Question

Write an essay about.

What is organizational culture, and in what ways can

it pose a challenge to organizational managers?

Answer 1

• One of the most important building blocks for a highly successful organization and an extraordinary workplace is “organizational culture”.
• Organizational culture is defined as the underlying beliefs, assumptions, values and ways of interacting that contribute to the unique social and psychological environment of an organization.
• Organizational culture includes an organization’s expectations, experiences, philosophy, as well as the values that guide member behavior, and is expressed in member self-image, inner workings, interactions with the outside world, and future expectations. Culture is based on shared attitudes, beliefs, customs, and written and unwritten rules that have been developed over time and are considered valid .
• Organizational culture affects the way people and groups interact with each other, with clients, and with stakeholders. Also, organizational culture may influence how much employees identify with their organization
• Characteristics of Organisational Culture:
• 1.Individual Autonomy:The degree of responsibility, freedom and opportunities of exercising initiative that individuals have in the organisation.
• 2. Structure:The degree to which the organisation creates clear objectives and performance expectations. It also includes the degree of direct supervision that is used to control employee behaviour.
• 3. Management Support:The degree to which, managers provide clear communication, assistance; warmth and support to their subordinates.
• 4. Identity:The degree to which, members identify with the organisation as a whole rather than with their particular work group or field of professional expertise.
• 5. Performance Reward System:The degree to which reward system in the organisation like increase in salary, promotions etc. is based on employee performance rather than on seniority, favouritism and so on.
• 6. Conflict Tolerance:The degree of conflict present in relationships between colleagues and work groups as well as the degree to which employees are encouraged to air conflict and criticisms openly.
• 7. Risk Tolerance:The degree to which, employees are encouraged to be innovative, aggressive and risk taking.
• 8. Communication Patterns:The degree to which, organisational communications are restricted to the formal hierarchy of authority.
• The major challenge for any company is maintaining its healthy organizational culture. It is your own actions that reflect the company’s culture, and it is imperative that it remains a unifying element.
• Maintaining your organizational culture will increase the level of employee engagement. Better yet, if there is a real fit between the values of the company and those of its members, you will witness a significant increase in the overall level of job satisfaction.And we all know that increasing job satisfaction reduces turnover.
• Organizational culture must also be constantly represented throughout the company. Our values, ethics, and even general work environment must be present and consistent every single day.Company culture must be non-sporadic in order to allow us to truly feel like we can be ourselves.
• The organizational culture must involve all employees. It can even be emerged and built from your team, rather than having it imposed on them by management. Culture needs to be integrated in a natural way to ensure everyone feels they are part of the process. Involve your employees, and you be surely rewarded.
• The members of your organization must feel involved and embrace your cultural lifestyle. It is essential for its success that everyone be moving in the same direction; hence the importance of continuously optimizing it using the whole team.
• Changing an organization’s culture is one of the most difficult leadership challenges. That’s because an organization’s culture comprises an interlocking set of goals, roles, processes, values, communications practices, attitudes and assumptions.
• WHY IS ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE CHANGE DIFFICULT:-
• The culture of an organization is practically its DNA. Culture determines how everything else in the organization unfolds. As Peter Drucker said: “Culture eats strategy for breakfast”
• The organization and its culture are reciprocal and interdependent: the organization, its design and strategies influence its overall culture and vice versa
• An organization’s culture reflects its deepest values and beliefs. Trying to change it can call into question everything the organization holds dear, often without that conscious intention
• The culture of an organization is embedded in the entire organizational system. Each little change effects every layer of that system
• Organizational culture evolves over time. An organization’s identity is based on its culture, which is deeply linked to its history and development
• In sum, the culture of an organization creates its unique, complex face and character. As such, it is as difficult to change in its entirety as the whole personality of a human being or that of a nation.