An Organisational Culture plays a significant role since it shapes employees behaviours, attitudes and interactions and influence everything from performance, innovation to employee retention and over all success of a business.
The words ' Organisational Culture' refer to the beliefs, values, symbols, language, and even norms that help shape the behavior and day-to-day activities of people in a company or institution. To put it simply, it is the personality of an organisation. Otherwise, one could even say that it is the way things are expected to be done withing the organisation.
Key Elements of Organisational Culture:
Beliefs—Assumptions and convictions that are taken as true within the organisation.
Values—Core principles or standards that guide decision-making (e.g., innovation, integrity, customer focus).
Symbols and Language—Logos, slogans, dress codes, or even specific jargon used internally.
Norms—Unwritten rules about how employees should behave.
Routines—Regular practices such as weekly meetings, awards, and onboarding processes.
Leadership Style—The behavior and attitudes of leaders, which often set the tone for the rest of the organisation.
To get a better understanding of the organisatoinal culture we will look in to a few authors who commented and carried this from one step to another in the history.
Although there are several prominent authors who have extensively commented on and contributed to the understanding of organizational culture. Edgar Schein is often considered the "father" of organizational culture, with his work on the three levels of culture under
1, Artifacts
2. Espoused values
3. Basic underlying assumptions
- Geert Hofstede
- John Kotter is a famous author where his work centers on organizational change, and he emphasizes the importance of culture in supporting or hindering change initiatives. He developed a 8-step model for leading change, highlighting the need to create a sense of urgency, build a guiding coalition, and anchor new approaches in the culture. Further he emphasis that leaders create change by developing strategy and vision
- John Kotter
- John Kotter's theory is widely used framework for leading organizational change. It provides a structured approach to implementing significant changes within a company, focusing on both the process and the people involved. Here's a breakdown of the eight steps:
- 1. Create a Sense of Urgency:
- This step involves highlighting the need for change and making it relevant to employees by emphasizing potential problems or missed opportunities
- 2. Form a Powerful Coalition:
- Building a team of influential individuals who are committed to the change and have the necessary skills and experience to drive it forward is important under these steps
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