...Levels of Corporate Culture What is culture? A question easily asked but not so easily answered. Let’s examine the word and its origin first. “Culture” has a Latin origin – “cultus”, meaning a system of religious belief and worship. The word is also linked to training, discipline, horticulture, agriculture – and the growing of micro organisms in a laboratory. Culture might also be understood as patterns of behavior characteristic for groups of people, which are passed on from generation to generation. It also can be seen as norms and social roles, linguistic paradigms and mental models. Emergence of Organizational culture At the early 1980s organizational scholars began paying serious attention to the concept of culture. This is one of the few areas where organizational scholars led practicing managers in identifying a crucial factor affecting organizational performance. In most instances practice has led researches and scholars have focused mainly on documenting explaining and building models of organizational phenomena that were already being tried by management. Organization Culture however has been an area in which conceptual work and scholarship has provided guidance for managers as they have searched for ways to improve their organizations effectiveness. Basically, organizational culture is the personality of the organization. Culture is comprised of the assumptions, values, norms and tangible signs (artifacts) of organization members and their behaviors...
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...Strategic Leadership and Decision Making 16 ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE One of the primary responsibilities of strategic leaders is to create and maintain the organizational characteristics that reward and encourage collective effort. Perhaps the most fundamental of these is organizational culture. But what do we really mean by organizational culture? What influence does it have on an organization? How does one go about building, influencing or changing an organization's culture? THE IMPACT OF CULTURE Why is culture so important to an organization? Edgar Schein, an MIT Professor of Management and author of Organizational Culture and Leadership: A Dynamic View, suggests that an organization's culture develops to help it cope with its environment. Today, organizational leaders are confronted with many complex issues during their attempts to generate organizational achievement in VUCA environments. A leader's success will depend, to a great extent, upon understanding organizational culture. Schein contends that many of the problems confronting leaders can be traced to their inability to analyze and evaluate organizational cultures. Many leaders, when trying to implement new strategies or a strategic plan leading to a new vision, will discover that their strategies will fail if they are inconsistent with the organization's culture. A CEO, SES, political appointee, or flag officer who comes into an organization prepared to "shake the place up" and institute sweeping changes...
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...OInternational Journal of Business and Management December, 2008 Organizational Culture and Its Themes Shili Sun School of Foreign Languages, Ludong University No.186 Hongqi Middle Road, Zhifu District, Yantai 264025, Shandong Province, China Tel: 86-535-668-1098 Abstract E-mail: shilisun@hotmail.com As one of the key ‘stable factors’, culture within an organization is playing a critical role in the organization’s everyday operations. Although the culture literature has at times focused on the culture of an organization as shared basic assumptions (Schein, 1985), or as metaphors within organizations (Morgan, 1986, 1997), it is not sufficient to attempt to understand and measure them. This paper explores organizational culture in general, some definitions and implications of organizational culture are reviewed from different perspectives, and Cliffe’s cultural themes are addressed with the use of Scholes’ cultural web and Hofstede’s onion diagram model of organizational culture. Keywords: Culture, Organizational culture, Cultural themes 1. Organizational culture Historically, there are numberless definitions about organizational culture, which is defined in many different ways in the literature. Perhaps the most commonly known definition is “the way we do things around here” (Lundy & Cowling, 1996). Organizational culture is manifested in the typical characteristics of the organization, in other words, organizational culture should be regarded as the right way...
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...International Journal of Business and Management December, 2008 Organizational Culture and Its Themes Shili Sun School of Foreign Languages, Ludong University No.186 Hongqi Middle Road, Zhifu District, Yantai 264025, Shandong Province, China Tel: 86-535-668-1098 E-mail: shilisun@hotmail.com Abstract As one of the key ‘stable factors’, culture within an organization is playing a critical role in the organization’s everyday operations. Although the culture literature has at times focused on the culture of an organization as shared basic assumptions (Schein, 1985), or as metaphors within organizations (Morgan, 1986, 1997), it is not sufficient to attempt to understand and measure them. This paper explores organizational culture in general, some definitions and implications of organizational culture are reviewed from different perspectives, and Cliffe’s cultural themes are addressed with the use of Scholes’ cultural web and Hofstede’s onion diagram model of organizational culture. Keywords: Culture, Organizational culture, Cultural themes 1. Organizational culture Historically, there are numberless definitions about organizational culture, which is defined in many different ways in the literature. Perhaps the most commonly known definition is “the way we do things around here” (Lundy & Cowling, 1996). Organizational culture is manifested in the typical characteristics of the organization, in other words, organizational culture should be regarded as...
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...and attitudes which each generation in a society passes on to the next is what the anthropologist refers to as the culture of a group (Nord, 1972). According to Inkeles, culture is the social heritage, all the knowledge, beliefs, customs, and skills that are available to members of a society (Inkeles, 1964). The famous Dutch behavioral scientist, Geert Hofstede defined culture as the collective mental programming of a people in an environment. He later defined culture as the collective programming of the mind which distinguishes the members of one group from another (Muriithi N, 2003). Organizational Culture Edgar Schein says that organizational culture is developed over time as people in the organization learn to deal successfully with problems of external adaptation and internal integration. It becomes the common language and the common background (Schein E. , 1999). Culture starts with leadership, is reinforced with the accumulated learning of the organizational members, and is a powerful (albeit often implicit) set of forces that determine human behavior. An organization’s culture goes deeper than the words used in its mission statement. Culture is the web of tacit understandings, boundaries, common language, and shared expectations maintained over time by the members (L.Aiman-Smith, 2004). Influences on Culture The factors that form organizational...
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...AN ANALYSIS OF THE CULTURE OF AN ORGANIZATION The Student’s Name The Name of the Class Professor The Name of the University The city and State where it is Located The Date Contents 1.0 Background to the Organization...........................................................................................4 2.0 Theoretical Framework.........................................................................................................5 3.0 Discussion of Central Topic..................................................................................................8 4.0 Conclusions and Recommendations.....................................................................................13 References..................................................................................................................................14 List of Figures Fig: 2.0 Diagrammatic representations of Hofstede’s cultural dimensions...............................7 AN ANALYSIS OF THE CULTURE OF AN ORGANIZATION 1.0 Background to the Organization Organization culture is a predominant aspect of an organization’s internal environment Azhar (2003). Culture, to some extent, influences performance and efficiency in an organization Rousseau (2000). Every organization has its unique culture that differs from that of other corporate Schein (2004). For purposes of this report I chose IKEA group, I will conduct an in-depth analysis of its culture using the appropriate...
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...AN ANALYSIS OF THE CULTURE OF AN ORGANIZATION The Student’s Name The Name of the Class Professor The Name of the University The city and State where it is Located The Date Contents 1.0 Background to the Organization...........................................................................................4 2.0 Theoretical Framework.........................................................................................................5 3.0 Discussion of Central Topic..................................................................................................8 4.0 Conclusions and Recommendations.....................................................................................13 References..................................................................................................................................14 List of Figures Fig: 2.0 Diagrammatic representations of Hofstede’s cultural dimensions...............................7 AN ANALYSIS OF THE CULTURE OF AN ORGANIZATION 1.0 Background to the Organization Organization culture is a predominant aspect of an organization’s internal environment Azhar (2003). Culture, to some extent, influences performance and efficiency in an organization Rousseau (2000). Every organization has its unique culture that differs from that of other corporate Schein (2004). For purposes of this report I chose IKEA group, I will conduct an in-depth analysis of its culture using the appropriate...
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...Executive Summary This report will highlight my approach to learning and in addition to using this as an opportunity to identify my learning style to hopefully utilise it to enhance my ambition to run my own organisation. The report looks my journey from my childhood experiences at school and how that has shaped me into how I learn and as a result how I have developed a particular style of learning. This analysis will help shape the outcomes of my Personal Development Plan. Introduction The aim of this report is to analyse my approach to learning and my learning styles. This will help me understand how my strengths and weaknesses against my desire to progress in my professional and personal life. Since the recession took hold many individuals have taken the decision to up skill. For many their chosen route has been a Master’s programme to enable them to switch careers. A report from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (Hesa), (2011) highlighted that 132,745 students enrolled at the start of the 2010 academic year. This is a 16% increase since 2007. Whilst this is not a bad pursuit a recent article by personal today states that In 2009/10, full-time Masters Graduates had an overall unemployment rate slightly higher than their full-time undergraduate counterparts. Realising this limitation as a company we started operating in the emerging markets space two years ago where there is a less saturated market in terms of the consulting offer. There is also an added...
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...single link exists between them we studied the relations and how that effects management and ultimately helps the Human resource managers through several of theorists and management theories to achieve their goal and benefit the organisation in order to bring profitability. Human Resource Management (HRM) In simple and short form Human resource management is the process of hiring and developing employees so that they can become more valuable to the organisation. HRM is also strategic and comprehensive approach to managing people and the workplace culture and environment. Effective HRM enables employees to contribute effectively and productively to the overall company direction and the accomplishment of the organisation’s goals and objectives. HRM is moving away from traditional personnel, administration, and transactional roles. Now HRM is expected to add value to the strategic utilization of employees and that employee programs impact the business in measurable ways. The new role of HRM involves strategic direction and culture. Developments in the field of HRM are well documented (see Sisson and Storey, 2000). The history of HRM goes back as far as the 1950s. This was succeeded by the ‘Behavioural science movement’ in the 1960s headed by Maslow, Argyris and Herzberg. These theorists argued for a better quality of working life for workers. The last 25 years or so there has been a rapid development in the field of HRM, which are an outcome of a number of factors such as globalisation...
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...nearly all academics and practitioners studying organizations put forward the thought of culture, as the climate and practices that any organizations build up around to deal or handle their people (Schein, 2004). An essential trend in managerial thinking in recent years has been giving confidence to managers to try to create strong organizational cultures (Watson, 2006). Schein (2004) propose that culture and leadership are conceptually intertwined. ‘Statements of values, codes of conduct, principles of public service management and so on set out in rules and regulation are simply rhetoric - or what we now call aspiration statements. Without leadership that is what they will ever be rhetoric. It is our job as administrators, managers and leaders to turn them into reality’ (O’Farrell, 2006. p.8) This study explains why managing culture is vital to successfully boost both organization performances and the public service modernization programmed. More effectively managing culture along with the issues to be addressed in terms of its useful commitment and handle in the public service are delineated. The most fascinating aspect of culture as a concept is that it points us to facts that are submerged, that are strong in their effect but unseen and to a considerable degree oblivious (Schein, 2004, p.8). Culture is to a group to people what personality or character is to a specific person. ‘We can see the behavior that results, but often we cannot see the forces underneath that cause...
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...The 6th International Scientific Conference “DEFENSE RESOURCES MANAGEMENT IN THE 21st CENTURY” Braşov, December 02-03, 2011 ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE LTC. Tirtan Catalin Army Academy “Nicolae Bălcescu”/ Sibiu/ Romania Abstract: This article examines the existing literature on relationships between an organization and its culture, processes and approaches, individual efforts of those involved from leaders to employee. The paper further argues that certain organizational cultural attributes contribute to the shaping of future courses of action, failure or not in achieving change, and considerate the goals and strategies of the business. Next, this article focuses on vision, values, and mission as core descriptive of an organization and the climate required for successful achievement of the mission statement and vision statement. Basically, organizational culture is the personality of the organization, and will drive the employee’s efficiency and company performance levels. Culture is comprised of the assumptions, values, norms and tangible signs (artifacts) of organization members and their behaviors, and leadership. Keywords: Organizational, vision, mission, culture, performance, culture of forgiveness, and leadership 1. Introduction Organizational culture can be described as “the personality of an organization”, or simply as “how things are done around here”. It shows how employees think, act, and feel. Organization culture is a key aspect to the organization's success...
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...Leicester Business School De Montfort University Full-time MBA and MSc International Business (HRM) 2012/2013 Module: Managing Organisational Change (HRMG5027) Tutors’ names: Dr Deborah Price & Dr Jenna Ward Student Name: Yu Kang Student Number: P10506959 Word counts: 3438 Submitted Date: 17/05/2013 Introduction Everything in this world is moving and changing including organization. Organizational change occurs as a reaction to an ever-changing environment, a response to a current crisis situation, or is triggered by a leader (Jones, 2004). In 1947, K Lewin indicated that group life is never without change, which means that change has been a necessary process during the organizational development which is mentioned as a planned change process, managed from the top, taking into account both the technical and the human sides of the organization by Schien(1992). The ex-British Prime Minister named Benjamin Disraeli (1804-1881) (B. Senior and S. Swailes, 2010) explained that ‘change is inevitable in a progressive country’, he also considers that ‘only change is constant’. Being proved by Collins (1998), Huff and Huff (2000), Organization change is one of perennial issues in organization and management theory. However, the type of organizational change is not unique, Strebel (1996) illustrates that change may be a constant but it is not always the same, in addition, Grundy (1993) indicates that there are three varieties of change including Discontinuous...
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...service to the greatest number of consumers and prove themselves to be the superior company. With most of the products and services being similar among competing companies, it can be a tough task for one company to differentiate themselves and become more successful than their peers. One of the most prominent ways that companies differentiate themselves is by the use of strategic human resources management. HRM plays an essential role in developing a company's strategy as well as handling the employeecentered activities of an organization. Progressive HR Departments are strategic in nature. In order for an organization to be strategic in their approach to Human Resources, the HR department must be closely aligned with the goals and objectives of its organization. Traditionally, companies used HR as a clerical entry level position that focused on items such as staffing and payroll among other things. Strategic Human Resource Management involves aligning initiatives involving how people...
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...Organizational Cultures The subject of organizational culture has become a popular subject for academic and practitioners alike (Schein, 1990). The increased popularity of the subject has provided an abundance of literature that is available today. The problem with the subject of organizational culture is the difference of opinions on different aspects of the subject among the different authors. The concept itself is not even well defined as different authors provide a variety of definitions that differ. The concept’s ambiguousness has caused different authors to come up with their own theories as to how culture starts in an organization. There also seems to be a variety of opinion how important culture and its ability to change are to an organization. In order to understand organizational culture the published literature must be studied and analyzed to see if there is consensus among the authors on different areas on the subject. The first aspect of this apparently ambiguous subject that will be investigated and analyzed are the different definitions that authors have used to describe organizational culture. Authors also have a difference of opinion on where the organization’s culture comes from and how it originates. Naturally the ambiguousness in defining and recognizing its origin have created different opinions on how important and useful culture is to an organization. The final section of this paper will also look at the ability for culture to change in an organization;...
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...Chapter 1: business organisation Organisation: * Social arrangements: have structure which enables people to work together towards the common goals. Larger organisation have formal structure, small organisations divide up the responsibilities between the concerned people. * Controlled performance: have systems and procedures to ensure that goals are achieved. * Collective goals: school main goal is to educate pupils while company goal is to make profits. “Organisations are social arrangements for controlled performance of collective goals”. (Buchanan and Huczynski) Need of the organisation: Organisation enables people to: * Share skills and knowledge * Specialise and * Pool resources Types of organisation: A. PROFIT/NON-PROFIT a) Profit seeking organisation: Organisation like partnerships and company’s main objective is to maximise the wealth of their owners. The objective of wealth of maximisation is to: Continue its existence Maintain growth and development Make a profit. b) Not for profit organisation( NFP OR NPO): SEEK to satisfy particular needs of their members or the sector of the society. NFP include: Government departments and agencies Schools Hospitals Charities Clubs Specific category of NFP is a mutual organistion. Mutual organisation is voluntarily not-for-profit association formed for the purpose of raising funds by subscriptions of members. Mutual organisation includes: Building societies Trade unions ...
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