Taking a Look at Organizational Culture: What is It?

Organizational culture is the fabric or the personality of a company.  Every organization has its own culture…whether a health care establishment, educational environment, or professional business establishment, a culture exist.  Culture is “a basic set of assumptions that defines for us what we pay attention to, what things mean, and how to react emotionally to what is going on, and what actions to take in various kinds of situations” (Edgar Schein, 1992). The president, executives, and upper management of an organization are instrumental in shaping the company’s culture and the employees are an extension of it.  

 Another way to define organizational culture is; that which is shared between the individuals within an organization or better yet, “the way things are done around here.” The company mission is also a very important aspect in shaping the organization’s culture.  In one sense, culture cannot be seen per se, but you can detect an organization’s culture by observing the workforce environment, the company values, the employee’s attitudes, and the norms of behaviors of the individuals that work there.  On the other hand, cultural artifacts are visible.  Cultural artifacts are the tangible components of an organization such as: the furniture, tools and equipment, dress code, etc.  

Interestingly, once an organization’s culture has been established it can be very difficult to change …but not impossible. For one, people are resistant to change. And second, when people are accustomed to doing things one way (the norm) and it’s not easy to get them to change so quickly. Some organizations have attempted to change cultures but eventually converted back to the old culture, or at least compromised some of their new set of values, beliefs, dress code, etc. due to the complexity of it all.  Keep in mind that this sort of thing cannot happen over night but will take time to sort things out, while keeping the best interest of the company in mind overall.  Also, when two or more companies seek to merge their businesses, it’s interesting to note which company will dominant leadership in the merger. What happens when one company compels to sustain its culture? 

Unsurprisingly, you will find that in these cases that many individuals will eventually leave the company to take jobs elsewhere because they are not willing to conform.  Nevertheless, things will eventually fall into place once the merger is settled. But in some cases, expectant mergers never materialized due to extreme cultural differences.  Perhaps the best way to change culture…is for the organizational leaders involved- to work together to establish common goals, determine desired culture (based on employee perceptions), and determine how to best meet the customer needs and expectations.

Technically, job seekers should take into consideration the type of culture that is most suitable for them when looking for work.  This is very important in that you will spend a great deal of your time at the office.  When a job applicant is called in for an interview, this is the time to take note of the company culture- if they are not already familiar with it.  Another way to learn a company’s culture is to go online and check out the company’s website. This should give you some idea as to what the company culture is like. And yet another way is to simply ask someone who works there.

Have you observed your current organization’s culture? Is it fitting for you? The next time you enter an organization…regardless of what type of business it is, take time to observe its culture.  Determine…what you liked or disliked about the culture?  What things would you attempt to change if given the opportunity and why?