Organizational Culture Importance

Organizational Culture Importance



Organizational Culture Importance

Introduction

The concept of culture is particularly important when attempting to manage organization-wide change. Practitioners are coming to realize that, despite the best-laid plans, must include not only changing structures and processes, but also changing the corporate culture as well. Elements of the culture also related to a number of other 'hard' characteristics of the organization. These lead to conclusions about how organization cultures can be and cannot be managed. Organization cultures should be distinguished from national cultures. Cultures manifest themselves, from superficial to deep, in symbols, heroes, rituals and values. National cultures differ mostly on the values level; organization cultures at the levels of symbols, heroes and rituals, together labelled 'practices'.

Analysis

Many researchers do believe though, that culture is something an organisation has, and can therefore be manipulated for the company's benefit. Berger and Luckman (1966) explain that 'culture, like reality, is a social phenomenon which depends on human action and interaction.' But it is also important that employees understand and are fully aware of an existence of culture within that organisation. It does not matter what management's intention was when policies were set up, 'The critical issue is how messages are perceived by employees.' (Lebo, 1997). Since every person has a unique world view, every employee will perceive these messages in a slightly different way (Brown, 1995). This makes it harder for all to have the same indication of the existing culture, and for that to view to be changed. Before any organisation its culture, it needs to examine, identify and understand its existing culture in detail (Mathew-Juechtre, Fisher & Alford, 1998).

In a study of efforts of two companies, Harris and Ogbonna (1998b) found there are a number of responses by employees to cultural change. These responses were found to be dependent on the strength of the existing subculture and the willingness of the employees to change. Active acceptance and active rejection represent the two extremes of employee responses discovered. Acceptance obviously being the most desirable while rejection is the least desirable response. Other responses were reinterpretation involving employees translating the new culture according to the existing culture; Reinvention involving employees recycling the old culture, disguised as the new culture and dissonance where employees are unsure of what culture they should adopt.

Within organisations, generally, management is the dominant culture. Management needs to focus on breaking down any resistance to change. Five major steps have been identified as vital to overcoming the initial employee resistance. Firstly, it is important to recognise the changes that are going to take place. This is not as easy as it first appears and is actually very time consuming and complex. Secondly, management should be caring towards the emotional impact that the changes may have on their. Thirdly, support should be shown for the change from the highest levels of management. This requires unmistakable involvement from senior management. Fourth is the need to create enthusiasm for the change amongst the ...