Abiding Concern of Corporate Culture - Essay Example

Corporate culture is the behavior that is practiced by the people who work within or work together with certain organizations. These are collective behaviors that are taught to those people who have recently joined the organization and it is these behaviors, which enshrine the ideals and objectives of the organization within which it is practiced. Corporate culture has an influence on how the members of an organization conduct themselves in almost every aspect of their lives, in respect to their work, to create a good image. It is this behavior which comes to affect how employees interact with their fellow employees, all their clients (whether large or small), and those people who have an interest in the organization (whether they are shareholders or stakeholders). The corporate culture of an organization can also be defined as the values that contribute to the creation of an environment that is conducive both psychologically and socially and enable employees to work effectively without worrying about any conflict related to their work procedure. These values are based on the knowledge that has been gained in the history of the organization from its founding as well as the existing knowledge of the organization, which form the philosophies that hold the organization together. There are certain instances, however, where there may be many, different conflicting, cultures within an organization, and this usually occurs especially in the large organizations, because of the different paths that are pursued by the various management teams in achieving the goals that have been set for the organization. Corporate culture is an extremely complex phenomenon within an organization, and it affects those who are employed by it in their work lives in various ways. When one considers corporate culture, one will realize that it may have both positive and negative effects on the individuals involved. It is these effects, among others, which will be discussed in this paper. While, in most cases, it is the management of an organization or corporation which plays a crucial role in the creation of the corporate culture of the organization; those who are in such an organization also have a crucial role to play in the formulation of the said culture. The corporate culture involves the social expectations and standards, which determine the values and beliefs, which hold the people working for or with an organization together (McCune 1999, p.52). Furthermore, this culture is determined by those signs and symbols, which make an organization recognized by those who deal with it as well as its customers, and it is this which determines the way the people who work within this organization behave (Yang 2010 p.223). In this way, the employees of an organization can be considered the embodiment of the organization’s culture. In most instances, a shared language is particularly prominent in the development of a corporate culture because the adhesive holds a society together, and without a common means of communication within the organization, then the organization would collapse. It is, therefore, essential for the management of an organization to ensure that all its employees are well versed in the organization’s internal language, especially jargon, so that they can all be able to work together on the same footing. A common language also determines how employees relate to each other and this can be seen in situations where workers who communicate well with one another tend to be more productive than those who do not. Corporate culture is the single most noteworthy thing that determines whether an organization becomes successful and achieves the goals that have been set for it by its management (Klein 2004, p.23). When considering corporate culture, there are four key elements, which determine the success of an organization within, which it is practiced. The first of these are the values that define the principles that are at the core of the corporate culture of the organization, the second element to be considered are the individuals within the organization who embody its values because, without them, there would be no culture of which to speak. The third element is the routine interactions that are made between the members of an organization that is full of strong symbolic qualities to make them feel like part of a family. Finally, there is the informal communication system within the organization that not only determines how well people work but also how they get to define the organizational goals (Stok, et al 2010, p.303). Although it is extremely rare for it to happen, there comes a time when the corporate culture of a particular organization can become subject to change. The change of the corporate culture often comes about when there is a change in the management of an organization. There are certain instances where it is necessary to change the management of an organization due to unsatisfactory performance. When this happens, it is often necessary to change the culture of an organization because the corporate culture determines how it works, whether it does well or not (Nwachukwu and Vitell 1997, p.757). However, it is often extremely difficult for the new management to institute these changes, and because of this, a highly competent team is needed if success is to be achieved in changing the corporate culture of an organization. In order to change a corporate culture, one has to be aware of what exactly it takes to change the existing culture. Moreover, the ability to amend the culture is in the hands of the top management of the organization, and they are responsible for the institution of such alteration. Lastly, organizational culture helps to resolve the dilemma of bureaucracy because although formal procedures are necessary for business integrity, there are instances where bureaucracy also ends up stifling autonomy and creativity. If an organization has a well-established corporate culture, then it becomes easy for innovation to take place without interference from its bureaucracy because a balance will be achieved between the bureaucracy and the employees. They are, therefore, able to work hand in hand to achieve the objectives of the organization without any conflict between them, hence a high level of productivity. The corporate culture consists of many subdivisions or subcultures, which interact with one another for the sake of the successful running of the organization. Therefore, it can be said that this corporate culture is not as homogenous as one would expect and may in fact, consist of many coexisting cultures, which work hand in hand out of necessity (Clegg, Kornberger and Pitsis 2008 p.226). These subcultures tend to be interdependent, and one cannot function without the support of others. These subcultures tend to develop in the various areas of specialization that help in the functions of the organization and because of this; they tend to bind those who practice them into a tight community, which enables them to fulfill their tasks effectively (Llopis 2007, p.96). Each of these subcultures have created their own characteristics and sense of identity, and an example of this is within the workplace where employees can easily classify themselves socially according to their areas of specialization, membership in a particular union, and age. Although these subcultures may be diverse, each of them is developed for furthering the goals of the organization through different means (Palthe and Ernst 2003, p.257). It can, therefore, be said that all the individual subcultures within an organization are different manifestations of the general corporate culture of the organization which, when combined ensure that they form one cohesive unit. Through the initial interactions with new members of an organization, the older members tend to transmit gradually their cultural values to these new members and in time, they become thoroughly absorbed into the dominant culture. This culture not only influences the way the employees of an organization behave, it also influences their feelings concerning their work. In cases where the corporate culture of an organization is positive, then it is most likely that its employees will be more efficient in their work, ensuring that they are more productive (Liu 2010, p.80). However, in instances where the corporate culture is weak or negative, then it is likely that those who work within the organization will not feel comfortable enough in their workplace to be able to work effectively. In such cases, the consequences are always detrimental because if the corporate culture is not swiftly changed for the better, then it is likely that the organization will fail. It is, therefore, essential for organizations to develop a strong corporate culture to instill in its employees the sense that they are not only working for the organization, but also for themselves. When this is done, then the employees end up feeling at home in their workplace and will give their best for the benefit of the organization (Van der Does and Caldeira 2006, p.10). The management of the organization should create a culture where innovation among its employees is encouraged because innovation is necessary if an organization is to attain its goals in the current world effectively. To create such a culture and instill it in its employees, a strong and competent management for the organization is needed so that it can be best able to manage the culture as well as institute any changes whenever they are needed. The corporate culture may not necessarily be united due to the existence of subcultures, and it is from these subcultures that change to the overall culture develops. For example, a new management takes over a corporation with the aim of improving its image and making it a more popular brand (Flanagan 1995, p.57). This new management will more likely target the culture of this corporation because it is its essence. The best way to do this would be for the new management to create a counterculture whose aim would be to replace the existing one. The changes have to be started from the subculture level because it is extremely difficult to change the general corporate culture. Since the changes will begin from the level of subculture, it is likely that the employees will be more accepting of it. Moreover, culture change from a subculture level would enable the management to monitor how well the changes that are implemented are received by the employees. Most of the people in this organization, after an initial resistance, would be forced to conform to this new culture; otherwise, they would risk losing their positions. In fact, the employees will not only conform to the new culture, but they will be encouraged to increase their output to ensure their survival within the organization. Changing an organization’s culture is one of the most difficult challenges that its leadership can face, and this is because of an interlocking set of roles, processes, values and attitudes (Atchison 2002 p.11). Changing a culture is a large undertaking that should be done on a large scale in order to make it successful. All the organizational tools for changing minds should be put in play, and if they do not work, the use of coercion and punishments should be put in place as a last resort to ensure compliance with the new changes. The management of an organization should display strength at all times because if it does not do so, then it will be exceedingly difficult for them to run the organization (Ogbor 2001, p.590). The strength of the management team ensures the existence of a strong corporate culture, which eventually determines the success of the organization. In conclusion, corporate culture has a significant influence within the organization, and it affects almost everything that happens in it. Corporate culture functions as a unifying factor between the different members of an organization and it helps in the development of the organization’s image as a community of interests. It can be considered the essence of an organization, determining its values, and objectives, which is a hugely essential element in a modern corporation. There has been speculation about whether or not an organization’s culture can be managed and while some believe that it can be managed, others do not. One can say that the management of culture within an organization is possible if it has a strong management at the helm. The development of corporate culture tends to begin with the management, however; it is the employees, who eventually come to determine whether it works or not. References Atchison, T. A. (2002). "What is Corporate Culture?" Trustee 55.4: 11. 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