There are many different factors that help to define organizational culture. If someone wanted to make a full laundry list and get really specific, it wouldn't be surprising if over one hundred different things were listed: but most can be broke down into specific categories or factors that cover many of the smaller details of corporate culture. Here are a few of the factors that have a major hand in defining organizational culture in general.
Conflict resolution. How much does the company encourage, or discourage, its employees to openly discuss any complaints. Do superiors listen to different opinions or just ignore them?
Culture management. This factor is a measurement of how much the corporation is trying to actively be a part of an organization's culture and shaping it's direction, or if this is a non-factor which they just ignore. Companies with a strong cultural management tend to be on the same page as their employees and are more efficient. The company is seen as an identity that workers can be proud to be associated with.
Feelings towards change. Are employees open towards change, or heavily resistant to it? Or just indifferent altogether. The answer to this question can tell you a lot about a company's culture and how efficient the workers and supervisors are going to be working together, especially during challenging times. Are employees in all parts of the organization encouraged to experiment and to take reasonable risks? Are mistakes viewed as a learning process, or punished and discouraged at all costs?
Active employee participation. Do workers feel like they are part of the company and have some say in their work, or are they just cubicle fodder?
Clear and distinct goals. Either a company's goals are very clear and known to the employees, or they are not. Even the lowest level employee in a healthy organizational culture should know what the larger goals and purpose of a company are. This will allow them to participate far more, and is much more likely to get actively involved.
Free or strictly defined? This is an authority question. Is authority located mostly at very top of the company, or is it more even spread out among the common employees? Is authority "centralized," or "decentralized?" How much authority do individual employees have to make their own decisions? A lot? None at all?
Management style. This one is pretty self explanatory. The biggest key here is whether or not employees have respect for the management or not. Do they trust their bosses to have their best interests at heart, or do they not believe that at all?
Performance focus. This is the level at which evidence is put on individuals for clearly defined results and excellent work. Every healthy organizational culture has clear goals and performance standards. Is there a reward for good work, or not?
These are several of the most important factors that can be looked at, analyzed, and studied in order to define organizational culture, and whether a particular company's model is successful or not.
About the Author
Joe loves the corporate world and knows how to make it a happier social and emotional environment. For more information, see: http://www.organizationalculture101.com
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