Chapter I

INTRODUCTION

Culture a Complex Whole

Culture is a concept borrowed from the field of Anthropology.

Sociologists, Anthropologists and Behavioural scientists have extensively
used the term culture. Culture stands for symbols and values; it is the
strong widely shared core values; and it is regarded as the moral spiritual
and intellectual attainment of man. Culture facilitates a harmonious and
balanced cultivation of all the faculties in man, intellect, emotion, intuition,
sense and perception. Culture is the primary and basic element; it is inside
in every human being and is what we are. Culture plays the role of a guide,
which makes human being confirm to accepted ways of life. It is the flesh
as well as the spirit. It liberates as well as enslaves him. It lays down
norms of behaviour and provides the mechanism, which secure an
individual his personal and social survival.

Herkovitz, 111955) indicates that culture is the man made part of

environment. It reflects the way of life of people, their traditions, heritage,
design for living, etc. Culture is the very air they breathe and the spirit,
which permits their life. It is the totality of beliefs, norms and values, which
related to the patterned regularity in people's behaviour.

Taylor, (1987) states that culture as that complex whole which

includes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, custom, and any other
capabilities and habits acquired by man as a member of a society.
Organizational Culture

The concept of organizational culture is different from sociological

concept of culture. Social culture is the mean to an end, the end being the
holistic development of ones own personality and ones own society.
Although, the concept of organisational culture is generally derived from its
Anthropological equivalent into, (Frost, 1985, Moore, 1985, Louise, 1985,
Lundburg, 1985, Martin, 1985, Martin, 1992, Smircich, 1983) the context of
an organisation is very different from that of the societies with which
Anthropologists and Social theorists are typically concerned. Organisations
are bounded, purposive and intentionally structured in ways that societies
are not, and where as societies embrace their member's lives,
organisations like other institutions are directly concerned with only part of
those lives.

Sinha, (1990) indicates that work culture means work related

activities and meanings attached to such activities in the framework of
norms and values regarding work. These activities, norms, and values are
generally contextualised in organisation. An organisation has its
boundaries, goals and objectives, technology managerial practices,
material and human resources as well as constraints. Its employees have
skills, knowledge, needs and expectations. These two sets of factors,
organisational and organismic, interact and over time establish roles,
norms, and values pertaining to work. It is this totality of various levels of
interacting factors around the focal concern for work, which is labelled as
work culture.

Schein, (1990) states that culture is what a group learns over a

period of time; what it tries to solve its problems of survival in an external
environment, and its problems of internal integration. Moreover, such
Introduction 3

learning is simultaneously a behavioural, cognitive and emotional process.

Therefore, organizational culture can be understood as:

a pattern of basic assumptions,

invented, discovered or developed by a given group,

as it learns to cope with its problems of external adaptation and

internal integration,

that has worked well enough to be considered valid and therefore is

to be taught to new members as the correct way to perceive, think
and feel in relation to these problems.

The culture of the organisation reflects a vision shared by the

members at large. If the vision of the organisation does not take into
account human sentiments and values and majority organisational
members do not share it, has no utility at all. It is the shared vision that
makes whole organisation aligned and prevents people from working at
cross-purposes. Senge, (1990) says in the fifth discipline that a shared
vision is a vision that many people are truly committed to because it
reflects their own personal vision. Shared vision is important because it not
only tells us the destination towards which we must traverse; it acts as a
great source of inspiration leading to motivation and commitment. There
are two fundamental sources of energy that can motivate organisation -
fear and aspiration. The power of fear underlies negative visions. The
power of aspiration drives positive visions. Fear can produce extra ordinary
changes in short changes. But aspiration endures as a continuing source
of learning and growth. A noble vision can reinforce the sense of
commitment on the part of employees. The vision establishes an over
arching goal. The loftiness of the targets compels new ways of thinking
and acting in the presence of greatness, pettiness disappears. In the
absence of great dream pettiness prevails. Undoubtedly shared vision and
mission provides clear direction as also impart a sense of identity to the
work force.

Key areas of Culture

The three key areas of culture are as follows:
Shared Values
Beliefs

Behavioural Norms.

Gillis, Broom, & Selznick, (1968) indicates that cultural values are
widely held beliefs of what is important. Values are things that are prized in
a community and what people feel are inherently important. Beliefs are
what one accepts emotionally as inherently true. Norms are based on
values and are guides to conduct, usually framed as rules, prescriptions, or
standards to be followed by people who occupy specified roles.

Strong Culture and Weak Culture

A 'strong culture' in this particular research indicates a high

performance culture, represents the core values that are shared by a
majority of the organizational members. The terminologies like healthy,
strong, dominant, high-performance organisations are considered being
synonym in this particular research. 'Strong culture' is the system of
shared meaning held by organizational members that distinguishes the
organization from other organizations. Strong Culture is said to exist
where members respond to stimulus because of their alignment to
organisational values. Conversely, there is Weak Culture where there is
little alignment with organisational values and control must be exercised
through extensive procedures and bureaucracy.
Introduction 5

Perrow, (1979) indicate that initially a strong culture was

conceptualized as a coherent set of beliefs, values, assumptions, and
practices embraced by most members of the organization. The emphasis
was on (1) the degree of consistency of beliefs, values, assumptions, and
practice across organizational members; and (2) the pervasiveness
(number) of consistent beliefs, values, assumptions, and practices. Many
early proponents of organizational culture tended to assume that a strong,
pervasive culture was beneficial to all organizations because it fostered
motivation, commitment, identity, solidarity, and sameness, which, in turn,
facilitated internal integration and coordination.

Robbins, (1998) indicates that a weak and dissonant culture i.e.,

confiding instrumental and parochial values, self-centered beliefs based on
perceptions of narrow self-interest and short-term profit maximizing
expedient goals, debilitates a system and diminishes its developmental
potentials. The reverse is the case when an organizational culture is
vibrant, integrative and mission oriented.

A strong culture, which reflects the healthy behaviour, is the

keenness to work hard and a strong desire and willingness to contribute to
the best. Behaviour towards work-efficiency is largely controlled by internal
ability and willingness to work hard. It is based on sincerity of participation,
involvement, devotion to duty, earnest desire to work, and discharge of
responsibilities with confidence and competence. Here, culture act as a
blue print influencing all aspect of life.

Healthy and unhealthy organizational cultures

Healthy and unhealthy organizational cultures can be viewed in

light of Shepard, (1965) primary mentality assumptions and secondary
mentality assumptions. In unhealthy organizational cultures, primary
mentality assumptions (Coercion, Cut-throat competition, Compromise of
principles) are the norm. In healthy organizational cultures, secondary
mentality assumptions (Cooperation, Collaboration, Consensus-seeking
behaviour) are the norm.

Some Characteristics of Healthy Organizational Cultures

characterized by Gorden, (1975) can be illustrated as follows.

. In carrying out the mission of the organization, those in leadership,

managerial, and facilitative roles in healthy organizational cultures
use non-threatening, non-coercive, and educational approaches
that reflect ethical purposes and values.

The actions of those in healthy organizational cultures are not

driven by negative motivators such as shame, fear, guilt, anxiety,
distrust, or hatred. Leaders and managers in healthy organizational
cultures are not inclined to act in controlling, manipulative, and
stress-inducing ways that foster such responses.

Lessons are continuously being learned from experience, including

difficult experiences involving communication breakdowns, and
other problems, challenges, crises, and failures.

A supportive climate fosters risk taking and learning from difficult or

seemingly insurmountable challenges, crises, problems, and
failures.

"Messengers" who convey "bad news" or who uncover and report

on wrongdoing or problems are not "killed".

When things go wrong, individuals are not scapegoated.

When errors, accidents, or failures occur, there is support,

forgiveness, and understanding for those involved. Determining
what went wrong and why or understanding what seems to have
Introduction 7

gone wrong requires openness, trust, and the ability to

communicate effectively.

Healthy and unhealthy organizational cultures can also be viewed

in light of Ruth Benedict's (1970) concepts of high and low synergy groups
and societies. A low synergy group or society is one in which the interests
of individuals and the interests of the group as a whole are at odds. A high
synergy group or society is one in which the interests of individuals and the
interests of the group as a whole are in harmony. In keeping with these
concepts, unhealthy organizational cultures are those characterized by
"low synergy" and healthy organizational cultures are those characterized
by "high synergy."

Organisational Culture and Leadership

Building organisational culture and work values around human

beings and their relationships that facilitate to strong culture and high
performance is the centrality of leadership role. An organization's culture
is, in part, also created and maintained by the organization's leadership.
Leaders at the executive level are the principle source for the generation
and re-infusion of an organization's ideology, articulation of core values
and specification of norms. Even though organisations may have some
similar cultural elements, it may widely be varied in different leadership
patterns. An organisation has been considered as patrimonial if its
operating culture dictates that the authority is extremely centralized;
professionalisation of functions is de-emphasized; policies and procedures
are purposefully kept vague and imprecise; individual loyalties are given
precedence over constitutionally conferred role ascriptions and cultural
nuances are allowed to operate unchecked.

The bureaucratic form of organisations is exact opposite of the

patrimonial form. Among the commonly accepted bureaucratic
organisational culture characteristic includes; a) its hierarchical structure, b)
systematic division of labour, c) governance of organisational operations, by
a system of abstract rules, d) rationality of decision making process, e)
career based recruitment and promotion of employees on merit. The term
bureaucratic is related to more formal, professional culture whereas the
authority and responsibility flow from the structural assigned roles of the
manager rather from the loyalty to individuals. The leadership pattern of
organisation may vary from industry to industry. As the different leadership
pattern influences decisions of top management its impact on member's
behaviour may vary from organisation to organisation. Indian organisations
make use of different leadership roles to maintain their work force.

Congo and Kanungo, (1988) suggest that studies linking leadership

pattern with empowernlent culture seem appropriate. First, studies of
leadership and management suggest that practice of empowering
subordinates is a principle component of organisational effectiveness
(Bennis and Nanus, 1985; McClelland, 1975). Second, studies of power
and control suggest that power and effectiveness increase when superiors
share power and control with their subordinates, (Kanter 1975).

Sinha, (1980) substantiate through his findings that a nurturant task

leader takes care of his subordinate; needs shows affections allows them
to depend on him and cultivate personalized relationship, give directions
and guidance but makes all these contingent on their hard and sincere
work. Thus the leader nurtures employees to grow, mature and gain
experience and expertise and assume responsibility to perform well their
own. As they grow and mature, the leader gradually shifts more and more
towards participative style in order to match their changing needs and
expectation. In sum, as a culture embedded organization gets market
driven, there exist the possibility that its employees social values may also
~ntroduction 9

evolve to facilitate their performance under a supervisor who helps them

grow and matured.'

House, Wright and Aditya, (1999) indicates that how leaders

view their own self, values, beliefs and practices, and how do they
visualize their own development results to a frame work to a large
extent how they would influence, motivate and enable their
subordinates to give their best to their organisation. This intern affects
how the subordinates respond to the leaders how two build
relationships that help create work centric culture.

Pareek, (1989) indicates that organisational culture and leadership

values of organizations vary from industry to industry. Some organisations
follow autocratic culture concerned with proper protocol, formal authority
and dominated by dependency. The ethos of such organisation reflects
closed, mistrusting and self - seeking. Some others follow bureaucratic
culture concerned with control and dependence. The ethos of bureaucratic
organisation concerned with playing safe, inertia lack of collaboration, and
closedness. Some other organisation follows technical culture, which
concerned with expert power being dominant and with a back up
environment of extension. Finally, some organisation with entrepreneurial
culture or democratic value system. Such organisations that concerned
with result, achievement, concern for excellence, and extension. The ethos
of such organisation is characterized by OCTAPACE viz., Openness,
Confrontation, Trust, Proaction, Authenticity, Collaboration and
Experimentation.

Organisational Culture and Human Behaviour at work

Man spends major part of his life in the organizations within which
he works. When people join an organisation, they bring with them the
unique values and behaviours that they have been taught. Any
organisation with firmly established organisational culture would be taught
the values, beliefs and expected behaviours of that organisation. Just as
society moulds human behaviour, an organisation also moulds human
behaviour that is in tune with the prevalent set of norms and behaviour. In
this process, certain basic attitudes and beliefs about the people and their
work situations are slowly but firmly accepted in the organisation, which
becomes its 'Organisational Culture.'

O'Reilly and Chatman, (1996) stated, culture performs a number of

functions within an organization. First, it has a boundary-defining role; that
is, it creates distinctions between one organization and others. Second, it
conveys a sense of identity for organization members. Third, culture
facilitates the generation of commitment to something larger than one's
self interest. Fourth, it enhances social system stability. Culture is the
social glue that helps hold the organization together by providing
appropriate standards for what employees should say and do. Finally,
culture serves as a sense making and control mechanism that guides and
shapes the attitudes and behaviour of employees.

Robbins, (1998) illustrated contrasting organisational culture in two

manufacturing organisations A and B. Organisation which entertain
individual orientation, line of authority, line of command, formal contact
extensive rules and regulations, high risk orientation, regardless of morale,
no risk taking opportunity, experimentation and basic tolerance. While the
organisation B represent management support to risk taking and change,
experimentation, innovation, flexible rules and regulations, high task
orientation, right treatment of workers, team work, team competition, cross
functional communications, and freedom and autonomy. These two
cultures clearly demarcate the leadership pattern, work values and work
ethics followed by the organisation towards organisational goal attainment.
 Hayward, (1996) indicate that in empowerment culture there is the
transfer and acceptance of power to the lowest appropriate level in order to
create an opportunity for maximum individual initiativeness, responsibility
and commitment which carry risks; here is the delegated person has to
take responsibility for the result when failed.

Davis, (1997) indicates the system and philosophy of open book

management system has helped many companies to accomplish a high
performance culture. According to this system the information available
should not make use to intimidate, control or manipulate people. Use
information to teach people how to work to achieve common goals and
thereby gain control over their lives.

Fukuyama, (1995) indicates, trust is the ethos of social built on the

virtues like loyalty, honesty and dependability in inter personnel
relationship. Trust in relationship facilitates free and frank communication
that results in better co-ordination, cooperation and teamwork.

Kakar, (1972) opinions that there is a high degree of control of

subordinates task performance by the superiors in Indian organizations. This
is complemented by welcome accorded to close supervision and non-
participation in policy formulation and planning by a substantial number of
subordinates. It is parental type in general and authoritarian in particular,
which usually dominates superior-subordinates relationships in Indian firms.

Organisational Culture and Work Ethics

An organization's culture evolves from the values of its members.

However, organizational culture and ethics are more than the sum of their
parts. Organizations develop a self-sustaining and durable system of
ethics that exerts a powerful influence on the actions, decisions, and
behaviours of all employees. Ethics in organizations are influenced more
by the group ethics system (culture) than by the sum of the individual
personal ethics systems. These "group effects" can have a profound effect
on the ethical behaviour and overall culture of an organization. Ethics
reflects the collection of values and behaviour, which people feel are
moral. In other words, a positive work ethics is the collection of the values
and actions that people feel are appropriate in the work place. Since ethics
is a collection of values and behaviour which people feel are moral, a
positive work ethics is the collection of all the values and action that people
feel are appropriate in the work place.

Peck and Larson, (1993) indicate that along with other forms of
performance, an organisational culture can potentially influence the ethical
conduct

Ethics at work place is about the standards of proper conduct to be

followed by employees and employers in a work place. Ethical values and
conduct at work place includes integrity, loyalty, respect fairness, caring
and citizenship. A study of value expectancy of members in an
organisation is fundamental to the understanding of managing
organisational culture and behaviour. The value orientation of employees
underlies employees and employers behaviour. Major managerial
functions and roles are perceived through value driven approaches.

Organisational Culture in the Indian Context

Sinha, (1990) illustrated that large organizations in lndia seems to

have a bipolar continuutn of soft and synergetic work culture. Soft and
Synergetic work cultures may be conceptualized as the extremes on an
continuum of how work is viewed and valued and how Organisational and
Para-organisational factors (Socio-cultural) affect these viewing and
valuating process. He is of the opinion that majority public sector
organizations in lndia have a soft work culture. In the soft-work culture,
Introduction 13

'work' received a lower priority than social-personal obligations. Non-work

interest and activities displaced work from its central place in the life space
of organizational members. In soft work culture there is low centrality of
work, low job affect, low role clarity, lesser hard work, lesser time spent at
work, high social and personal obligations, weak work norms, poor
relationships, non contingent reinforcement, low work pressure, indifferent
up keep of technology, and bad physical condition. Profit is secondary to
employees of such organizations since they give more importance to
welfare, social and personal obligations. He related private sector industrial
organizations with synergetic work culture. Both employers and employees
in the synergetic work culture spent more time at work, extent greater hard
work, high centrality of work high job affect, high role clarity, low social-
personal obligations, positive relationship, strong work norms, reasonable
working conditions, high work pleasure, good upkeep of technology and
reinforcement based on performance and merits.

Elhance and Agarwal, (1975) found that there is moderate degree

of delegation of authority both in private and public sector, and the degree
of delegation is higher in the later. Izurther, in both sectors there is high
degree of technical delegation and lowest degree of financial delegation.

Moddie, (1972) indicates that in both private and public sectors the
Indian managers favour delegation of authority to him, not so much from
him to a subordinate. Indian decision-making is a process of much
consultativeness in which decisions ultimately emerge at the top, seldom in
the middle and almost never at the bottom of private and public
managements beyond the routine.

Sinha, (1997) and Vasudev and Pal, (1988) found that sincere and
hard works were more amply rewarded in the private sector compared to
the public sector.
 Hoque, (1996) reported that private sector workers perceived
significantly less deficiency in fulfilment of their desire for praise or reward
compared to the public sector workers.

Hoque, (1996) indicates that workers of private sector perceived

significantly higher quality of work in life in private sector compared to
workers of public sector.

Kavitha, (2000) summarizes determinants of work culture in

selected lndian Organisations as follows:

Indians generally prefer to work in superior subordinate

relationships, and highly status conscious. To check with boss is
crux of decision-making.

Work as a concept has not been internalized by the lndian

organisations and there is little concern for products and services

The work culture of private sector is characterized by challenging

work, opportunity for growth and learning, freedom to act and
congenial work conditions. The features of public sector work
culture are found to be high job security, moderate chance for
promotion and better policies and administration.

lndian organisations can be categorized into having soft and

synergetic work culture. In a soft culture the management is found
to be pliant and the professed goals and objectives of the
organisation are comprised due to social habits, values and
extraneous considerations. In a synergetic work culture
management is vibrant and work is treated as being very important.
 Employees in Indian organisations showed preference for
personalized relationship, affective authority and a need for
nurturance. Organisations, on the other hand, conveyed contrary
values resulting in feeling of alienation, poor work team orientation
and selfishness.

Organisational Culture in the Kerala Context

Culture and "Psychic Cost"

The picture of Indian industrial culture and growth is different

compared to Kerala's industrial growth and culture. One of the remarkable
features of modern industrial culture is the development of union
organization. This culture reflect the aims and aspirations of workers and
play a vital role in the filed of industrial relations. Thampi, (1994) states
that Kerala has a long history of trade unionism. The most striking feature
of workers in Kerala is that they are highly organized. The contract
between employers and employees is through trade union. The same,
workers react for self defence through their organization i.e., trade union.
This is well reflected in the increase in the number of unions and varying
intensities of industrial disputes, usually resulting in work stoppages that
Kerala has been experiencing in the past. The high intensity of disputes in
the past or the very perception that the Labour force in the region is
militant and trouble making and has created a phobia, or psychological
fear resulting in psychic cost among the entrepreneur. Such that they are
detracted from making new investments in the state. This fear potentially
affects all types of entrepreneurs whether dealing with large scale or small-
scale production venture and is cited as one of the most important reasons
why the state has not been a heaven for industrial development (Oommen,
1981; Prakash, 1989; Thampi, 1994).
 Kannan, (1998) has been argued that the labour unionized under
political patronage, is militant in behaviour and is successful in bargaining
for higher wages and opposing modernization by using pressure tactics.
The entrepreneur tends to form the perception of Kerala as a "labour
problem state", and attaches to high risk premium to it as a location for
industrial investment This perception when spread among entrepreneur
class, projects a less investor - friendly climate and limits industrial
investment in Kerala (S~~brahmanian
and Azees 2000).

Thampi, (1999) indicates that it is widely known that Kerala's

industrial sector has been undergoing stagnation since the mid sixties. It
was found that Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka were three states
experiencing continuous deceleration, till the mid 1980's. The research
data clearly indicate that Kerala could not better its position in industrial
production even in the post liberalization period.

Oommen, (1981); Prakash, (1989); Thampi, (1994) indicates that

though the state possesses all the pre-requisites for the industrial growth it
has yet to pick up momentum in the filed of industrial development.
Several causes identified by researchers, which are responsible for our
industrial backwardness, can be summarized as;

High identity of population industry in the state

Lack of industrial scale

Corruption nepotism political interference in all walks of life and

also making the industrial climate of Kerala very unfavourable.

Frequent labour troubles and consequent strikes have been

responsible for retarding the progress of investment in Kerala by
 potential investors from outside the state. Even existing industries
have been shifted to neighboring states.

High rate of wages and consequent increase in the cost of

production

Political stability and frequency in the Government.

Defective planning in the state.

Waste of money capital on conspicuous consumption

Constraint on state resource has also affected adversely in the

industrialization programs of the Government.

Research data indicates that Kerala is not free from the influence of
trade union culture and other external factors, which have dominant
influence upon the behaviour of employees and employers.

Focus of the Study

It has been reported by many researchers that the large
organisations in India is found to have high differentiation in the
organisational policies, practices and work organisation. The studies
looked into many research reports and findings, which draw a general
picture on difference in the organisational practices and policies. These
studies but are organisational specific but not 'organisational culture'
specific. Only a few studies reported in the Indian context but studied on
the work culture of Kerala industrial scenario is not yet done at all.

Sinha, (1990) illustrated that large organizations in lndia seems to

have a bipolar continuum of soft and synergetic work culture. The soft
culture is related to public sector and synergetic culture is related to private
sector.

Kavitha, (2001) substantiates Sinha's (1990) finding that there are

sectoral differences in organisations entrenched values system ... Indian
organisations can be categorized into having soft and synergetic work
culture. Workers of private sector perceived significantly higher quality of
work in life in private sector compared to workers of public sector.

Hoque, (1996) indicates that the quality of working life has

significant positive correlation with performance of the workers in private
sector organisations compared with public sector organisations.

Ramaswamy, 1989) indicates that low morale of officers and

workers and lack of work culture are cited as some of the reasons for the
poor performance of public sector enterprises.

Elhance and Agatwal, (1975) found that there is moderate degree

of delegation of authority both in private and public sector, and the degree
of delegation is higher in the later.

Sharma and Bhaskar, (1991) indicates that recognition and

appreciation as important determinant of job satisfaction in their study of
engineers in a public sector undertaking.

The findings above reported by Kavitha, (2001); Hoque, (1996);

Ramaswamy, 1989); Sharma and Bhaskar, (1991); indicate that there is
differences between respondents from public and private sectors with
regard to the climate-satisfaction relationship on such dimensions and
scope for advancement, monetary benefits, objectivity, and rationality,
recognition and appreciation, training and education, and welfare facilities.
 Bass, (1990) indicate that Indian managers attach more importance
to the life goal of prestige-autonomy and position and give less wieghtage
to independence and risk taking compared to their counterparts from US,
Belgium, Japan, Britain and Latin America. They are also idealistic in their
approach and perceive compensation as a potential motivator for
performance.

Mohan, (1983) stated that it appears from the studies that Indian
managers have a high degree of dependency, less participative, status
oriented autocratic, indecisive and has comparatively lesser commitment
to organizational goal achievement.

Pareek, (1989) indicates that some organisations follow autocratic

culture concerned with proper protocol, formal authority and dominated by
dependency. The ethos of such organisation reflects closed, mistrusting
and self-seeking. Some others follow bureaucratic culture concerned with
control and dependence. The ethos of bureaucratic organisation
concerned with playing safe, inertia lack of collaboration, and closedness
Some other organ~sationfollows technical culture, which concerned with
expert power being dominant and with a back up environment of extension
Finally some organisation with entrepreneurial culture or democratic value
system. Such organisations that concerned with result, achievement,
concern for excellence, and extension (Pareek, 1989).

With specific reference to Kerala Industrial culture it has already

pointed out the a long history of trade unionism (Thampi, (1994), the labour
unionized under political patronage (Kannan (1998), psychic cost among
the entrepreneur (Oommen, (1981); Prakash, (1989); Thampi, (1994),
labour problem state and friendly climate and limits industrial investment in
Kerala (Subrahmanian and Azees, (2000).
Need and Significance of the study

The above literature and the discussion on organisational culture

indicate that the organisational culture can be an asset or a liability.
Organisational culture is an asset when shared beliefs and values facilitate
better cooperation and communication between members and
organisation. It is a liability when important shared beliefs and values
interfere with the needs of the business and of the company and the
people who work for it. The studies related to organisational factors
indicate that the work perception of Indian employees varied considerably
in different sectors. In Kerala, the researchers reported high stagnation of
industrial growth, high labour management problems, and entrepreneur
investment problems. In this context, it is important to understand the work
perception of employees in Kerala industrial organisations. It is necessary
to understand the value-based factors on work perception and work
attitude. To what extend the members of Kerala industrial organisations
attaches importance to work in a culture of high trade union militancy. In a
state of industrial growth stagnation, psychic costs, high trade union
activities etc., it is important to ensure the members cooperation and
contribution at work. To what extend the work culture of the organisation
induces openness, trust and confidence to the members in their work,
which motivate them to attach more work importance to the organisation is
to be ascertained. Organisations with strong cultures that fit the needs and
challenges of the situations survive and grow, while organisations with
weak cultures are phased out. Contemporarily, this research topic has high
relevance as the result of this research provides answer to many
questions. Hence:

The study of organisational culture is important in the field of

organisational behaviour as it give proper understanding, insight,
and feedback to the leaders, workers and management about the
Introduction 21

Kerala industrial culture patterns that facilitate, either to

development or constraints to organisational development.

. In other words, organizations are social systems that must be

inevitably operating to survive. Study of Organisational Culture is
important because no organization can operate in isolation to its
cultural environment.

Study of organisational culture is important as it explore the Kerala

industrial culture ethos and managerial practices at work, which
would go a long way in developing positive attitudes, which in turn
are likely to exert its influence on behavioural ethics towards
performance excellence.

Study of Organisational Culture is significant as it establishes the

linkage between Kerala industrial culture, leadership values and
work ethics in building human and social capital and it is through
human beings that organisations can sustain high performance.

Conclusion

The culture of organization varies from industry to industry. Some

organization follows work centric culture, some others non-work centric.
Some follows autocratic culture and some follows empowerment culture.
Culture around a work place provides a comprehensive framework for
understanding the various facets of work behaviour. Motivation and
impulses underlying human actions may be the by product of implicit items
of culture. Variation in the human behaviour used to highlight the variation
in the culture followed by the organization. It is hypothesized in this
particular research that industrial organizations differ in their leadership
style, core values, and ethical orientation and the difference in the culture
orientation affect the attitude and behaviour or members in the
organisation.

The literature discussed in the introductory chapter gives us a

surface level information and understanding about the culture,
organisational culture, strong and weak organisational culture, healthy and
unhealthy organisational culture, leadership, ethics, organisational ethics,
employee attitude and behaviour in relation to organisation and society.
A study of culture of organisation helps us to understand the influence of
organisational culture on human behaviour at work. Hence, this particular
research studies the cultural impact on work behaviour of employees and
employers in industrial organisations in Kerala.