How Culture Can Be Expressed in Organizations - Example

Name: Professor: Institution: Course: Date: 1.0 Introduction Organizational Culture is marked by beliefs and values that are deeply embedded and shared by members of an organization. Culture is normally observed in the way work gets done on a daily basis. Organization culture is like its own DNA, showing some outward characteristic yet much has to be identified and named concerning the organization. It is not easy to understand an organizations culture just by looking at it hence it requires evaluation and assessment. Organizational culture is what makes one organization so much more popular than other organization and this is why one organization will get more people seeking for employment there. Organizations that have productive and loyal employees and a strong and financially viable organization have invested in and ensure that its culture does respect and trust employees, allowing individual growth in a professional way. It’s essential to assess the current organizational culture before taking a new direction or formulating a new organizational vision. This essay will elaborate more on organizational culture and the way culture can be expressed in organizations. 1.1 Organizational Culture Organizational culture is the manner in which people do things in organizations. It also refers not only to what is held in common by the human race, but also to what differentiates societies or groups of people from each other or one organization from the other. Organizations are also a social entity comprised of groups of people from different walks of life with different beliefs, values, and behaviors from different cultures who interact with each other. These are passed from one person to another through imitation and communication from time to time. Organizational culture also helps employees to align themselves together with their surroundings while being simultaneously informed and shaped by those organizational activities. Organizational culture provides a system or a meaningful framework that guides construction of a more social environment within the organization. It does define the space within which certain behaviors are expected. All organizations have a culture of their own which helps it to determine whether they are performing well internally. It also assists them in making decisions of how they should respond to challenges that arise from external sources. Culture in the organization also assists them to find out if there is cohesion among the employees of that organization (Denison & Spreitzer, 2004). 2.0 The way culture can be expressed within organizations Culture does change as circumstances change because it is not static. Dimensions of culture help us understand and respond to the influences that change a culture. The following researches provide a framework to help understand the dimensions of culture and the way these are expressed within organizations: 2.1 Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner A firm established on culture presents the atmosphere where people work together in organizations and the in the environment immediate to them. A firm works with each and every connotation of culture and thus the following scopes come up. Universalism versus particularism relates the values by which human interactions are considered. Based on Universalists, rules should be adhered to and their standards are correct so they try to change attitudes of others to conform to theirs. Particularists view that rules are less important than some situations (Muchinsky, 2002). The illustration below is a model that shows the different scopes of culture researched by Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner Source: Muchinsky (2002) Individualism versus communitarianism describes the disagreement that arises amid the desire of an individual and the organization. People are expected to make their own decisions in an individualistic culture and take care of themselves and their families only. Such people make decisions without consulting others. Members of a communitarian society integrate themselves into groups for protection and help and in turn they get a sense of loyalty. When an individual takes care of others in completing common objectives and goals their quality of life improves. Decisions are discussed in groups and are reached through consensus. When it comes to specific versus diffuse, specifically oriented individuals look at all factors and evaluate every one of them discretely then make then whole. These people will put most of their time on solid details. Individuals who are diffusely leaning observe every aspect as a whole rather than in parts since they are related to each other. Hence in specifically oriented cultures managers separates tasks relationship with an employee from the concealed field whereas diffusely oriented managers slot in employees from different walks of life thus moving character of individuals simultaneously (Zammuto, Gifford & Goodman, 2009). Concerning neutral versus emotional, it focuses on how individuals express emotions as well as the relation between reason and emotions when it comes to human relationships. People express their emotions in organizational cultures that are high on emotions as they endeavor to get instant outlets for their outlook while organizations that are neutral, individuals carefully control their emotions and are reluctant to show how they feel. Achievement versus ascription deals with how one’s own rank is allocated. People will give rank to individuals based on how well they do while others will qualify individuals on the basis of who they are in terms of class, age, gender or education. The time orientation dimension gives importance to the past, present, and future of an organizational culture. If the culture leans on what went before then the prospect will be a recurrence of situations that occurred earlier. If the way the organization is slopes to current situations then the daily activities directs individuals’ lives. If the culture orientation is towards the future then what the organization does is channeled towards upcoming opportunities. What occurred in precedent is not important to the organization (Gerth & Wright, 2008). 2.2 Geert Hofstede Dr Geert Hofstede identified value dimensions of culture that would assist in understanding the way cultural differences worked. This would show how culture can be expressed within organizations. He found similarities and differences amid the responses on the following cultural scopes. Power/distance shows the level of inequality that exists among individuals with and without power. People have different levels of power within organizations depending on the position they hold within the organization. In low power distance cultures employees do not readily accept the hierarchy of power while in high power distance cultures, the positions on the organizational structure determines an individual’s authority over the others (Cummings & Worley, 2007). Below is a model showing the different dimensions of culture developed by Geert Hofstede. Source: Luthans (2008) Under the dimension of individualism it shows the power that employees have and how they relate well with others in the organization. A high score will indicate there is a loose connection with people. Organizations that have a high individualism show lack of concern involving relationships between people and less allocation of tasks, while an organization with a low individualism will have a strong cohesion hence the members of the organization are more responsible, loyal and respect each other, for example if a marketing campaign is conducted that will emphasize benefits of a certain product then it would be well received and understood. Based on Robbins & Sanghi (2007), the other dimension is masculinity/feminity which shows how an organization adheres to values and roles of the different gender. In areas where there is high masculinity, men are expected to be the main contributors, tough and self-confident. Women who work will have a separate line of job from men. A society where there is low masculinity there are no specific roles for any gender. Women and men work together equally across any line of job. According to Hofstede's analysis, if an organization is established in high masculinity areas, there might be good performance if a male employee leads the team. Organizations in low masculinity areas aim for a well balanced team comprising of all gender based on their skills for the job. This uncertainty/avoidance relates to the level of anxiety some members of the society may feel when facing uncertain situations. Organizations in high uncertainty/avoidance are likely to keep away from unknown situations. Organizations in low uncertainty/avoidance societies have few rules and accept the unknown and tolerate risks and unconventional behavior. Long term/short term orientation refers to how the society values traditions and values either on a long term or short term basis. Organizations in countries with long term orientation don’t demand immediate returns on investments and are often thrifty but those in short term oriented countries put emphasis on living for the present and have a high demand for short term results (Luthans 2008). 2.3 Goffee and Jones According to Brown (2006), Goffee and Jones maintain that an organizations culture can be determined and understood by looking at two concepts which are sociability and solidarity, and their four resulting mixes which are networked culture, fragmented culture, communal culture and mercenary culture. Sociability in an organization is the level of friendliness that exists among the employees hence they are like friends other than just workmates. Communication most of the time is face-to-face where they share ideas and all this happens on an informal and natural basis. High sociability has benefits such as sharing of information, knowledge and ideas but the major drawbacks are criticisms and disagreements that may arise are avoided in fear of displeasing others or tolerating poor performance. Solidarity in an organization is the ability of the employees to pursue common objectives regardless of the social ties. Even if employees are not friends but are in the same organization, a high sense of solidarity will bring them together. The benefits of high solidarity include low tolerance to poor performance and quick reaction to competitive advances. As a result of the concepts the following mixes arise, a networked, fragmented, mercenary and communal culture among the employees of an organization. Below is an illustration showing the relation between the two concepts which are sociability and solidarity, and their four resulting mixes which are networked culture, fragmented culture, communal culture and mercenary culture. Source: Brown (2006) Hence culture can be expressed in the following ways in an organization: the way in which the organization conducts its business and operates, the way it treats its employees, customers, and the community at large. Culture can also be expressed by the extent to which the organization rules itself and freedom it allows itself while making decisions, developing new ideas to be employed within the organization and personal expression. Culture can also be observed by how the power flows and information is channeled through the organizations hierarchy and the strength with which an employee commits towards achieving the set objectives (Ashkanasy, Wilderom & Peterson, 2008). 2.4 Edgar Schein Organizations build up their culture over a long period of time through the employees when they go through radical transformations, find solutions to problems and adapt to the external environment. Employees benefit from past work experiences and a repetition of their activities forms the working culture of the organization. New employees after staying in the organization after a period of time will adjust to the organizations culture. Schein came up the following levels related to the culture of an organization. Artifacts describe how culture is expressed in an organization. Organizational characteristics which are known as artifacts can be heard seen and felt by employees. These include how employees behave, the layout of the office place and how the employees dress themselves. The way employees dress can show how professional they are and whether there are strict organizational rules put in place (Vellis, 2003). The illustration below shows Edgar Schein’s levels of culture that build up among employees over a period of time in an organization. Source: Schein (2010) The following level comprises of espoused values which make up the culture of the organization. Individuals in an organization decide the organization culture hence employees attitudes and beliefs have a deep impact. The thoughts of employees about an organization do affect its culture. The third level is the assumed values of the employees. Even if this can’t be measured it has a tremendous effect on the organization culture for example some beliefs and facts that stay hidden which comprise the inner aspects of the employees. Based on Robbins & Sanghi (2007), culture can also be termed as strong or weak with the way it is expressed in an organization. It is strong if the organizations performs in a positive way, becomes more productive, ensures safety of both consumers and employees, attends customers well and provide quality products. It can also be expressed through care for the environment, being present and coming early at work and also the methods of production the organization uses. 2.5 Organizational Leadership and Performance Culture can be expressed through leadership in an organization. Depending on the direction the organization intends to go, the management is responsible for making plans that will stipulate what should be followed towards achieving a certain goal. The management will also be responsible for making budgets which will be the financial plan that will see it through to achieving its intended objectives. According to Muchinsky (2002), the way an organization aligns itself with the current trends can also be used to express organization culture. This can be through the way an organization organizes its activities as well as how it conducts recruitment and training. Culture can also be expressed through directing and controlling of the organizational activities. Organizations may also develop relationships by focusing on its activities which can be production or provision of goods and services. Position power still has a role in organizations and if this culture is developed, it can be used to provide mission, vision and direction. Through leadership culture can be expressed by the way the leaders keep on creating vision and strategy and eyeing constantly at the horizon. Culture is also evident by the way leaders in organizations create a shared culture and vision, helping others to grow within the organization thus reducing boundaries that may exist between the workers. A culture based on leadership should also maintain focus on people and be mindful of them. Acting as a coach, leaders can do this by motivating other employees and inspiring them to do their best based on personal power. Organizational culture can also be expressed through efficient performance of an organization over a given period of time. Organizational culture can be expressed by the employees with the attitude they have towards the organization in general, fellow workers and its customers. Luthans (2008) pointed out that performance of individual employees and the organization as a whole is determined by the presence or absence of the value they attach to customers, reduction of costs and business innovation which in turn is determined by their culture. For example, a customer oriented organization will be more effective and efficient and have a large market share as opposed to organizations that do not depict the same culture. 3.0 Conclusion The culture of an organization is associated with the behavior of all the employees. When managers effect changes in an organization it will affects its culture which will be expressed by how the employees behave. The culture expressed within an organization determines whether or not it is an environment conducive to work in. An organization expressing a good working culture will influence positively the work behavior and attitudes of its employees and therefore the organization will be able to achieve its goals. References Cummings, T. G. & Worley C. G. (2007). Organization Development and Change. Delhi: Thomson South-Western. Vellis, R. F. (2003). Organizational Development – Theory and Applications. Newbury Park: Sage Publications. Luthans, F. (2008). Organizational Behavior. Massachusetts: Irwin / McGraw-Hill. Muchinsky, P. M. (2002). An Introduction to Industrial and Organizational Culture. Belmont: Wadsworth / Thomson Learning. Robbins, S. P. & Sanghi S. (2007). Organizational Culture. New Delhi: Pearson Education. Denison, D. R. & Spreitzer, G. M. (2004). Organizational culture and organizational Development. Research in Organizational Change and Development, 5: 1-21. Gerth, H. H. & Wright, C. M. (2008). Essays in Organizational Culture. London: Routledge. Brown, A. (2006). Organization Culture. New Jersey: Pearson. Zammuto, R. F., Gifford, G. & Goodman, E. A. (2009). Managerial ideologies, Organization culture and the outcomes of innovation: A competing values perspective. Ashkanasy, N.,Wilderom, C. & Peterson M. (2008). The Handbook of Organizational Culture. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. Schein, E. H. (2010). Organizational Culture and Leadership. 4th ed. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Read More