. I had an opportunity to volunteer in a humanitarian organization that was concerned with supporting environmental safety and wildlife. It is a big organization that brings together volunteers from different branches in an exchange program. The permanent staff in the organization was about 30 people in the branch. The organization takes between 10 and 20 volunteers each year. Everything in the organization is done in methods that guarantee a reduction of carbon footprints. A Chief Cultural Officer in this organization would be responsible for setting the tone for communication. The organization has a diverse workforce with people from different backgrounds. The COO would be expected to monitor communication and liaise with the Head of Human Resource on how to improve effectiveness. The COO would also be tasked with the responsibility of defining the goals of the organization and aligning all the departments. This is a very crucial responsibility because the organization was started to achieve specific goals. Success and greed can make organization members to deviate from the principles and values of the organization. Ensuring the goals of the organization are remembered is necessary. It is also an opportunity to make new employees understand the importance of being motivated by the mission and vision of the organization. The COO should explain these goals to gain their support. Priorities are key to the success of a COO in the volunteer organization. The priority should focus on promoting values and beliefs that support effective communication. An organization culture is generated from the complex web of communication that occurs among members. Therefore, the COO must make it a priority to protective and improve communication channels within the organization. This will help in setting the right mood for growth and development. From the perspective of communication, organizational culture is dynamic, linked to the members and motivated by emotion. The COO must make it a priority to protect the complex connection among the members. He must also influence emotions in a positive way to charge communication in the organization. The COO should take time to study the internal environment of the organization. This would help in comprehending the core values of the organization. He should make a point of elimination any negative cultures at their developmental stages. A negative culture is very difficult to eliminate after it has stayed for long because they might be connected to the existing power in the organization. It is the responsibility of the COO to devise means to eliminate the current negative culture and prevent the development of any new negative cultures. The COO should consider embracing the concept of social HR to accomplish all these priorities. The humanitarian organization is made of volunteers and a number of employees who are focused on helping the needy in any they can. The organization demands dedication from all its members. Most of the permanent staff members started out as volunteers before being absorbed as full-time employees. Social HR will help the organization motivate employees. It will also help the COO to foster the development of a culture that embraces every member of the organization (Fund, How to Curb Employee Turnover, 2013). The COO has to liaise with the human resources manager to change the thinking in the organization. Social HR will transform the organization by putting employees in charge, making it a priority to foster a positive culture, reinvent performance management, and reducing employee turnover. In retrospect, the number of volunteers who quit the organization after disagreeing with team members are many. The general manager of the organization was concerned about losing volunteers who can go and tarnish the name of the organization. He called meetings to urge all members of the organization to embrace teamwork and peaceful coexistence. Social HR will help solve the problem by putting employees and volunteers in charge. The COO will make it his responsibility to make sure volunteers and employees are fully appreciated. This will increase their dedication to the organization. This provides an opportunity for the organization to increase its employee base by hiring dedicated volunteers. It is also possible for these volunteers to market the organization by describing the positive treatment that all members get. Social HR recognizes the existence of organization culture. Therefore, the most difficult task is to make sure a culture that supports teamwork and productivity is fostered in the organization. An exceptional culture will help in attracting new volunteers and talented employees (Fund, Four Ways Social HR will Transform Business in 2013, 2012). It will also help in creating a positive image for the company, which is good for getting the attention of donors. A good internal environment has a positive impact on the quality of work. Social HR is very effective in reducing employee turnover. The COO can make it part of the organizational culture by recommending alternative forms of employee recognition (Fund, Four Ways Social HR will Transform Business in 2013, 2012). Employees and volunteers love being appreciated for doing a good job. Giving employees responsibilities and assigning volunteers tasks is a form of recognition. It makes employees feel important to the company. This is has a positive impact on their dedication. The COO can recommend surveys to understand what can satisfy employees. It would be effective to organize a meeting with team members and direct them to get a response from all employees and volunteers on their satisfaction level. The direct feedback gives the management a chance to understand employees. It is easy for the organization to respond or communicate hope to employees and volunteers. The COO in collaboration with top management should show volunteers and employees that the organization means business. This is done by reinforcing positive values and pushing employees to give their best. They should understand that working for the organization goes beyond just work. It is a dedication to the cause of making life a bit easy for the needy. In conclusion, the COO in the organization will have the responsibility of protecting the core values of the organization in a dynamic world (DuBois, 2012). The COO is expected to improve communication channels through understanding the internal environment of the organization. An improved communication network makes it easy to get feedback from members of the organization. Therefore, it is relatively easy to satisfy most of the organization members. Social HR can be used to bring employees and management closer. References DuBois, S. (2012, June 30). The Rise of the Chief Culture Officer. Retrieved from Fortune: http://management.fortune.cnn.com/2012/07/30/chief-culture-officers/ Fund, J. (2012, December 20). Four Ways Social HR will Transform Business in 2013. Retrieved from Boston.com: http://www.boston.com/business/blogs/global-business-hub/2012/12/four_ways_socia.html Fund, J. (2013, February 15). How to Curb Employee Turnover. Retrieved from Boston.com: http://www.boston.com/business/blogs/global-business-hub/2013/02/how_to_curb_emp.html Keyton, J. (2011). Communication and Organization Culture (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, California: Sage Publications. Read More