Organizational Essay

Table of Contents Introduction Organizational culture is an important part of any organization, for this is the principles a company stand for. Without a strong, stable culture, an organization is sure to fail sooner than later. I will now discuss the subjects briefly mentioned in assignment 1. 1. The organizational culture of the organization where I work: 1. 1. A) Definition of Organizational culture and 4 types of cultures. Organizational culture refers to the shared values, norms, visions, symbols, beliefs, habit, working language between people sharing a working environment. There are, according to (Greenberg, 2011) four types of organizational cultures that exist. (Control) Hierarchy culture: These are typically large, bureaucratic corporations where smooth production, without wasted time is important. Stability, control, internal focus, standardization and integration are key principles to this system. Leaders in such a system should organize, monitor and coordinate the people and process thoroughly. (Compete) Market culture: These organizations are also concerned with stability and control, but rather than focusing on internal factors, they focus on external. This system is concerned with competition. They look at all the other organizations competing in the same market and then focus on their relationships- or transactions with suppliers, customers, contractors, unions, legislators, consultants, regulators etc. They believe that they’ll achieve success by focusing on effective relations (external). (Collaborate) Clan culture: Inward focus is important, same as the hierarchy system, however clan cultures emphasizes flexibility rather than control and rigidness. At such organizations, the well-being of workers comes first. It is said that people working in a clan-cultural environment feel related to their co-workers due to the warm, friendly nature. (Create) Adhocracy: This culture refers to the opposite of bureaucracy, focusing on flexibility and the external environment. It’s all about opportunities, problem-solving and outcome. These type of companies should always be up to date regarding development and technology. Typical example of such organizations is software-developing companies. The culture of the organization where I work: The organizational culture at my company is the Create or Adhocracy culture (defined above) According to Waterman’s theory (cited in Greenberg, 2011) an Adhocracy culture goes beyond the ordinary bureaucratic lines to capture opportunities, solve problems and get results. In my organization, we focus on innovation and creativity. Team work is essential, because software engineers have to split up the work due to the work-load. 2. How are new employees accommodated in the organization? Accommodation can refer to special needs of some employees or just taking account and respecting all members’ race, ethnic group, color, nationality, social origin, religion, age, marital status, sexual orientation, sex, opinions, family status and source of income. In my company, respect is a very important aspect, we accept every member the way they are. Supporting each other rather than rejecting. (Denison, 1990). In my organization, we use a process called â€Å"Onboarding†. Onboarding is the process whereby information, training, mentoring and coaching is provided to new members. This makes new members feel welcome and informed. This also increases productivity from the beginning, reduces costs due to flaws and saves co-workers training time. According to (Parker, 1993) this process includes four stages to let new employees â€Å"onboard†. Acquiring is the first step we use in the onboarding process: In this first step, newcomers will be introduced to co-workers. The group in which the employee will work is already decided before his/ her arrival. The employee will now get the opportunity to talk to other group members to create a mental picture of what the work will include. Accommodation is the next step, new employees are provided with all the necessary resources to make their working experience pleasant. In my company, new employees get a computer, which stays at the office at all times. This computer will have all the newest software on it, ensuring that the employee can do the tasks effectively without any discomfort. Assimilation is step 3 of onboarding. The intern will now be allocated to a more experienced member. This member will show the intern around, showing him where everything is and given him a crash-course about what will be expected of him. The intern can now shadow the person to get the hang of things. Please do note that the newcomer is expected to have all the skills needed to obtain this job. Like the necessary degrees etc. , which was considered before appointing the job to the person? Acceleration: In this stage, new members engage in their working tasks, still learning as they go, but now they are able to feel comfortable in their working environment. In this stage the results are brought to the table and fairly employees now have the chance to perform and show everybody what their made of. 3. How my organizational culture can be improved: Before discussing the stages I shall take to do so, there are a few core principles that should be in place. Values are the first, which means the core values and believes of the company should be spelled out very clearly. All employees should know what the company stands for. Second are goals. When everyone knows what the goals and milestones of the company are, they know what is expected of them. Consistency is the next fundamental point- keeping the standards and goals high. Communication, important in every aspect of life is also important to improve the culture in organizations. The last point is celebration- everybody needs some reward for good work done. This will motivate employees to work hard to reach the upcoming goals and having fun in the workplace is fundamental. (Denison , 1990). The above is not the strategies I will follow to improve my organizational culture, its important elements that forms the basis of a good organizational culture. The stages of improvement include strategies to spread the culture throughout the company and beyond the borders of the company and let everyone be aware of them. I believe through doing that, the culture will improve. Here follows 6 strategies Symbols: Symbols are, according to (Ornstein, 1986) those objects, not needing words to be described. The symbols of an organization can rest in the waiting room, the size of the building, the awards hanging around, the atmosphere when you walk into the doors etc. these symbols let you know what the company is all about. Thus, it spells out the organizational culture. Slogans- Phrases that summarize the organizational culture: Slogans are those catchy tunes or saying things unique to a certain company. The slogan can tell you a lot about the companies’ culture, because the companies â€Å"heart† is captures in a few phrases. Thus, the employees and public can grasp the essence of the organizations- whereas the culture is improved. Stories: These are the re-authoring of important and catchy moments in the company’s history. The telling of these stories can re-introduce important values to employees. (Martin, 1982). These stories might be told in a formal way (in a meeting) or informally (employees drinking coffee). These stories remind employees how â€Å"we use to do it around here† and indirectly creating some expectations or guidelines. Through this the employees get a clear understanding of what the company cherishes. Jargon: These are the everyday language used in the company. Companies may also create their own phrases or words, which are understood by each other. These jargons might become unique to this company, but may also spread out to the public, making the company â€Å"famous† for their unique words. According to (Carroll. 1993) Jargons are especially popular in the high-tech world (like my company is). Ceremonies: These special events celebrate whatever it is that it most essential to the company. By looking at the reason for celebration, you will get to know the core beliefs and values of a company. Therefore, by hosting ceremonies, the employees and public can see what is valued the most. This will strengthen the culture of the organization. Lastly is Statements of Principle: Defining culture through writing: This means bringing forward a statement of principle. In this statement lie the core values of your company, reinforcing and clarifying the qualities of the company. (Carroll, 1993). Bibliography Carroll, P. (1993). Big blues: The unmaking of IBM. New York: Crown. Denison, R (1990). Corporate culture and organizational effectiveness (3rd ed. ) Oxford, England: John Wiley & Sons. Greenberg, J (2011). Behavior in Organizations. Martin, J. (1982). Stories and scripts in organizational settings. In A. Hastorf & A. Isen (Eds. ), Cognitive social psychology (pp 255-306). New York: Elsevier-North Holland. Ornstein, S. L. (1986). Organizational symbols: A study of their meanings and influences on perceived psychological climate. In J. Greenberg, Behavior in Organizations (p 520). London: Pearson Publications. Parker, M (1993). Postmodernism and organizations. Sage Publications ltd.