Four Organizational Culture Types
Bruce M. Tharp
ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE WHITE PAPER
04.09
ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE WHITE PAPER
Four Organizational Culture Types
Acknowledging that organizational culture is an important aspect for space planners, this paper provides an overview of four organizational culture types: Control (hierarchy), Compete (market), Collaborate (clan), and Create (adhocracy). This typology reflects the range of organizational characteristics across two dimensions that were found critical to organizational effectiveness. The spatial implications for each type are presented so that workspace planners might be able to interpret the results of an organizational culture assessment in their process of designing
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These companies are similar to the Control (hierarchy) in that they value stability and control; however, instead of an inward focus they have an external orientation and they value differentiation over integration. This began largely because of the competitive challenges from overseas that forced American companies to search for a more effective business approach. With their outward focus, Compete (market) organizations are focused on relationships—more specifically, transactions—with suppliers, customers, contractors, unions, legislators, consultants, regulators, etc. Through effective external relations they feel that they can best achieve success. While Control (hierarchy) optimize stability and control through rules, standard operating procedures, and specialized job functions, Compete (market) organizations are concerned with competitiveness and productivity through emphasis on partnerships and positioning. General Electric, under the leadership of former CEO Jack Welch, is a good
Throughout this essay organisational culture will be examined, including the two approaches mainstream and critical. What managers can do to shape culture and also an example of when culture has in fact been changed.
To understand the organizational culture of a company, one needs to start by looking at the history. Lakeshore Learning Materials was born from a divorced mother of three named Ethelyn Kaplan, who took a dream and a chance by moving her family to California in 1954 to open a toy store. When she started noticing that teachers were interested in her material, Ethelyn realized that she needed to expand her business into educational materials. 60 years later, Lakeshore Learning Materials has grown into a company with over 2000 employees, 60 retail stores throughout the United States and growing. Lakeshore Learning Materials is currently headed by Ethelyn’s grandsons, Bo and Josh Kaplan. Under the supervision of Bo and Josh, Lakeshore continues to be a leader in the Educational Materials, yet still able to keep the family culture that their grandmother started. Highest quality customer service and hard work are the core values that shape Lakeshore’s Organizational Strategy. These high expectations aren’t hard for employees at Lakeshore because the company is so loved by everyone that works there, that they give nothing less than the best.
As known each organization has a set objective to be achieved. Hence depending on the objective & to achieve those objectives, an organization can be structured in many difference ways: the 2 basic division, is the division of labour& coordination & supervision. These are done to be in-line with the organizational objective.
The unit I selected to study is the Sales and Service department of the organization where I am employed, Verizon Telecommunications. It is the customer service department in which customers call in to order new service, add services or products to existing service, and report any questions, comments or complaints. In addition to placing orders for services, if a customer has a problem or a technical issue, my job is to analyze the problem or issue and recommend a solution. Notice however, the department title, Sales and Service. It is of no accident that the word Sales, is before Service. This is in fact a sales job. During every call, I must make sure I recommend a product or service to
According to Mclean and Marshall (1993) organisational culture is defined as the collection of traditions, values, policies, beliefs and attitudes that contribute a pervasive context for everything we do and think in an organisation. (ie) this means that these factors actually determine how we think as well as act and react not only to people from within the same organisation but also to anybody on the outside who has some sort of interaction with the organisation. As can be seen with the part-structure in Figure 1, this organisation (WHD) has various levels of management. There is quite
The formal reporting lines refers to the communication between directors, managers, and those employees under them in the organizational structure while the informal reporting line refers to the communication that occurs between health care professionals in the course of the decision-making process, i.e. nurse to physician discussing a patient. Informal communication also can be peer to peer regarding conflict, policy, or safety issues. If a decision is made between the peers, the formal reporting line can be entered in with the peers taking the information up the chain to the managers and directors. Often informal reporting becomes formal reporting. In my organization our formal reporting line starts with the unit charge nurse, proceeding to the team coordinator, the director
The organizational culture and subcultures within a business determines, to a larger extent, how the business performs and the quality of people that comprises an organization. Such culture is often initially created on purpose, but takes on life and identity of its own, developing organically and eventually controls and cultivates people within the organization.
Establishing a culture that allows the organization to build and achieve its strategic objectives is important. A defined organizational culture provides the ground work for development and strategic planning. This established culture will aid in the planning process. The success of an organization relies on its leadership. A good leader must possess the characteristics to lead the company toward achieving desired strategic goals. A good leader must provide an environment where people want to work, succeed, and stay, however every employee will not remain with the organization. When this occurs top executives must evaluate where the organization stand to obtain a clear insight of its strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities for improvement. The organization established peer groups to develop strategies to retain employees. This will provide a realistic view on how to create a plan around the knowledge gained. Employees who use their strengths and talents are less likely to leave the organization at the first sign of trouble. Employees perform best giving the opportunity to utilize their talents to complete daily tasks. Baptist Memorial
Continuous change is required in the fast-paced business environment, however the fundamental- organizational behavior, design, and development, in addition to the overarching mission must remain constant in order to guide the organization through change on a regulatory basis. The University of Chicago Campaign Inquiry & Impact is leading the organization's culture change as an active representation of the university’s mission, vision, and strategy. The campaign will be used primarily to analyze The Unviersity of Chicago culture. The campaign provides an approach that the entire organization can rallying behind and tangible structure for change that involves influence, ingenuity,
Organizational culture can be defined as a system of shared beliefs and values that develops within an organization and guides the behavior of its members. It includes routine behaviors, norms, dominant values, and a feeling or climate conveyed. The purpose and function of this culture is to help foster internal integration, bring staff members from all levels of the organization much closer together, and enhance their performance.
An organizational culture is a system of shared beliefs and values that are establised to help motivate and coordinate employees in the achievement of meeting the organization’s goals (Kinicki, 2012, p.229). The four types of organizational cultures are: clan, adhocracy, market, and hierarchy. By a company choosing what kind of culture and structure they will plan lays out the design of how an organization will function which gives an the organizational identity, it facilitates collective commitment, promotes stability, and shapes the workplace behavior by helping employees to understand the purpose and goals of the company, and how they intend to accomplish their goals (Kinicki, 2012).
The following is an observation and analysis of the role an organization’s values play on the development and state of its culture. This analysis is based on five interviews of both male and female workers from a privately owned manufacturing company with annual revenues exceeding a billion dollars. In forming my conclusions, I will analyze the synthesis of data and draw from the classification and examples set forth in the “Workplace Culture and Socialization section of Volti’s “An Introduction to the Sociology of Work and Occupations” Volti (2008) as well as the National Defense University’s
Every business needs to organise its activities and a defined structure enables them do it well. For example, every area of the business knows what they are supposed to do and when to do it. In addition, they know who to report to with the aid of a good structure. On the other hand, organisational culture is something that is not tangible but can be observed in the way people do the things they do and in the way they treat one another and their customers.
Life is stressful and the value of the healthy organization is measured by the quality of the work-life balance of the employees. Even the best-managed organizations have stressors occurring on the regular and the irregular periods. Those regular stressors, such as quarterly reports or financial tides are expected. The unplanned and often unsuspected stressors occur within the organization. These unplanned stressors will create chaos and an unhealthy organization.
The organizational culture of an organization serves as a foundation that should guide the practice and attitude of all healthcare professionals and staff. King & Demarie (2015) describes organizational culture as the basis that determines right and wrong. A hospital organization’s mission, vision, and goals are derived from the culture established within the organization. Organizational decisions are highly influenced by the organizational culture within an environment. Growth, advancements, and acquirements must be aligned with an organization’s culture to facilitate success. Healthcare organizations must ensure that all staff are aware of the efforts they must portray in order to properly exhibit the culture to all individuals seeking healthcare services.