BEHAVIOR OF INDIVIDUALS AND GROUPS

Behavior of individuals and groups

Behaviour of individuals and groups within organisations

1.1 Compare and contrast three different organizational structures and cultures.

Organizational culture refers to the environment of the workplace that created from the interaction of the employees. Leaders play an enormous role in significant organizational culture through their action and leadership qualities. Hence, an entire employee of the organization contributes towards the organizational culture. Change in any business has become an essential element to survive in the market and the customers satisfied. There are hundreds and thousands of ways and techniques that could assist the businesses to improve their productivity, quality and customer satisfaction. If companies do not respond to the changes, they will become victims of their own success. Therefore, companies should constantly look into ways to change their process in order to survive in the rapidly changing world. Organizations have faced significant changes in the environment of the business with the changes in information technology, highly competitive firms in the industry and more focus on quality and customer services (Weick & Quinn, 1999).

Organizational Culture and National Variation

Another important theme in the study of organizational culture concerns the effects of external influences, in particular, the impact of widespread variation. Research on this question is particularly associated with the work of Hofstede (2001) who explored national influences on organizational culture initially through a study of IBM subsidiaries located throughout the world. Hofstede identified distinct national differences in the subsidiaries, which he linked back to differences in the national cultures in which the subsidiaries were located. The main variations he identified were the degree of willingness of members to accept hierarchy and an unequal distribution of power and prestige (a dimension that he termed 'power distance'); differences in requirements for rules and standardization (a dimension he termed 'uncertainty avoidance'); the degree of independence and individualism exhibited ('individualism v. collectivism'); and the degree of separation of gender roles ('masculinity v. femininity') (Hopfl 2003 117-38).

Organizational Culture Change and Consultancy

The idea of organizational culture tended to come from consultancy-oriented approaches to organizations that appeared during the late 1970s and early 1980s and then were followed by scholarly assessments. Even more than organizational climate, organizational culture is now more firmly rooted in the management consultancy literature than in the academic management literature. One line of organizational culture consultancy advocates the virtues of establishing distinct cultures. A second describes ways in which corporate leaders can show transformational leadership to effect cultural change (Schein 2003 45-50).

Organizational Culture and Profitability

Is organizational culture one of the keys to financial performance? Many organizations invest in culture development with an expectation of a return on their investment. Resources are allocated to, for example, induction programs for new employees, and the development of symbols and rituals aimed at creating a collective feeling of belonging. Behaviors and attitudes viewed as appropriate are shaped by formal and informal processes with the aim of strengthening the cultural identity of the workforce and the ...