Organisational Culture Case Study

The term "culture" has been used more and more recently but what exactly does it mean? Some have even regarded culture as "the most central problem of all social science" (Malinowski, 1939). According to Merriam Webster (2016), culture is defined as the arts and other manifestations of human achievements. If culture was as simple as Merriam-Webster defines it then the lives of anthropologists, sociologists, and psychologists would be much easier. As we know, culture varies greatly across religion, countries, and some cases in just states; the difference between the north and the south. We can conclude that culture is a set of shared thoughts, values, and cognitions (Geertz, 1973). With culture in itself varying tremendously based on values and location, then surely organizational culture is no simple concept either. The term "organizational culture" has just recently become to be used more (Barley, 1988). Though there may be disagreements on defining culture universally, researchers tend to agree that culture is of vital importance in an organizational context, whether that organization is a company or a government (Kilmann, Saxton, & Serpa, 1986).

Culture can be defined as a set of shared values, shared beliefs and customary ways of thinking doing things, which shape and guides the ways of organisational members. Culture is therefore very crucial as it has the ability to influence the processes or the activities of employees and the functioning of the organisation without necessarily imposing measures and control.

Culture is defined simply as the way of life of a group of people. This relates to how they live their lives, the patterns of social organisation and the ‘norms’ they are expected to follow. Culture varies between societies and across time. It is an extremely important part of everyday

According to the Webster’s New College Dictionary culture is defined as 1.) The totality of socially transmitted behavior patterns, arts, beliefs, institutions, and all other products of human work and thought typical of a population or community at a given time. 2.) A style of social and artistic expressions peculiar to a class or society. 3.) The predominating attitudes and behavior that characterize a group or organization. (Webster’s New College Dictionary)

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

Cultural organization is unique and configures their norms, beliefs, values, and behavioral characteristics into the individual and groups that unite to get things accomplished. Patterns begin to evolve and become a rule of basic assumption; whether it is a new idea, one recently discovered or under development by a certain group as they learn to cope with internal integration and external adaptation problems. Cultural characteristics are hard to define because culture is multi-dimensional with integrated components that intertwine at different levels and ever-changing which takes time to establish and therefore time to change it also. Culture becomes the fabric or social glue that unites its participants, this will counteract any processes that are different becomes an unavoidable side-effect of life in an organization. Mutual understandings and a shared system of meanings becomes the basis of communication in a cultural organization. Functions of a society need to be fulfilled with a certain amount of satisfaction or culture can impede the efficiency of that organization. Problems with this concept arise when trying to categorize culture or when, why, or how corporate culture should be changed or finding the best, healthiest or most desirable one.

There are many definitions of culture. All definitions have the same general meaning but each having its own detailed difference. Department of the Army Headquarters (HQs), defines culture as, “a web of meaning shared by members of a particular society

The culture of an organization is like a river. It can be fluid, strong and consistent, serving as lubricant while guiding its members in the right direction. In contrast a river can become stale and toxic, silently killing those who drink at its shore.1

Organizational culture influences many aspects of work life. Workplace cultures that are grounded in strong and formally articulated values and modes of behavior define an organization. Well-communicated values influence employee behavior and drive how employees relate with all stakeholders within the organization—from co-workers, management and members of the board to clients, shareholders and the community at large. When organizations seek to change their culture, HR—as change agent and educator of the change process—plays a significant role in this endeavor. In addition, HR's role is both up front and in the background, by leading, supporting, coaching, encouraging, measuring and evaluating the change during the process and over time.

Organisation Culture as there are many ways in which you can define the subject my interpretation of it is that it is structure of shared meaning which is held by members that differentiate the organisation from other organisations. Culture has its origin in the organisational interaction.

OPENNESS. Openness can be defined as a spontaneous expression of feelings and thoughts, and the sharing of these without defensiveness. Openness is in both directions, receiving and giving. Both these may relate to ideas (including suggestions), feedback (including criticism), and feelings. For example, openness means receiving without reservation, and taking steps to encourage more feedback and suggestions from customers, colleagues and others. Similarly, it means giving, without hesitation, ideas, information, feedback, feelings, etc. Openness may also mean spatial openness, in terms of accessibility. Installing internal E-mailing may be a step in this direction: everyone having a computer terminal has access to information which he may

In accordance with the Business Dictionary, organizational culture (similarly entitled Corporate Culture) is the standards and conducts which subsidize to the distinctive communal and the psychosomatic atmosphere of an establishment. Organizational culture incorporates an establishment 's expectancies, knowledges, perspective, and principles which sustain it, collectively, and is articulated in its individual-representation, internal workings, collaborations with the external domain, and impending expectancies. (Business Dictionary, 2016)

Tharp (2009) explains how most definitions of organizational culture include the concept of shared meaning, which shows that organizational culture can only be developed within groups. Secondly, organizational culture is socially constructed according to the location of the organization, its history, the working environment, and certain events that surround it (Tharp, 2009). Finally, most definitions claim that organizational culture is multidimensional and involves both cognitive and

Organizations develop a culture through many different ways. As an organization ages, evolves, and grows, this culture may change, or even become divided. Understanding the nuances of the culture of an organization is difficult. Leaders of organizations must be able to not only understand, but also influence the culture of their organization. Leaders are responsible for steering the organization, and generally aim to impress their way of thinking, feeling, and behaving onto followers. At first thought, it would seem leaders do this with personal power, or what Edgar Schein (2010) describes as charisma, “that mysterious ability to capture the subordinates’ attention and to communicate major assumptions and values in a vivid and clear

According to Robbins and Coulter (2011) organizational culture is the shared values, principles, traditions and ways of doing things that influence the way organizational members act. In most organizations, these elements have evolved over time and determine the organization’s systems, implying on three things: Perception, descriptive, shared.