In the following article we want you to know exactly what organizational culture is and its role in shaping behavior in organizations.
In the same way that we talk about the culture of a country or region, we can also talk about culture within a company. Like nations, companies are also groups of people and as such can share beliefs and behaviors.
However, to better understand what organizational culture is, we must define what exactly “Culture” means.
What is culture.
Due to its abstract and intangible nature, the term culture has been widely debated by anthropologists over time. To date there are different definitions and ambiguity about its nature. Likewise, culture can be confused with terms such as identity, race, stereotypes or nation, which are different. Let’s see some definitions to better understand what it is:
- “Culture is the complexity of the whole, which includes knowledge, beliefs, art, morals, laws, customs, abilities and habits acquired by man as a member of society.”
- “Culture is the collective programming of the mind, which distinguishes members of one group of people from another.”
- It is the set of attitudes, values, beliefs and behaviors shared by a group of people, but different for individuals belonging to another generation”.
- “A set of shared attitudes, values, goals and practices that characterize an institution or organization”.
- “The integrated pattern of knowledge, beliefs, and behavior of a group of people that depends on the ability to learn and transmit knowledge to succeeding generations.”
- “The set of values, conventions or social practices associated with a field or activity carried out by a particular group”.
- Culture is the characteristics and knowledge of a particular group of people. These characteristics encompass language, religion, cuisine, social habits, music, and the arts.
As you can see in the definitions mentioned above, there are some characteristics in common. On the one hand, it is clear that when we talk about culture we refer to a group of people. Additionally, culture is made up of each of the elements that make up the behavior and way of thinking of its individuals.
These elements are: knowledge, beliefs, art, morals, laws, customs, abilities, habits, attitudes, values, goals and social practices.
Finally, culture can be learned and transmitted from generation to generation, and is reflected in religion, cuisine, and music, among others.
What is organizational culture.
The culture of a company is also shaped by the values, beliefs, knowledge and assumptions of its individuals. Each one of them learns and adapts to the way of thinking and acting of said group of people. It is as if the company had personality.
In short, we could say that Organizational culture is the way things are done in an organization. They are all those unwritten rules that influence the behavior and attitudes of those who compose it.
Organizational culture includes the expectations, experiences, and philosophy of an organization, as well as the values that guide the behavior of members. It is expressed in self-image, internal functioning, and interactions with the outside world.
Every company has a different culture. Let’s take Google as an example. From the way your employees dress, the aesthetics of your offices and your administrative practices; we can clearly see how it differs from a company in the financial sector such as JP Morgan.
Every organization has a particular way of operating, making decisions, finding solutions, setting goals, and solving problems. Likewise, each company has a vision, a mission, values, systems, standards and even its own “language”. All this makes up what we know today as organizational culture.
Why is organizational culture important?
Although for some it sounds like a trivial issue, organizational culture intrinsically affects the internal relations of companies, as well as their interactions with the outside world. It is said to be the DNA of the company.
It is support to lead.
Organizational culture is important because it facilitates leadership. On the one hand, leaders have a clear vision of how things are done, which allows them to convey a clear message to the group. On the other hand, it guides the team to make the right decisions when there is a lack of direction.
Facilitates the implementation of strategies.
Additionally, strategies that are inconsistent with the organizational culture are likely to encounter resistance and be more difficult or even impossible to implement, while strategies that are in line are more likely to succeed.
It is a control system.
In short, it regulates the actions of its individuals. It is like an invisible operations and coexistence manual that each individual knows instinctively. It is the idea of “rules” of behavior that must be respected, together with the associated social sanctions that are imposed on those who do not “stay within the company guidelines”.
This promotes “correct” thinking and behavior. Likewise, sanction the thought and behavior that is considered “incorrect”.
It is a protection system.
Organizational culture can be thought of as the company’s immune system. On the one hand, it prevents people from thinking and acting contrary to the company’s guidelines, and on the other hand, it works as a filter when hiring staff.
Edgar Schein’s organizational culture model.
Edgar Schein, an organization development expert and renowned MIT professor, says that companies don’t adopt a culture in a single day. On the contrary, it is the experiences that your employees face over time that gradually shape the norms and assumptions that compose it. Just like humans, companies also start to create habits, and it is these habits that dictate the culture in the workplace.
Schein structures his vision of organizational culture at the following three levels:
- artifacts and symbols: Are all those visible characteristics of the organization. For example, the way your employees dress, the architecture of your offices, your decoration or the company logo.
- Adopted values: This level refers to the values that each of the individuals have; the rules, roles and how the employees of that organization act. In the slogan, the mission and the vision you can see some of these values.
- Assumptions: They are all those unconscious but recurring behaviors of individuals. They are so common in the day to day of the organization that they can become imperceptible.
Conclution.
The culture of an organization directly but silently influences each of its processes and operations. This facilitates and regulates the flow of communication and work. Each individual must adapt to the culture of the group to which they belong, however, they can also modify some of its characteristics. It is the leaders who have the power to create and modify the organizational culture.
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