Impact of Organizational Culture on Internal Corporate Communication and Team Dynamics – A Case Study Analysis

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Table of Contents

Organizational Culture 3

The Impact of Culture 3

Group Dynamics 4

Tuckman's Teamwork Theory 4

Phases of Tuckman’s Teamwork Theory 5

The 4 Phases of Tuckman's Teamwork Theory 5

Belbin Team Role Theory - The Eight Team Roles 7

Theoroes of Motivation 11

Link 18

Conclusion 19

Recommendations 19

Organizational Culture

Organizational culture is a is a group of values shared by a group of people, mostly silent between the members and, obviously, unique to the group, which are passed on to new group members. Organizational culture is a mechanism of knowhow, standards of perception, thinking, evaluation and action.
Cultural Impact
The culture of an organization is evolving to survive with their surroundings. Organizational culture helps managers to set standards and believes in which each member to work in a single standardized template. Organizational culture can enhance the effectiveness of the organization. The effects of organizational culture are multidimensional. A robust organization will always focus on the environment it creates for its employees, because it helps attract a company which is efficient. They focus on creating and maintaining an organizational culture that shows employees that they are an integral part of the company. This kind of company usually has the best performance from their staff and, therefore, also be able to achieve their goals in the future.

Tuckman's Theory of Teamwork

Tuckman describes the U.S. Navy. The team worked together and studied the behavior of a small group from many perspectives. From different angles, they have chosen two important criteria, namely, socialization or group arrangement and mandate activities, see the power of teamwork. They found that the group which developed through a team of four general steps.
First, the testing phase in the same direction, often resulting in a phase set apart by some quantity of disagreement. These solutions are usually, and lead to greater social cohesion stage. Finally, the group settled down to the operational phase, in which they focused on correlation. Tuckman briefly created an article often cited in four steps: • Forming • Storming • Norming • Performing
In the first stage of forming, teams have mixed emotions. They feel both anxious and excited about the task ahead. At the same time they feel apprehensive, as they are not familiar with each other and have not worked out the framework of their task.

After this they move on to the storming stage, when ways of working become clear and more defined. This part is tough as some team members may resist taking on tasks and it takes lots of time to reach a consensus as everyone has different ideas on how to take on the task. Soon team members grow to respect and appreciate each other’s differences and found themselves in the norming stage where some hierarchy is established. Gradually everyone develops a sense of understanding amongst themselves for group work. Team members get to know each other better, start socializing as an informal friendship group and each group member begins to show leadership and talent in his specific area of skill. They help one another, provide constructive feedback and develop a strong commitment to the team goal. They finally reach the performing stage where their hard work pays off and they see themselves progressing positively towards their team goal.

Team members should ideally complete the final stage of adjourning on a positive note by celebrating their successes and committing to keep in touch and, given the opportunity, to work together again in the future.

Belbin Team Role Theory

Team members’ contributions are not limited by their function or job title. The fact that you are an engineer or division manager does not determine what you will contribute to your team. Your personality is the determinant. The behaviour of team members is consistent and predictable over time.

Dr. Meredith Belbin, who pioneered work on teams in the 1970s, observed eight distinct styles into which team members’ behaviour fits:

• Plant • Resource Investigator • Chairperson (Co-ordinator) • Shaper • Monitor Evaluator • Team Worker • Company Worker (Implementer) • Completer

70% of people have a strong preferred team role.

Many have less strong secondary roles.

Successful people will have a portfolio of several roles they can deploy as needed for the success of the team.

Major switches of role over time are improbable, as roles are based on character.

In the real world, we sometimes have to act outside of our preferred roles to get our jobs done. This can be stressful, as we perform best when we work inside our roles.

Belbin’s Eight Team Roles

The characteristics of the eight roles:

1. Chairperson (coordinator): Controls and co-ordinates resources within a team.

2. Shaper: Gets things moving.

3. Plant: Challenges established practice and introduces new ways of looking at things.

4. Resource Investigator: Keeps up to date with what goes on outside the team. Creates external contacts.

5. Monitor Evaluator: Analyses problems. Evaluates ideas and possible solutions to ensure that decisions are soundly based.

6. Company Worker (Implementer): Turns concepts and plans into practical working procedures. Carries out agreed plans systematically and efficiently

7. Completer: Ensures that things are not omitted. Maintains awareness of time schedules.

8. Team Worker: Builds on people’s contributions. Facilitates communication and maintain good working atmosphere.

It is typical for groups to experience conflicts at some moments due to unclear goals in the beginning and communication gaps at certain times. However, eventually they recognize each team member’s preferences and differences and quickly adapt to them. Some differences that teams may come across are:

• Preferred time and place of work. Some members prefer working at night some during the day. • Pace of work. Some like to get things done quickly, some like to take their time.

Belbin suggested there are six key factors that determine whether or not teams perform well:

• The person who chairs important team discussions fits the chairperson profile. This person does not have to be the team leader.

• There is no more and no less than one Plant. Two will start criticising and judging each other’s ideas.

• There is a spread of mental abilities. A team should have several clever members who can stimulate and challenge each other, and several less clever people who will find other roles they can contribute to on the team.

• There is as wide a spread of roles as possible. (Ideally, one of each).

• Team members’ attributes match the work that is allocated to them.

• Tasks should be matched to individual preferences and capabilities.

• This may mean disregarding experience or seniority.

• Imbalance on the team is recognised and adjusted. Members may have to adapt or change roles in order to compensate for team strengths and weaknesses.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Working in Teams

Advantages:

• Increased information and knowledge.

• Increased diversity of views.

• Increased acceptance of a solution.

Disadvantages:

• Hidden agendas of team members.

• Free riders.

• Conflict when team members are unable to reach a consensus.

• Time consuming activities such as meetings and coordination.

Communication

Communication is defined as the process of sending and receiving messages. Communication is becoming increasingly important in today’s world for the following reasons. The world is becoming one market. Every organization now consists of a mix of people coming from different backgrounds and cultures. Therefore it is important to communicate effectively so that there are no misunderstandings or confusion when communicating with people from different cultures.

Culture also has many impacts on corporate communication:

Decision Making:

Decision making is a very regular function in every organization. Effective decision making is integral for the continuous and smooth functioning of an organization. Culture plays an important role in decision making because if the communication channels are open and the senior management is responsive then decision making is simple. However, if the culture of the organization involves many levels and approvals before a decision is taken then decision making is delayed.

Business Relationships

Culture of an organization dictates the nature of its business relationships. If the cultures of an organization reflect truthfulness, trust and open communication then it ultimately achieves long lasting business relationships with its stakeholders and customers.

Image

Culture also affects corporate communication in the sense that it creates an image for the company in the minds of business partners, employees, customers and other stakeholders. Therefore a company which promotes a culture of trust, sincerity and openness creates a positive image for itself.

Productivity and Workflow

A strong culture with clear and open lines of communication regarding work functions and duties of employees will result in productivity and a steady workflow. The opposite would result in confusion regarding job roles and delayed workflow.

Problem Solving

Problem solving is much more efficient in an organization where people sit together and discuss problems and possible solutions thereby promoting a culture where problems are seen as avenues for improvement and innovation.

Theories of Motivation

Motivation has been defined as:
“The process that initiates guides and maintains goal-oriented behaviors."
Motivation – Basic concepts and theories

Need based approaches
Maslow defined a hierarchy of needs up which advances. 1. Physiological or basic needs such as hunger and desire of achieving a certain level of higher position.

2. Safety needs such as protection and security.

3. Societal needs such as need for suitable and sympathetic relationships.

4. With all above mentioned need the individual can go up the hierarchy to achieve the higher categorized needs. Self – respect needs like acknowledgment and confidence in oneself is next.

5. Lastly, the succession goes on to achieve one’s full potential, which is called self – actualization. Very few of the inhabitants can be obtain at this level.

Expectancy theory

'Expectancy theory' of Vroom is an addition of the unforeseen event approach'. In this case, the kind of leadership should be altered to the exacting situation on hand. In few circumstances, it comes into view that it is the best option for the manager to make a decision and in others; for the group to reach a consensus. A person should also be rewarded with what he or she thinks as imperative as opposed to what the manager perceives. For example, one individual may prefer a raise in salary, while another may want to go up higher in the hierarchy. With the concept of Vroom, people can contribute a lot into the study of employee motivation by examining and outlining how individual goals affect the performance of individuals.
The formal framework of expectancy theory states that motivation and effort can better lead an employees and a performer pretty well and can reach them towards a successful outcome.
According to Vroom’s theory, there are three conditions which should be met by the individuals in order to show signs of motivated behavior:
. There should be more amounts of visible efforts so that employee can perform more than the expected value which should be greater than zero.
. There is some ratio defined for the performance outcome which is required to be more than zero.
. The total of the valances for all related outcomes should appear to be greater than zero.
Equity Theory.
Equity theory which has been created J. Stacy Adams, emphasizes on the fact that all the individuals or the available human resources have chosen a task/job/action which is supposed to fulfills their needs at certain level of satisfaction; the targeted individual can analyze the equity and justice of the outcome very well
Furthermore, the Equity is a considered as the person's viewpoint that he or she is being take care of fairly relative to the the way others are treated.
Three particular attitudes which seem responsible for the equity rewards are a possibility: an individual may feel equitably rewarded, under rewarded, or over rewarded. When individuals feel under rewarded or over rewarded, in such case they should do something to decrease the inequity. The particular most significant thing to keep in mind about equity theory is that if rewards are to prompt employees, they must be supposed as being equitable and just.

Link

The above theories suggest that the two factors which is the most lack in this organization is its culture and secondly the team dynamics. The culture of the organization always attracts high level of talented personals. And the highly talented people can enter in to corporations where they desire to join organizations that give prospects for progression and to display their talents. The successful individual be capable of be particular and they will sturdily regard as the companies where the organizational culture come into view efficient and optimistic and the personnel get along with everyone and are joint in their ambition of improving the company. However, the people is able to do their jobs but they are not motivated enough to do work. The culture will provide them the motivation and the direction of doing their jobs.
According to the theories about the organizational culture suggest that it is the standard policies, rules and guidelines that will direct our behavior in the organization. In reference to the case there is no such type of standardize rules and policies. Every employee does what he wants to do besides their job description. They have no clear job descriptions. They want different and non routine task. Some members in the organization resist to change the culture but in order to retain this, the manager should look to the policies and basic mission of the organization that will lead the team to work under specific objectives.
While on the opposing viewpoint, the team work in the organization will proceed to greater efficiency and goal achievement. The group dynamics theory suggests that this organization is at the stage of storming where each and every employee tries to overcome other. There is no such commitment to the work as well as the group. Every member wants to be the supervisor but no one wants to work as the team member. The manager should make such policies that will drive the teams towards the norming and then performing phase.

Conclusion

The above case depicts the problem arises in the company due to different reasons which include inappropriate standards, the culture of the organization, group dynamics, motivation and other related factors. These are the main factors that lead to failure and inefficiency of the organization.

The main and the foremost problem in the company is that nobody is aware about their jobs. The job descriptions are not clear to anyone in the organization. Every employee feels boredom from their work because of the repetitive work and goals. They are not motivated towards their work. They feel every goal as the same routine work. The motivation level of the organization is zero which is the basic and foremost reason of the inefficiencies.

The other reason found in the organization is the lack of communication. It includes both inter-organizational communication and intra-organizational communication. They have no communication channel with the upper management as well as the lower management.

The hierarchal level is another major factor that contributes to the failure of the organization. Only two upper managers control the rest of the organization which create vague hierarchal level. The communication channel becomes vague in this setting. Employees don`t know where to report and to whom they have to report to.

The customer service they provide to their customers is not satisfactory. They easily say “NO” to their customers. They have to standard criteria to meet the unexpected demands from customers. Contingency planning is at the worst in the organization. Most of the customers are highly dissatisfied with the organization.

Another big problem is the time. They don`t aware about the value of the time in this business. Customers may dissatisfy with the late fulfillment of orders.

Recommendations

The company is facing a return far behind in terms of efficiency, production, team work force, and others. These factors can be improved by various important measures by managers and some management and lower.
First, the managers owe to their employees feel the importance of organizational culture. A robust corporate culture will ensure that your talent is kept at the highest level. A culture of the first order is required not only to attract the best new talent, but also to help keep the future. When a superior corporate culture is developed, it expands and works to allow people to sense appreciated and communicate freely. The relish and energy that has caused will end with a healthy influence that has an affect on all aspects of the company.
Organizational culture can be created by the common rules, policies and regulations. Managers must be employees strictly follow the rules and policies.
The other thing that needs to be improved in the organization has the motivation and reward system. Employees are more motivated when they received awards and assessments against the work they have done. Employees are less motivated when faced with no response from management in their efforts. Their efforts should be recognized. The reward is not only in monetary terms. This is the ideal way to make employees engaged and motivated.
Another option for the organization is to maintain a team for each goal. They must first define the objectives and then you should make a team of capable and motivated workers in different ways. The team is motivated to work. As some employees to supervise, some want to manage the team, some want to work as a team member and some do not want any workload, so the manager must be aware of the needs of all employees and will manage them accordingly.
The last thing is the work of rotation. Workers must turn to make the employees involved. If workers love their work, and feel that they are important contributors of a team, they will not wish to separate from their company and will remain loyal.
References

Griffin, R. W., & Moorhead, G. (2007). Organizational behavior: Managing people and organizations (8th ed.). New York: Houghton Mifflin Company.
Robbins, S. P., & Judge, T. A. (2008). Essentials of organizational behavior (9th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.