Organizational Culture
A
culture is
comprised of the shared values, customs, traditions, rituals, behaviours and beliefs shared
by a social group (national, ethnic, organizational, etc.).
Cultures also share languages, or ways of speaking. From a communication perspective, cultures are made
and remade through the words we use to describe our world.
Organizational
culture plays several important roles.
culture unites (brings together) employees by providing a sense of identity with the organization.
culture enables organizations to differentiate themselves from one another.
culture often generates commitment, superceding personal interests.
culture sets organization norms, rules and standards. Thereby, culture enables employees to function in an organization, by teaching them how to behave.
culture becomes especially important in a program/project based organization. In such a organization, the hierarchy is flat and decision-making is moved to the project/programme purpose units and departments. In this context, culture provides the guiding light towards achievement of goals and objectives.
Elements
of Organizational Culture
The
following list outlines some of the key elements of organizational culture:
· Values: The goals, views, and philosophies that an organization shares. Example: The organization’s mission statement.
· Programme purpose environment - see the projectized organization
·
Rites and
Rituals:
Celebrations, performances, and activities that foster and reinforce
teamwork, esprit de corps, and a sense of inclusion. They are what
make employees feel part of something bigger than themselves, that that
something is worth being a part of. These can include annual parties, sales
meetings, organizational retreats, or any other group activities..
·
Heroes:
Members
of the organization who personify its values and highlight its vision.
· Communication Networks: Informal channels that relay both work and social messages. These networks not only convey information necessary to get the job done, but also provide for necessary social interaction among employees. Even though the primary task in any organization is to do our jobs, the organization is also a social outlet. It is important to acknowledge and even nurture the social interaction that is part of any organizational or organizational culture. Communication networks also indoctrinate new members into the culture, and reinforce the cultural messages in the organization.
· Norms: The ways of doing things in an organization; the rules, tasks and standards of the organization. Examples: Dress codes or ways of addressing superiors/subordinates, leading ethics, etc.
·
Stories,
Myths, and Legends:
The
organizational history and other stories that embody the organizational
culture and emphasize what the organization values.
.
· Organizational/Communication Climate: The atmosphere of either supportiveness or defensiveness that people feel within the organization itself. Do they feel safe? Protected? Appreciated? Are they confidant that their opinions count? Do they know that when they have something to say, they have a way to say it so that it will be heard, and that people will listen and take their ideas or comments seriously? The overall organizational climate also includes the organization’s communication climate—how free people feel to communicate at work, especially about bad news or negative information. When people feel they cannot communicate bad news for fear of reprisal, the organization loses valuable information about how it operates.
The basic assumption of this
manual is that the best managerial style for a
development aid organization is of designing and managing itself and its
and that these three features are subsidiary in achieving effectiveness of activities as well as generating a healthy communication climate and a strong team spirit that motivates internal and external stakeholders in cooperating towards the achievement of cooperation objectives.
See also Evaluation and professional reputation and standards
Values as the Elements generating a Strong and Healthy Culture
Both internal
and external stakeholders benefit from a strong organizational culture. In the most general sense: A strong organizational culture provides work
community identity, a sense of uniqueness, and sense of connection for all members within
the organization.
Internal
stakeholders benefit from a strong organizational culture because people are a
organization’s greatest resource and the way to manage them is by the subtle cues of
culture; strong culture helps employees do their jobs better. A strong culture fosters better employee motivation
because internal stakeholders are better able to understand what is expected of them and
are able to more strongly identify with the organization when the culture is strong.
External
stakeholders benefit from an organization’s healthy culture as well. The organizations
and organizations that do the best job thinking through what they are all about, deciding
how and to whom these central messages should be communicated and executing the
communication plan in a quality way, invariably build a strong sense of esprit within
their own organization and among the many constituents they serve.
Organizations with strong cultures place a great emphasis on
values
values and have some fundamental characteristics in common:
The
organization stands for something.
They
have a clear and explicit philosophy about how they go about
accomplishing their
program
purpose
objectives. The values explicit in their philosophy help create the
identity of the organization and characterize and differentiate it from
others organizations.
Management focuses a great deal of attention to determining and
fine-tuning these values.
This is
done so that the organization’s values conform to its project/programme
purpose environment. Such a focus also helps communicate these values
to people who work in the organization.
Values are understood and shared by all people who work for the organization. Everyone from production workers to the senior management team is familiar with and accepts the values of the organization. The organization’s values create a reality for those who work in the organization. This reality allows employees to cooperate and collaborate to make the shared values effective in their interactions and how they perform their jobs.
Fundamental to value definition and management is the approach to organization development and its focus upon learning in the organization, the communication climate and the modality to generate a team spirit amongst employees at various levels.
See also How to Show Values Through Action
Strong
cultures foster better employee motivation because employees are better able
to understand what is expected of them and are more able to strongly
identify with the organization. They are “part of” something bigger than
themselves. Not only that, but they know what it is they are “part of,” and
how they contribute to its overall operations and goals. It gives them a
sense of purpose and importance within the organization because they adopt
the organization’s values.
Guidelines:
See also: Image Organization and sector of activity ; definition of change
Organizational and Individual Change Manage Organizational and Behavioural Change
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See also