Organizational Culture and How It Can Be Expressed within Organizations - Coursework Example

Organizational Culture and How it can be Expressed within Organizations Name: (first name, middle initial(s), and last name) Course Lecturer Institutional Date What is organizational culture? Organizational culture is a term used mostly within (but not limited to) the business world. It is used interchangeably with the term corporate culture though this may not be an accurate synonym because organizational culture is also found within non-corporate organizations such as charities and other non-profit organizations. It is difficult to define the term ‘organizational culture’ since it is such a broad term and there are many different ranging definitions already in circulation. To define it, one may begin by separating the two words and defining them separately first. The word culture can be used to refer to many things depending on the context. Culture refers to the cumulative repository of knowledge, beliefs, experience, values, meanings, attitudes, religion, hierarchies, concepts of the universe, notions of time, spatial relations, roles, and material possessions and objects attained by a group of people from generation to generation through individual and group efforts (Culture, n.d). Culture in this context refers to the way that people within a community generally behave. Organizational culture has been defined by Edgar Schein, a famous theorist as "A pattern of shared basic assumptions that the group learned as it solved its problems that has worked well enough to be considered valid and is passed on to new members as the correct way to perceive, think, and feel in relation to those problems" (Schein, 1992). He insisted that the definition must be broad, or else the factors that contribute to culture are lost in the process of narrowing it down, which makes it inaccurate. Gareth Morgan’s definition of the same varies in words, but the concept is retained. He defines it as "The set of the set of beliefs, values, and norms, together with symbols like dramatized events and personalities, which represents the unique character of an organization, and provides the context for action in it and by it" (Morgan, 1989). The words used in this definition such as belief and norms appear over and over in other definitions of the term. Norms are embodied in traditions and they play a part in the formation and development of beliefs. Another way in which organizational culture may be easily defined is by looking at it as the way that a group of individuals reacts to stimuli. Individuals within an organizational culture are taught through training, or they learn from those around them how to react in a given situation (Deal & Kennedy, 1982). This basically means it is the way that an organization in general does things. So while several definitions of organizational culture exist, they all have the same points of focus: routine, collective experience, beliefs, goals, values, and system. These are learned, re-learned, handed down to new employees, and continue on as part of an organization's core identity (Shrivastava, 1983). To put it in simple terms, I will define organizational culture as the way people think or act within and because of their being members of an organization. This in turn results in the way that an organization appears and behaves- the whole is contained within the parts. This is because organizational culture is so deeply embedded within the company, that it becomes an identity for the company and consequently its members. Since culture is always a circular argument, the people also end up affecting the culture just as much as the same affects them. Therefore the way that the people behave within an organization, affects the way that the organization in totality behaves (Organizationalculture101, 2007). How can culture be expressed within organizations? Organizations express their organizational culture in various ways through their management, employees and to their competition. A company’s organizational culture dictates its members’ actions, and how to know what is beautiful or ugly according to it, as well as what is good or bad for it. As such this culture is expressed from the head to the lowest ranking employees of the company. There are 4 major ways in which culture can be expressed within an organization including; 1. How business is conducted within the company. 2. How its employees, their customers and the community it interacts with as a whole are treated. 3. How information and power flow through the company’s hierarchy. 4. How committed its employees are to the objectives of the organization (BusinessDictionary.com, n.d). How business is conducted in a company is an expression of organizational culture. How business is conducted in an organization appears in many ways; starting from the top with the management style. The style of management that is employed within an organization may say a lot about the company. The different types of management styles include; autocratic, persuasive, consultative, democratic, laissez-faire, chaotic, pertanalistic management, and management by walking around (MBWA) among others (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, n.d.). Management styles affect the ways in which business is conducted by affecting the flow of power and what employees are or aren’t permitted to do. They affect the general atmosphere, the relationship type between the management and its employees (Schein, 1992). If for example the management adopts a more hands-on type of approach, the work place may become suffocating for those employees that don’t work well in a micromanaged environment. On the flipside, it may promote an atmosphere of uniformity and subsequently unity since more supervision means that things that go wrong are quickly corrected. If a less autocratic style of management is employed such as the democratic style, more ideas are pooled together and the organization becomes a reflection of its entire population, as opposed to the management’s alone. If a laissez-faire system is used, it may either encourage and improve productivity or reduce productivity depending on the employee. The organization’s management is responsible for its attitudes, ventures, atmosphere, and employee work ethic. It can therefore be said to be a major way in which organizational culture is expressed (Schein, 1992; Cheney, Christensen, Zorn, & Ganesh, 2004). The appearance of the work place is also another way in which culture can be expressed in the work place. Is it colorful and vibrant or somber and serious? Such organizations as Google show their company’s culture in their work place through fun colors and less conventional types of furniture. The work place in such a case is more relaxing than one in which dull and sober colors are used. The atmosphere expresses the attitudes and manner in which people are expected to conduct themselves in and because of the organization (Deal & Kennedy, 1982). The plan of the work space also expresses the culture of the organization, is it an open plan type where there are no partitioned spaces and everyone has a work station within the same room? Is it partitioned with small walls that can easily be gotten over? Or do all employees have their own office closed off from the rest of their colleagues? These affect the ways that employees work, how they make decisions, how much work they get done, and so on. If there are no partitions, they may work more closely with each other and become a true community. If divided (Shrivastava, 1983). Business itself may be conducted from home, in the field with the clients face to face, over the internet or the phone. This is also an expression of culture within the organization. It means that the organization appears warm and inviting or cold and distant or desperate and a nuisance all depending on the way they conduct their business. A sales company for example that conducts its business on the phone calling customers at random may appear to be a nuisance in the eyes of a customer. If a company wishes to express its culture differently than it has in the past, they may consider changing the way they do business. If it is conducted over the internet, it may cause the organization to appear more in touch with its target population as it becomes more accessible (Drenan, 1992). The more progressive a company’s business ideas and styles of conducting business the more progressive its culture and vice versa. If the company goes about its activities the same way it always has, it comes off as old fashioned or rigid. This is to be considered if an organization seeks to change its culture. The rites and rituals practiced within an organization also speak volumes of its culture (Martin, 2012). An example of a ritual is whereby the organization has a weekly/ monthly meeting and the attendees are required to dress up in certain ways according to the theme. Rites may involve new employees getting inducted into the company, being bathed in the new culture they are now part of, or when an employee transitions from one position to another. Rites and rituals express an organization’s culture and contribute to operating procedures within it. The organization’s values and beliefs are also symbolically embodied by these and therefore subsequently passed on and reinforced through its members’ active participation (Deal & Kennedy, 1982). Another expression of organizational culture is seen in how the organization treats its employees, customers and surrounding community. To begin with the customers, simple things such as dress code express the organization’s culture. A company may insist on its employees dressing only in sober colors to give off a sense of seriousness in the work place. They may even go so far as to stipulate the colors allowed and the lengths required. This is in contrast to the more relaxed work place that is not typically concerned about its employees’ attires but more with their productivity. The former appears more stringent while the latter is more accepting of its members (Drenan, 1992). Employees may be motivated with bonuses and payment for overtime done by their organization if the organization wishes to show that it cares for its employees. Other ways to do this is to put regulations in place to preclude or necessitate pay rises for employees. Sick leaves and the number of days of leave as well as when one is allowed to take leave also express the company’s culture. In some companies, employees need to apply for permission to take leave while in others, they need only to give notice that they would like to take leave. How personally tailored the organization is to each individual member shows the company’s culture. The same applies for the customers- how the organization treats its customers is an expression of culture. If a customer would like a service just as it’s time to close up the business for the day, how they are handled at that time reflects how and who the company is (Schein, 1992; Cheney, Christensen, Zorn, & Ganesh, 2004). The working hours of an organization also express the company’s culture. They too are an expression of how employees are treated- whether they work too many hours and are underpaid at the same time, whether they are required to be at work too early and leave too late. This is in contrast to the organization in which employees choose their reporting time or have a reasonable reporting time set, and they are free to leave any time after a certain reasonable hour or as they please as long as they have finished their work (Deal & Kennedy, 1982; Shrivastava, 1983). The amount of individualism an organization allows expresses its culture. This is shown by how much independent thought is allowed within the organization. Are the opinions and ideas of the organization’s members valued and appreciated or are they disregarded and not considered? Is the organization tailored to the special needs of its members? Do they have ramps and special bathrooms for physically disabled workers? Are they accommodating of the different ethnicities that may be present within their member population? (Martin, 2012). The third major way in which an organization may express its culture is through the flow of information through its hierarchy. This may be expressed through power distance which refers to the perceived and real separation levels between those individuals in charge and those who are not (Organizationalculture101, 2007). Power distance affects the ways that decisions are made within a company- decisions are either made at the top by the senior management or management and coworkers alike may have a say in the decision-making process (Shrivastava, 1983). Flow of information is best observed from the point of view of the protocol followed within the organization. Some organizations follow protocol to the letter; information in such institutions follows a tortuous route before getting to the low level employees. Questions can only be asked to those immediately senior and never otherwise. In such situations the senior management appears to be distant and may be out of touch with the organization’s employees and plight. Conversely, other organizations are less stringent on protocol thus permitting a more free flow of information through its ranks and to all employees (Martin, 2012). The fourth way in which organizational culture is expressed is through the level of commitment that employees have to the company’s objectives. The direction to be followed and therefore the objectives to be achieved by the company are decided by the leadership. If the leadership succeeds in its capacity, the employees are committed to achieving the goals of the company. They are as motivated as the leader is. The organization therefore expresses its culture through the type of leadership it chooses. The kind of leader the company has will determine the motivation level of the employees (Schein, 1992). The organization also needs to be clear on their objectives in order to even begin to have their employees motivated towards their achievement. Culture in an organization can thus be expressed through its leadership (Florentina, 2012). Finally, organizations may be literal in expressing their culture by use of symbols such as their log for example. The company’s logo expresses them forehand and is made as appropriate as possible to the ideas that it would like to project of itself. Advertisements may also be used to express culture as they are a company’s first hand expression of who they would like to be seen as and how they perceive themselves. The types of events that the company endorses and takes part in are also another way in which culture may be expressed. Companies may want to be associated with charity events to show that they care about worthy causes. There are several ways in which organizational culture may be expressed; they all depend on the image that the company would like to project of itself, and how they would like to go about projecting it (Florentina, 2012). Conclusion In conclusion, organizational culture is the personality of a company. This can be expressed in several ways which have been discussed in this paper. Organizational culture originates from its leadership as the rest of the organization follows its leadership. The end effects of an organizational culture are best seen in its performance and productivity. If a company wishes to improve performance and productivity, they should consider changing their organizational culture by targeting the ways in which it expresses the same because as mentioned before, the whole is found within the parts. References BusinessDictionary.com (n.d). What is organizational culture? definition and meaning. Retrieved from http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/organizational-culture.html Cheney, G., Christensen, L. T., Zorn, T. E. & Ganesh, S. (2004). Organizational communication in an age of globalization: issues, reflections, practices. Prospect Heights, Ill.: Waveland Press. Culture (n.d). culture definition. Retrieved from http://www.tamu.edu/faculty/choudhury/culture.html Deal, T. E., & Kennedy, A. A. (1982). Corporate cultures: the rites and rituals of corporate life. Reading, Mass.: Addison-Wesley Publishing Company. Drenan, D. (1992) Transforming Company Culture. London: McGraw-Hill Book Company. Florentina P. (2012). Organizational Culture and Its Way of Expression within the Organization. Retrieved from http://anale.steconomiceuoradea.ro/volume/2012/n2/052.pdf Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (n.d.). Management styles. Retrieved from http://www.rpi.edu/dept/advising/free_enterprise/business_structures/management_styles.htm Martin, J. (2012). “That’s how we do things around here”: Organizational culture (and change) in libraries. Retrieved from http://www.inthelibrarywiththeleadpipe.org/2012/thats-how-we-do-things-around-here/ Morgan, G. (1989). Creative organization theory: a resourcebook. Newbury Park: Sage. Organizationalculture101 (2007). Analyzing Organizational Culture. Retrieved from http://www.organizationalculture101.com/analyzing-organizational-culture.html Schein, E. H. (1992). Organizational culture and leadership (2nd ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Shrivastava, P. (1983). Integrating strategy formulation with organizational culture. New York: New York University, Graduate School of Business Administration. Read More