ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE AND

CLIMATE

ORGANIZATION CULTURE: CONCEPT

A common perception held by organizations members. A system of shared meaning. Culture is the social glue that helps hold the organisation together.

ORGANIZATION CULTURE: DEFINITION

Organization culture is the basic pattern of shared assumptions, values and beliefs considered to be the correct way of thinking about and acting on problems and opportunities facing the organization.

CHARACTERISTICS OF ORGANIZATION
CULTURE Innovation and risk taking Attention to detail Outcome orientation People orientation Team orientation Aggressiveness Stability

FUNCTIONS OF ORGANIZATIONAL
CULTURE Organisational culture provides a sense of identity for members. Organisational culture enhances commitment to the organisations mission. Organisational culture clarifies and reinforces standards of behaviour. Defines the boundary between one organization and others. Enhances the stability of the social system.

EFFECTS OF ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE

Organizational performance Length of employment Person/organization fit

HOW EMPLOYEES LEARN

ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE Artifacts Values Assumptions Beliefs

Artifacts Observable symbols and signs of an organizations culture. eg:., structures, processes etc.

Stories and legends

Rituals and ceremonies Physical structures and symbols

language

Values The reasons given by an organisation for the way things are done. Eg:strategies, goals, philosophies. Assumptions The beliefs that are taken for granted by the organisational members. These are ultimate source of values and action that include: unconscious, perceptions, taken for-granted beliefs, thoughts, feelings etc.
Beliefs Represent the individuals perception of reality.

UNIFORMITY OF CULTURE
Organization culture is a common perception held by the organizations members. All members cannot share this perception at the same degree. This gives result to: Dominant culture Sub-culture

DOMINANT CULTURE

Set of core values shared by a majority of the organizations members.

SUB-CULTURE
Set of values shared by a minority of the organizations members. Formed as a result of problems or experiences that are shared by members of different departments. Some subcultures enhance the dominant culture. Some directly oppose the organizations core values and beliefs. They are called counter-cultures.

STRONG AND WEAK CULTURES

A culture in which the core values are intensely held and widely shared. Strong managers determine a strong culture. Factors determining strength of a culture: Sharedness: degree to which organizations members have same values. Intensity: degree of commitment to the core values of the organization. Both of these factors are determined by orientation and rewards.

ADAPTIVE CULTURE
Culture in which employees focus on the changing needs of customers and other stakeholders, and support initiatives to keep pace with those changes. External focus. Employees in an adaptive culture pay as much attention to organizational processes as they do to organizational goals. Strong sense of ownership. Proactive and quick.

CREATING AND MAINTAINING A CULTURE

HOW ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE STARTS? Founder has an idea of a new enterprise

Founder creates a core group with one or more key people with common vision
The core group begins to act in a concert to create an organization

Others are brought in the organizatiuon and a common history begins to be built

MAINTAINING CULTURE
Forces that play a significant role in sustaining culture:

Selection practices Concern with how well the candidates will fit into the organization.Provides information to candidates about the organization. Actions of top management Senior executives help establish behavioural norms that are adopted by the organization. Socialisation method. The process that helps new employees adapt to the organizations culture.

PROCESS OF SOCIALIZATION
Selection of entry level personnel

Placement on the job

Job mastery Measuring and rewarding performance Adherence to important values Reinforcing the stories and folklore

Recognition and promotion

EDGAR SCHEIN ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE: A WAY TO ORGANIZATION'S

SUCCESS 3 cognitive levels:

Facilities, furnishings, awards and recognitions, uniform or dress code and interaction.
Culture of the organization, depicted by slogans, mission statements, etc.

Tacit assumptions of the organizations, unspoken rules.

IMPORTANCE OF EDGAR MODEL

one can easily understand the paradoxical organizational behaviours and have an in-depth knowledge of the culture. Interpersonal skills also help in understanding culture. Helps to know the culture at different levels. The assumptions can be identified.

ORGANIZATIONAL CLIMATE
Climate is defined as the recurring patterns of behavior, attitudes and feelings that characterize life in the organization. The shared perception of the way things are around here.

CULTURE V/S CLIMATE

The

two concepts are similar in that both deal with the social context in organizations and both are assumed to effect the behaviour of people. Climate was based in psychology & culture was based in anthropology & sociology. Organization climate usually refers to current situation in an organization in other hand culture usually refers to the historical & tradition of the organization.

 Organizational

cultures are generally deep and stable. Climate, on the other hand, is often defined as the recurring patterns of behavior, attitudes and feelings that characterize life in the organization. Although culture and climate are related, climate often proves easier to assess and change than culture.