What Is Organisational Culture All about - Coursework Example

Organizational culture helps to shape the performance of the employees by developing the required work culture which ensures maximum opportunities of growth. Since, organizational culture tends to bring people within and outside the organization based on beliefs, customs, traditions and values which ensures that all people come together and work towards a common goal. This has been further supported by the fact that organizational culture helps in the development of a code of conduct which prescribes the steps which employees have to follow. This helps the entire organization to work together as a unit and ensures maximum effectiveness which helps to use the resources in the most effective manner. This paper analyzes organizational culture by stressing on the need and importance of organizational culture, the different factors and elements which organizational culture denotes. This is backed by different theories and models which will help to understand the process through which better organizational culture can evolve. This is supported by the role of leader in shaping the performance of the organization and developing a culture through which maximum productivity for the organization can be achieved. This will thereby help to ensure that the working culture of the organization evolves and will provide the required benefits through which organization grows. Different scholars and academicians have provided important definition on organizational culture which has been described as common values, beliefs, assumptions, feelings and perception which an entire organization denotes. Organizational culture helps to lay a code of conduct which prescribes the rules which have to be followed and requires every employee to work as a group and achieve the common goal (Thompson & Luthans, 2010). This will help to bring all employees together and will provide the framework for achieving the goals. For example, if a culture of an organization denotes innovativeness it will ensure that the employees within the organization are able to find out new ways of doing the same job. This will prove beneficial when the organization faces difficult situations as the organization and it employees will find new ways to deal with it. This will help to develop a culture within the organization where employees would be willing to take higher risk and would help to improve productivity and preserve the resources over a longer period of time. Organizational culture thereby shapes up the working environment by determining the fundamentals of working for the employees. Organizational culture further helps to distinguish each organization from other based on cultural differences which thereby helps the management to find out ways through which relationship can be established. This facilitates in the development of better relationship between colleagues, employees, customers, management and others. This thereby ensures that the organization is able to use the different resources positively and contribute towards the long term success of the organization. This thereby helps to ensure that a code of conduct is developed which will act as a guideline and ensure that the employees look to work under the rules which have been prescribed. The fact that every organization denotes a different culture has made it imperative that steps are formulated for maximum benefit. Despite it every organization looks to denote certain factors which will ensure that every organization based on it is able to develop a working culture which will ensure maximum effectiveness and is as follows (McClelland & Atkinson, 2008) Firstly, it provides an opportunity through which individual autonomy within the organization is developed. Organizational culture provides an opportunity to highlight the individual talent and prescribes a code to be followed which will thereby ensure that individuals can create their individual space. Secondly, it ensures that an organizational structure is developed which will help to authority responsibility relationship, expectations and objectives which are to be achieved. This will thereby act as a guideline through which employees’ contribution towards the larger goal will increase. Thirdly, it develops a management support system which helps to pass on orders and powers to the employees. This will facilitate the employee in carrying out the work and can always revert back to the management in case of difficulties thereby reducing the chances of making mistakes. Fourthly, it creates individual identity as each member within the organization is recognized for their contribution. This thereby fulfills the social requirements and obligations which will ensure that the employee will be able to contribute positively towards the organizational and individual goal. Fifthly, it will help to develop a reward management system which will look to determine the compensation based on the contribution of the employees. Since organizational culture helps to find out the contribution of each employee towards the organizational goal it will help to develop the reward management system which will be fair and transparent. This will also ensure that the hardworking employees are differentiated from others and will be thereby motivated to contribute towards the larger goals of the organization. Sixthly, it helps to find out the risk tolerance attitude of the organization as it will help to find out whether the organization takes more risk or not. This will help to develop the required initiative through which the management will be able to develop future strategies for the future. Organizational culture thereby helps to highlight the above irrespective of the culture which the organization denotes. These are the crux matter and help to shape the performance of the organization. The importance of organizational culture increases as it helps to accomplish the following (McClelland & Atkinson, 2008) Firstly, it helps to develop a code of conduct which prescribes the rules within which the employee has to perform. The code of conduct lays down the required rules which all employees have to adhere to and has to ensure that no steps are taken which results is a movement from the required code of conduct. Secondly, it helps to develop stability within the organization as customers, employees and others can be easily identified with the organization. Since, organizational culture results in common values and norms it thereby ensures that every employee is easily able to be associated with the organization. Thirdly, it helps in social recognition as it act as a guide through which the employees efforts will be recognized and will help to accomplish the social needs of the employees. Fourthly, it helps to motivate the employees as the reward management system can be developed based on it. This thereby ensures that the employee level of commitment towards the organization increases and provides an opportunity through which the employees can be further motivated for carrying out the different activities of the organization. Fifthly, it develops a culture where employees are able to act in a disciplined manner. Since, the code of conduct prescribes the rules which have to be followed it will thereby ensure that the employees act in a predetermined manner and follows the rules which have been prescribed. Sixthly, it helps to develop a positive attitude among the employees which increases the level of commitment and helps to ensure that the long term goals of the business are accomplished. This will ensure better productivity and use of the resources in the most productive manner. Organizational culture is depicted within the organization by the manner in which the employees and others carry out the different functions. It thereby helps to provide a framework through which a number of objectives of the business are achieved in a better manner as it helps to develop a code of conduct which has to be followed. This will helps to develop the required culture through which every organization will be able to work on the prescribed code of conduct. Organizational culture within an organization is thereby demonstrated by their style of working and could lead towards the demonstration of organizational culture within the working style of the people. A model which has been identified as a model for organizational culture is Trompenaars’ and Hampden-Turner’s which has hired 7 type of organizational dimension and preference. The seven preferences for organizational culture has been identified based on different traits and preferences which have to be fulfilled to determine the type of culture that the organization falls in. The seven parameters which have been identified are as (Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner, 2013) Universalism versus particularism Individualism versus communitarianism Specific versus diffuse Neutral versus emotional Achievement versus ascription Sequential time versus synchronous time Internal direction versus outer direction The identification of different parameters requires to be fulfilled by certain traits and preference so that the type of organizational culture which is being reflected can be identified. The identification of the different indicator helps to differentiate the organization and its people from others. For example in the universalism culture employees will look to work according to the rules and guidelines which have been prescribed. In case of particularism culture the employees focus on building long term relationship and based on it the different parameters are identified based on which the organizational culture will be determined. This thereby helps to depict the culture through the working style of individuals within the organization and the manner the employees and others react with the outsiders while carrying out the different activities. Another theory which will help to identify the organization culture is Hofstede’s Cultural Dimension. This model has identified the cultural preferences of an organization based on five dimensions. All the five dimensions are applicable to all organization and the model looks to examine whether the organization ranks high or low on the particular dimensions thereby helping to find out the culture which the organization has. The cultural dimensions which have been identified is as (Hofstede, 2013) Power Distance Individualism Masculinity Uncertainty Avoidance Long Term Orientation The model which focuses on identification of the manner in which an organization is based on different traits helps to understand and evaluate the overall cultural trait which is present in the organization. This thereby helps to develop the work culture based on which the organizational preferences can be determined and helps to find out the different facets based on which the work culture will evolve. The overall effect will be such that it will help to build an organizational culture through which the goals can be achieved in the most effective manner. The working style and model which has been adopted by the organization will help to determine the working style and will help the others to understand the culture which has been highlighted within the employees. To understand the organizational culture another model have been developed by Goffee and Jones which looks to weigh the cultural parameters on four preferences and helps to understand the manner in which the organizational culture is determined. The different parameters which have been identified are high sociability, low sociability, high solidarity and low solidarity (Goffee and Jones, 2013). The organization falling under a particular traits and preference are determined on the different traits which have been identified. For example an organization which shows a high sociability culture is likely to work through developing relationship as the main focus for the organization is to build a culture which will ensure long term productivity. The working style and model which has been adopted by the organization will help to determine the working style and will help the others to understand the culture which has been highlighted within the employees. Determining the correct organizational culture will help to ensure that different resources of the organization are used in the most effective manner. This will help to lay down the guidelines based on which the organization will be able to develop the required culture based on which the working culture is developed. This will help to improve the overall relevance of working and will unite the entire workforce to work in such a manner that the resources are used in the correct manner. Another model which has been identified and can help to determine the manner in which organizational culture is determined is through the Schein’s three levels of observable culture model. The model unlike other model have developed the different preferences and culture requirements based on artifacts, espoused values and basic assumptions and values (Schein, 2013). Linking the different culture requirements with the culture demonstrated by the organization will help to transform and bring the working environment and will help to ensure that the working culture is developed. The working style and model which has been adopted by the organization will help to determine the working style and will help the others to understand the culture which has been highlighted within the employees. Thus, identification of the organizational culture will help to determine the working style and will be reflected through the working phenomenon that people adopt. Organizations for their success and long term performance have to identify the different cultural requirements which will help to bring and transform the working environment by adopting the correct model so that the correct organizational culture gets reflected among the people. Identifying the correct culture will help to ensure that the working culture is evolved around the same and will thereby assist in developing the required environment through which the overall effectiveness will be gained? This will thereby help to ensure that use of resources will improve and at the same time the working culture will be developed around it. To ensure maximum effectiveness the leaders will have to bear the extra responsibility of developing the culture through which all people within the organization come together and work as a common unit. The leader will have the use their leadership skills to mould the behavior of the employees and make them understand the working culture (Smith, Misumi, Tayeb, Paterson & Bond, 2009). This will require proper communication along with training and other effective method to be implemented properly. This will help the employee to make the required changes and will thereby bring the required transformation through which better chances of achieving the goals becomes possible and needs to look towards ensuring that by choosing the correct model and adopting the correct working style the correct culture gets reflected within the organization. Leaders will have to focus on the cross cultural requirements and have to develop a congenial environment where people belonging to different culture are able to come together and work as a unit. This will act as a corner stone in bringing the required transformation as it will help the management to work according to the changing business environment (Tushman, Newman & Nadler, 2008). Further, it should be ensured that the code of conduct which has been developed based on the organizational culture is followed. The leader at this point have to take the responsibility of ensuring that the code of conduct is followed and all employees understand their role and responsibilities within the organization. This will help to bring the required transformation and ensure that the organizational culture provides maximum effectiveness through which better use of resources becomes possible. The paper thereby shows the manner in which different models and theories will help to identify the organizational culture. Proper ascertainment of the organizational culture will facilitate an environment where the different decisions can be implemented in a proper manner. This will also help to develop the work culture and care should be taken that the culture which has been adopted is depicted in the working culture. This will require that the leaders carry out their different rules and responsibilities and look towards providing the required momentum through which the organization evolves its working culture. Thus, working on the different dimensions and developing a culture which facilitates growth will ensure long term productivity and will help to improve the overall style of working. This will lead towards developing a code of conduct and work culture through which the overall process of organizational culture will evolve and help to improve the use of resources. References Goffee, R. and Jones, G. (2013). Four Organizational Culture. Retrieved on August 8, 2013 http://www.d.parrish.dial.pipex.com/4cultures.html Hofstede, G. (2013). Hofstede’s Cultural Dimension. Retrieved on August 8, 2013 from http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newLDR_66.htm McClelland, D. C. & Atkinson, J. W. (2008). The projective expression of needs, I: The effect of different intensities of the hinder drive on Journal of Psychology. 25, 205-222perception. Thompson, K. R., & Luthans, F. (2010). Organizational culture: A behavioral perspective. In B. Schneider (Ed.), Organizational Climate and Culture (pp. 319-344). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner. (2013). The Seven Dimensions of Culture. Retrieved on August 8, 2013 from http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/seven-dimensions.htm Tushman, M. L., Newman, W. H., & Nadler, D. A. (2008). Executive leadership and organizational evolution: Managing incremental and discontinuous change. San Francisco, Jossey-Bass. Schein, E. (2013). 3 Level of Organizational Culture by Schein. Retrieved on August 8, 2013 from http://www.valuebasedmanagement.net/methods_schein_three_levels_culture.html Smith, P. B., Misumi, J., Tayeb, M. H., Paterson, M., & Bond, M. H. (2009). On the generality of leadership style across cultures. Journal of Occupational Psychology, 30, 526-537. Read More