culture organization
THE ABC, 123 of CORPORATE CULTURE
Dr Stephanie Jones
What is corporate culture? For many, it’s hard to define exactly, but it’s blamed when people don’t “fit in” to a new company, when two companies merge and have difficulties integrating with each other, and when a company tries to introduce a major change program. Yet culture is seen is intangible, indefinable, woolly and imprecise, described in vague terms of being “tough”, “soft”, “strong”, “weak” – but is somehow always there.
Organizational Behavior textbooks*, in describing strong cultures, refer to the cohesive sets of values and norms binding staff members together and fostering goal-oriented employee commitment. With positive employment practices demonstrating their commitment to employees, these companies gain in return supportive work attitudes and high performance. Companies like Dell, Microsoft, Intel and Motorola are quoted for developing career paths and investing heavily in training and development to increase employees’ value to the organization and build a strong culture.
One way of building a strong culture adopted by many companies (some deliberately, some accidentally) is to develop organizational ceremonies, rites and language. These help people to learn about and take on board aspects of an organization’s values and norms. Ceremonies celebrating high performing employees, company social gatherings, internal newsletters and publicized promotions all contribute to this culture-building.
So, how may this be defined in a more concrete, ABC, 123 sort of way? In culture-building, we can identify:
1. Rites of passage
2. Integration, and
3. Enhancement.
Rites of passage, such as graduation, determine how individuals enter, move up in, or leave an organization. This also includes the way that organizations groom people for promotion, such as fast-tracking. Rites of integration, such as office parties and shared announcements of organizational successes, build and reinforce
Dr Stephanie Jones
What is corporate culture? For many, it’s hard to define exactly, but it’s blamed when people don’t “fit in” to a new company, when two companies merge and have difficulties integrating with each other, and when a company tries to introduce a major change program. Yet culture is seen is intangible, indefinable, woolly and imprecise, described in vague terms of being “tough”, “soft”, “strong”, “weak” – but is somehow always there.
Organizational Behavior textbooks*, in describing strong cultures, refer to the cohesive sets of values and norms binding staff members together and fostering goal-oriented employee commitment. With positive employment practices demonstrating their commitment to employees, these companies gain in return supportive work attitudes and high performance. Companies like Dell, Microsoft, Intel and Motorola are quoted for developing career paths and investing heavily in training and development to increase employees’ value to the organization and build a strong culture.
One way of building a strong culture adopted by many companies (some deliberately, some accidentally) is to develop organizational ceremonies, rites and language. These help people to learn about and take on board aspects of an organization’s values and norms. Ceremonies celebrating high performing employees, company social gatherings, internal newsletters and publicized promotions all contribute to this culture-building.
So, how may this be defined in a more concrete, ABC, 123 sort of way? In culture-building, we can identify:
1. Rites of passage
2. Integration, and
3. Enhancement.
Rites of passage, such as graduation, determine how individuals enter, move up in, or leave an organization. This also includes the way that organizations groom people for promotion, such as fast-tracking. Rites of integration, such as office parties and shared announcements of organizational successes, build and reinforce