Relationship Between Individual Identities And Organizational Culture

Stuart Hall defines identity as an ‘already accomplished fact, which the new cultural practices then represent’. We should think instead of ‘identity as a ‘production’ which is never complete, always in process, and always constituted within, not outside, representation’ (Hall 1994 p.392). An individual’s sense of belonging to a particular group, thinking, feelings and behaviour can also be referred to as identity. One’s cultural image can construct identity; such features as hair, skin tone and height. History shapes our identity.

In his 1971 paper “Personal Identity”, Derek Parfit posits that it is possible and indeed desirable to free important questions from presuppositions about personal identity without losing all that matters. In working out how to do so, Parfit comes to the conclusion that “the question about identity has no importance” (Parfit, 1971, p. 4.2:3). In this essay, I will attempt to show that Parfit’s thesis is a valid one, with positive implications for human behaviour. The first section of the essay will examine the thesis in further detail and the second will assess how Parfit’s claims fare in the face of criticism.

Organizational culture shapes and reinforces certain employee attitudes and behaviors by creating a system of control over employees.

“’Identity has been increasingly used to refer to the social and historical make-up of a person, personality as a construct. Sometimes such identities are conceived narrowly psychological, individualist terms, as the cumulative result of personal experience and family history”

There is a “blurring of boundary between self and organisation” (Rosen 1988), giving workers a chance to develop more personal relationships with fellow workers, which I believe is an important consideration in driving culture. However subtly it is a form of normative control which reinforces the organisations hierarchy. Nevertheless, bosses, co-workers, and inferiors in the organisation socialise in the social setting, not as “subordinates” (Rosen 1988) but as equals. This further “blurs the boundaries between that which is work and play, instrumental and moral, inside and outside” (Rosen 1988), where familial bonds are forged and comradeship created. Here, workers’ life and work become indistinguishable. Creating and maintaining a strong culture is thus beneficial for both employees and employers as they feel “belonging as family and profession” (Rosen 1988). Greater bonding among workers helps develop a sense of connection and a feeling of belonging, which therefore increases the productivity of the employees and therefore make the organisation more profitable. The Christmas party is ultimately “a collection of members forming an organic unity” (Rosen 1988), creating a culture which “encourages an informal, flexible, and dedicated membership, one not constrained by extensive rules, and one capable of accomplishing ill-defined and complex tasks” (Rosen 1988). It is the ongoing drive to succeed which continues to grow the

Organisational culture describes the values, beliefs and behaviours which provide norms for the environment of an organisation (Anon., 2012). The culture of an organisation sets out to provide structure for employees within a business and often culture shows to be a strong factor in certain organisations. Edgar Schein, a culture theorist explains that the definition of organizational culture must be general otherwise factors may be eliminated which may contribute to culture within a business. (Anon., 2007). Culture impacts on the working procedures in which a business performs and effects the way in which the organisation is run on a daily basis.

The word identity has become the most discussed idea in our society. It is described mostly, to be a word that stands for who we are. Therefore, because of who we are, identity has come to be a word that we use to claim and understand people’s actions in our society. So in this paper I will be analysing how social practices surrounding identity relates to gender in social, personal levels, through the work of three authors; by Ian Hacking on “kind making”, Margaret Somers on “Narrative construction of identity” and finally, Frederick Cooper and Rogers Brubaker on “beyond identity” . However, I will tilt more toward Frederick Cooper and Rogers Bruakers article on identity. This is because I feel that their article contributes better to my

This essay considers how organisations and communities affect people's behaviours and influencing social change. Firstly, from a 'management' perspective the focus will look at the 'strong link' of both structure and culture and how this affects people's behaviour to bring about possible social change. Secondly, from a 'psychology' perspective, the essay will focus on how individual's behaviour is affected by the taking on of 'roles' and 'scripts' as well as analysing the evidence from the Zimbardo experiment. Finally, from a 'social science' perspective looking at the consideration of the 'Resource Mobilisation

Within organizations, large and small, there exists a sense of identity among its members that separates it from other organizations. This sense of identity is known as organizational culture. All over, managers seek to influence and change this into something that can be beneficial for the organization. In his article, “The Six Levers for Managing Organizational Culture”, Professor David W. Young defines the different elements that can influence and change the culture within the organization and how the reader can use these “levers” to their advantage. While the author does present a decent explanation for changing the culture of an organization, he leaves many questions unanswered that leaves his argument incomplete.

Culture within an organisation is a system of shared values, beliefs and norms of individuals in the organisation and how the value consensus creates a way in which people behave. The shared values have a strong influence on the individuals in the organisation and dictates how a person acts, dresses and performs in their job. A unique culture is developed and maintained by an organisation which provides guidelines and boundaries, through informal means, for the behaviour of the people within the organisation.

Humiliation stained my face and ego as I styled a black cotton T-shirt and matching black slacks. My coworkers and I were dressed in the same attire, hinting we were all “one” and a “team.” As an employee, work hours were assigned based on one’s availability, work performance, and the turnout profit of the parlor. Thus, work hours were never guaranteed nor specified. There were also two staff meetings a month where discussions of improvement were presented. There is clearly a centralization of power since there are higher agents assigning duties and payroll. By having an established authority (Kunda, 2006), there are fewer attempts of employee objections or disobedience. It also means employee emotions and actions are regulated. Thus, to be a steadily paid employee, the employee must “work embrace” their member role and think accordingly to the company (Lecture 5/2/16). These conditions are a form of normative control since policing of poor job performance would jeopardize one’s wages. Staff meetings served as spaces where management presented an agenda—reflecting of the company’s goals to maintaining order, commitment, and work relationships (Kunda, 2006). The implementation of role embracement and company ideologies is again

Studies in social sciences offer other important insights about identities. Lemke (2008) presents five interesting perspectives on identities that can help us understand their relationship to beliefs and emotions. First, identities are multiple. It means that we behave differently in different situations (formal and informal) and settings (professional and intimate) and with different people (children or peers). Second, identities are multi-faceted and dynamic, they develop and change as who we are is constructed within the limitations of our interactions in different settings in our lives with different people. Third, identities are hybrid. Thus, sometimes we should act in more normalized ways than we would like to since there are some contradictions

There are various kinds of identity (individualized or shared) that people are expected to possess. (Hollinger, 2004) namely; personal identity which is known as a

In most case, identity is shaped by culture. Since culture is a set of ideals life practices, routines and attitudes set up by a certain community hence culture plays a major role in shaping the identity of an individual. An individual’s character and attributes can be because of their background. This is due to the set up that one has grown up (Dumas 19). People tend to learn more about their culture, and as they grow up it becomes part of them. They embrace the culture’s beliefs and tend to do things following the set routines. The aspect of following the set routine and beliefs play a significant part in shaping the identity of an individual.

An organization’s culture governs day to day behavior. This type of power may be seen as a control mechanism, which businesses use to manipulate internal and external perception. Every organization has a set of assumed understandings that must be adopted and implemented by new employees in order for them to be accepted. Conformity to the culture becomes the primary basis for reward by the organization. “The role of culture in influencing employee behavior appears to be increasingly important in today’s workplace, as organizations have widened spans of control, flattened structures, introduced teams, reduced