Organizational Culture Differences between Government and Non-Government/Private/Corporate Organizations - Essay Example

Organizational Culture Differences between Government and Non-Government/Private/Corporate OrganizationsGovernments and non-government/private/corporate organizations expect their employees to work together in attaining their vision, mission, and goals. They also have values and principles that they want their employees to practice, as part of their organizational cultures. Their one general difference is the importance of process in decision-making for governments and performance outcomes for non-government/private/corporate organizational cultures, while their main similarity is a clear, engaging mission.

I prefer to work in a corporate organizational culture because I value performance outcomes more than static processes and believe I will thrive in an environment where employees live by their organizational values, and management enables, promotes, and rewards excellent performance and provides freedom and responsibility. One general difference between government and non-government/private/corporate organizational cultures is that government cultures emphasize the importance of process in making decisions, while non-government/private/corporate organizational cultures tend to focus more on performance outcomes.

For instance, the National Security Council has a complicated process of determining who must attend different meetings. When science and technology related issues are the meeting agenda, the NSC's regular attendees will be composed of the Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy (United States Government 2009: 2). If international economic issues are on the agenda, the regular attendees will be the Secretary of Commerce, the United States Trade Representative, the Assistant to the President for Economic Policy, and the Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers (United States Government 2009: 2).

These different people have different organizational cultures and one can only imagine the nightmare that comes with the process of making decisions. On the contrary, non-government/private/corporate organizational cultures tend to focus more on performance outcomes. They resist bureaucratic decision-making that government agencies practice. Netflix avoids bureaucratic processes by increasing its number of high-performance employees faster than it grows (Hastings 2009: 54). It also has fewer rules, so that employees have more freedom to make decisions on their own, as long as they are working for the best interest of the company (Hastings 2009: 74).

This main difference is an important factor in shaping organizational processes and cultures.Despite this difference, one general similarity between these two organizational cultures is a clear, engaging mission. The new Department of Homeland Security wants a “unified corporate culture” of 22 diverse federal entities where they have the “clear and unassailable mission of preventing terrorist attacks on U.S. soil” (Jacobson 2009). It believes that a clear, motivating mission unites its members.

Non-government/private/corporate organizational cultures also believe in having a strong mission. Netflix, for instance, has a mission when hiring its employees. Its main goal is to hire people who can help the company become “big and fast and flexible” (Hastings 2009: 94). Having a clear and persuasive mission can drive the cultures of both government and non-government/private/corporate organizations.I prefer to work in a corporate organizational culture because I do not want to get bogged down by unchanging processes and prefer to work in an environment where employees live by their organizational values, and the management enables, promotes, and rewards excellent performance and provides freedom and responsibility.

I want a culture where values are integrated into performance management systems. It means that people truly live by their values because they are what they do. Their “behaviors and skills” are valued by employees and lived in the organization (Hastings 2009: 7). On the opposite, government cultures have complex and numerous rules and political agenda that create a bureaucratic decision-making process. I do not prefer a highly political environment, and instead, I want to work for a corporate organizational culture where outcomes matter more than following long, winding processes.

In addition, I will choose a corporate organizational culture that enables, promotes, and rewards excellent performance. Netflix, for instance, uses top of market compensation that is based on actual performance and contribution to the company’s growth (Hastings 2009: 105). I appreciate this culture because it shows that working smarter will get just compensation and quick upward organizational movement. Furthermore, I aim to work in a cultural environment that provides freedom and responsibility.

Netflix, for illustration, has fewer rules and more high-performance people because fewer rules allow more freedom and expects responsibility from its employees (Hastings 2009: 77). I believe I can thrive in this kind of work environment where outcomes get fair rewards, live their values, and people have freedom and responsibility to perform their roles and responsibilities. Works CitedHastings, Reed. “Culture.” PowerPoint presentation, 1 Aug. 2009. Web. 29 May 2015.Jacobson, Louis. “Merging Cultures Of Homeland Security Agencies Will Be Big Challenge.

” Government Executive, 13 June 2002. Web. 29 May 2015.United States Government. “The White House.” Presidential Policy Directive 1 - National Security Council System. 13 Feb. 2009. Web. 29 May 2015.