Organisational Culture And The Role Of Management example essay topic

Do you think that the concept! ^0 organisational culture! +/- is a useful one in the real world? If so, why? If not, why not? ABSTRACT The concept of culture is in itself a social concept.

Therefore it follows that the concept of organisational culture should be viewed as the social context of an organisation and is an interpretation of the way the organisation behaves. However, according to Iain Mangham (Power and performance in Organisations, Oxford: Blackwell Publishers, 1986, pp. 1-9. ), there is no such thing as organisational behaviour, there is only the collective behaviour of individuals. Mangham says! ^0 Terms such as group and organisation are simply abstractions from the behaviour of individuals, summaries of scores of pieces of individual behaviour distributed in a particular time and space!

+/-. However, "organisational culture" is a scientifically accepted concept used to define and described the collective individual behaviour within the organisation. This collective behaviour of individuals is guided in the social context by issues such as shared personal values, shared beliefs, rituals, etc. The culture within the organisation has significant impact on the ability of the organisation to produce efficiently. Hence the ability to define and item ise the individual aspects of organisational culture is key to the leaderships ability to manipulate the culture in such a way that productivity within the organisation is enhanced.

It is obvious that changing the ethos of a single individual has only limited value if the collective organisational culture does not support that change. Problems must be managed within the context in which they exist and organisational goals should be considered. Some organisations desired cultural change toward greater utilisation of behavioural principles, and some do not. In essence management and leadership can influence culture and thereby make the organisation more effective. So, why are managers and researchers so interested in organisational cultures? Trice and Beyer, Cultures of Work Organizations, Prentice Hall Business Publishing (1993) cite two main reasons: 1.

Increased competition for American organisations and 2. An acknowledgement that scientific and rational explanations of organisations are incomplete. Some leaders believe the performance of an organisation depends solely upon the quality of its personnel. This is a flawed premise for, in reality it is the quality of the organisations leadership, which will dictate whether or not the talents and commitment of its people will become manifest and expressed in the work of the organisation. According to Dr Francois Maritz (HRM Magazine, October 1995, pp. 8-16) "How leaders lead - the directions they establish, how they identify objectives, the lessons they teach regarding desired and outlawed practices and the incentives they offer - determines the culture within which work is to be accomplished.

The culture, in turn, will determined whether or not the human and technological potential available to leaders will be realised". Hypothetically one could ask. "How many seeds are in a Apple?" The answer of course is irrelevant! More relevant in the context of human potential is the question. "How many apples in a seed?" The answer is infinite - provided that the correct circumstances exist for the seed to germinate and flourish. Productivity could be mathematically expressed as: Potential minus Interference.

It could also be said that the role of the leader / manager is to manage or reduce interference. This is why the management of culture has become such a crucial issue for global business leaders. There is nothing less than the success or failure of their organisations at stake. Issues such as productivity, strategic development and individual performance are all direct outcomes of the successful management of national and organisational cultures.

So what is culture? Martin (1992, 3) gives the following definition: ! ^0 As individuals come into contact with organisations, they come into contact with dress norms, stories people tell about what goes on, the organisation!'s formal rules and procedures, its informal codes of behaviour, rituals, tasks, pay systems, jargon and jokes only understood by insiders and so on. These elements are some of the manifestations of organisational culture. When cultural members interpret the meanings of these manifestations, their perceptions, memories, beliefs, experiences, and values will vary, so interpretations will differ - even of the same phenomenon. The patterns or configurations of these interpretations, and the ways they are enacted, constitute culture.!

+/- Edgar H Schein, (Organizational Culture and Leadership, 2nd edition Jossey-Bass Publishers, January 1997), states that "Individual and organisational performance cannot be understood unless one takes into account the organisational culture" Schein in no way qualifies this statement. His experience is that performance, successful or otherwise, at any level, "cannot" be understood unless we have the skill of assessing and comprehending the nuances of the culture surrounding and giving rise to the results being generated. According to "The Paradox Principles" by the Price Waterhouse Change Integration Team, (Chicago, Ill. : Irwin Professional 1996. ), culture consists of the following aspects: Values, Beliefs, Climate, Norms, Symbols and Philosophy. Values are the principles that are considered meaningful and would include such things as integrity or innovation. Beliefs are the assumptions and the business model that are valid for those within the organisation.

These beliefs generate the organisational paradigms. We view these as the stories that last within an organisation and that provide cohesion about the way things are done. Climate is considered in the context of organisational mood. That mood is fundamental to the functioning of the organisation as it predisposes people to act in certain ways and not others and also influences the mood of the people who come into the organisation.

Norms are the standards that are generally accepted as applying within the organisation. They relate to things such as how hard people work, dress code etc. Symbols are the rituals and traditions that exemplify powerful messages about what is important within the organisation Philosophy is the organisations stated policies and ideologies that guide actions towards the stakeholders within the organisation. It is commonly held by sociologists that! ^0 philosophy drives behaviour!

+/-. Let us go back and look at culture in terms of our interpretation of human beings and organisations. Ultimately, individuals can only achieve what they are capable of conceiving, and culture is the set of attitudes and beliefs along with their resultant behaviour that make up what is conceptually possible. Or, to say it another way, your state, beliefs and world view lead to particular actions or behaviour and these actions and behaviours lead to the results you get. Put simply, culture is the set of attitudes and behaviours that are prevailing, in a group or organisation at any given time. From the perspective of those involved, it is "the way we do things here" and, though usually unspoken and unrecorded (and, more often that not, completely unnoticed), it is nevertheless the single most powerful force in defining the group and its capabilities.

Edgar Schein expresses it very well when he says that culture is. ".. the deeper level of basic assumptions and beliefs that are shared by members of an organisation, that operate unconsciously and define an organisation's view of itself and its environment". His use of the terms "basic assumption" and "beliefs" is significant. Interestingly, Edgar Schein goes on to say, "These assumptions and beliefs are learned responses to a group's problems of survival in its external environment and its problems of internal integration". It is here that we begin to glimpse the origins of culture and its effects. An organisation's culture does not drop from the sky or arrive fully formed on day one of that organisation's existence. Culture is painstakingly wrought by all members of that group as they act and interact with each other and with their environment in an attempt to achieve their collective and individual aims.

Of course, founders and leaders are usually the most influential in this process. They have most opportunity to impress their own beliefs and presuppositions on the group. However, no matter where they come from, when a prevailing set of cultural presuppositions is unidentified, their influence limits choice and flexibility in that organisation. Because they are experienced as obvious and the only truth, they tend not to allow room for other behaviours and solutions that might appear to contravene them. Options are closed down before they can even be explored and a subtle rigidifying prevails. Leaders are portrayed as culture creators or transformers because they have the ability and responsibility to qualify the myths that abound within organisations.

Peters and Waterman (In Search of Excellence: Lessons from America's Best-Run Companies by Thomas Peters, Robert H. Waterman, Tom Peters, Warner Books October 1988), equate the achievement of corporate excellence with the successful management of culture. For example, they state, "Productivity is a cultural phenomenon par excellence - both at the small work group level and at the level of the total organisation". Dr J Hall similarly notes! ^0 Effective management requires an understanding of the human system which it addresses and upon which it is dependent for its success.! +/- According to McGregor the object of management is "the accomplishment of work through people", in essence management is a social science.

The skill of cultural or social management has not formed any major part of traditional management training and development, and consequently, there is a general lack of ability to maximise the potential of business and the output of its people in most organisations. Bernard M. Bass and Bruce J. Avolio (improving organisational effectiveness through transformational leadership, Sage publications, 1994.) recognise that the leaders, as the definers and givers of culture set the tone, atmosphere and philosophy for the organisation and its sub-units. Consequently, the most effective leaders must continually evaluate what is important and critical to the organisations success in clear and concise terms so that it becomes an ingrained part of the organisational culture. Bass and Avolio underscore this when they say, "Because culture constrains strategy, a company must analyse its culture and learn to manage within its boundaries or, if necessary, change it if that company wants to have control of its strategic development". It is simply not possible to guide any group of people, whether it be a family, club, business, corporation or nation, towards a common goal and guarantee a level of predictable results, without taking into account and having the skill to manage the culture which exists and the ability to generate the culture which will be necessary to achieve organisational objectives. The duty of the leader / manager should be to increase organisational effectiveness and enhance organisational culture to the point that its problem solving capabilities and creative processes are self-renewing.

This can only be achieved if at least some of the following objectives are achieved. A) To build trust among individuals and groups throughout the organisation. B) To create an open, problem solving climate throughout the organisation. C) To locate decision-making and problem solving responsibilities as close as possible to the relevant information sources. D) To increase the sense of ownership of organisational goals and objectives throughout the membership of the organisation. E) To create more collaborative and creative relationships between previously independent groups.

F) To practice real participative management through communication, conflict resolution and joint problem solving and decision-making. Social studies (and common sense) over the past 20 years by social scientists such as McGregor, Erich Fromm and Robert White, has produced overwhelming evidence that "people can and want to do good work" or put another way "people are capable of doing what needs to be done". It is the task of the leader to create the culture best suited to "releasing" this potential. Dr Francois Maritz notes. ".. The probability of excellent performance and high morale is great when leaders provide the cultural supports for their people".

Cultural planning is an essential element of leadership and management. To be successful, a business must not be merely reactive. According to Hickman and Silva (Creating Excellence: Managing Corporate Culture, Strategy and Change in the New Age, by Michael A. Silva, Craig R. Hickman), "Only when you pay active and simultaneous attention to both strategy and culture, always striving to harmonise them, can you create an organisation capable of achieving and sustaining excellence". Only by knowing your culture and having the tools for influencing it can you begin to guarantee the achievement of an organisation's business objectives. Central to the issues of how to "manage" culture is the question of leadership and alignment of people's hearts and minds to a common vision for the organisation. How to do this effectively requires a new set of skills and competencies.

Technical and commercial know-how, strategic thinking and planning on the part of the leaders are critical. Successful leadership of culture requires a high degree of what has been termed "emotional intelligence", the ability to understand and deal with one's own feelings, goals, successes and failure and to read and deal effectively with these in others. The most significant characteristics associated with healthy, performance-enhancing cultures are the "strategic fit" of the culture - how well does the culture fit with the context the business operates? Within its market, its external environment and its business strategy. How adaptable is the culture, to what extent is the organisation able to anticipate and adapt to the changing needs of its customers and key stakeholders? According to Bass & Avolio "the culture can help identify the purpose and reinforce the alignment around a central mission or vision".

For instance, if innovation is a top priority in an organisation, then leaders must build mechanisms in the culture to ensure that such innovation is stimulated among employees. Emphasis on innovation and the support needed to achieve it can become the doctrine continuously communicated by the leadership both in what they say and in what they do as role models. As the culture is assimilated by those closest to the leadership their behaviour will directly and indirectly effect other individuals from inside and outside the organisation. Conclusion Organisational culture, and the impact it has on an organisation's performance, is seen by many observers as one of the key determinants of success. An organisation's culture is the amalgamation of its people's attitudes, beliefs and behaviours. It is often expressed as "the way we do things here".

The definition of a group's culture is also a definition of the limits of that group's capabilities. Its achievements will always be an outcome of its culture and be bound by it, because an organisation is incapable of achieving what its people cannot envisage or encompass. It is for this reason that we study an organisation's culture, in order to understand whether the organisation is capable of achieving what its leaders say it should achieve. If cultural management is not a standard part of business practice, business process re-engineering, continuous improvement, streamlining, revision of business practices and all the other myriad changes involved in the development and flourishing of an organisation are doomed to fail, because they will always be sabotaged by the unstated prevailing presuppositions of the old culture and its habits.

In short, for any business to begin to thrive, for any public service to begin to efficiently service its constituents or for any nation to take its place as a player on the world stage, the cultures at work within its industries, businesses, unions, government departments, and even within the nation as a whole must be examined, understood and managed, to deliver the results its people are striving for. Bibliography Edwin B Flip po "C Personnel management 5th Edition, (McGraw Hill International Book Company, 1983) Covers the very basics of organisational requirements of staff and management. Bernard M Bass and Bruce J Avolio "C Improving Organisational Effectiveness Through Transformational Leadership (Sage Publications, 1994) "C explores the applications of transformational leadership in diverse organisational processes and integrates both theory and practice. Iain Mangham - Power & Performance in Organisations - A short article from! ^0 The Effective Manager! +/- dealing with the role of organisations and the influence of the individual. Emmanuel Ogbonna - Managing Organisational Culture: Fantasy or Reality?

(Human Resource Journal, 3, 2.1993, pp. 42"C 54) A short article from! ^0 The Effective Manager! +/- dealing organisational culture and the role of management. Terrance Deal and Allen Kennedy - Corporate cultures, (Harmondsworth: Penguin, 1982) A short article from! ^0 The Effective Manager! +/- dealing with organisational culture and the effect on individual behaviour. John Bills bury "C The Effective Manager (Sage Publishing, 1996), A very readable book following the logic of the entire chain of management responsibilities with practical case studies and academic references. Professor J Hall - Models for Management "C The Structure of Competence, (Wood stead Press), the most comprehensive read for any manager wishing to understand the diversity and complexities of managing individuals towards organisational excellence.

Liz Ful hop and Stephen L instead "C Management a Critical Text, (Macmillan Business, 1999) gives an excellent practical insight case studies of some of the key aspects of organisational culture. Harrison Miller Trice, Janice M. Beyer - Cultures of Work Organizations, (Prentice Hall Business Publishing Published 1992) Trice and Beyer offer comprehensive integration on the cultures of work organizations. They draw upon the literatures in sociology, anthropology, communication, education, management, and business to illustrate the major components of work-related cultures. Edgar H. Schein - Organizational Culture and Leadership, (Jossey-Bass Business & Management Series January 1997) Price Waterhouse (Firm). Change Integration Team. - The Paradox Principles: how high-performance companies manage chaos, complexity, and contradiction to achieve superior performance (Publisher Irwin Professional 1996.) Thomas Peters, Robert H. Waterman, Tom Peters - In Search of Excellence: Lessons from America's Best-Run Companies (Warner, October 1988).

About formerly successful companies to understand why they are not still excellent. A lot has to do with the ability of companies to adapt to a more rapidly changing world. Past insights are most wonderful because they teach us something about how to create a more successful future. Michael A. Silva, Craig R. Hickman - Creating Excellence: Managing Corporate Culture, Strategy and Change in the New Age.