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Workforce Management Community Center Forum Index � � General Forum � � culture of an organisation

Author	culture of an organisation
jim_jim Joined: May 31, 2006 Posts: 5	Posted: 2006-05-31 22:38 Can someone pl give broader definition to term "corporate culture"? How would you identify if the current culture needs to be changed and if so how would you identify the required changes and implement them.
hrbth Joined: Oct 24, 2002 Posts: 1547	Posted: 2006-06-01 05:33 I can define corporate culture by providing some examples of different types of cultures, and my colleagues here can probably add to these examples. Examples: * fast-paced and entrepreneurial * high performance * team culture * bureaucratic, slow, regulated It is not HR's job to determine or change corporate culture, it is senior line management's job to do that. It is HR's job to support the culture senior line management has determined is appropriate, and to assist with implementing cultural change if senior line management wants to change the current culture.
mucky Joined: Jun 01, 2006 Posts: 4	Posted: 2006-06-01 05:48 Changing an organisations culture can be a difficult thing to do. Remember these cultures have probably evolved over many years and could have been set by a similar culture at head office for example. I work for a Japanese Company, the culture even here in the UK is as it is in Japan. So the only way to change culture is to change the way the top guys think, that is change the mindset of the individuals concerned. That is difficult as you can imagine. I would suggest if the culture change is so drastic, the top guys should be replaced. But that in itself is also drastic. Muck
hrbth Joined: Oct 24, 2002 Posts: 1547	Posted: 2006-06-01 06:36 Mucky, it's up to the "top guys" to determine IF a culture needs changing. (And it's not up to anyone else.) If the "top guys" don't want the organization's culture to change, it's not a matter of replacing the "top guys", it's a matter of realizing that since they like the culture as it is, everyone else must embrace and support that culture...as it is.
RebeccaL Joined: Mar 22, 2005 Posts: 122	Posted: 2006-06-01 14:35 Hi: Culture is also the traditions, accepted behaviors, and all the other aspects both small and large that make an organization unique. For example, in some gossip is the norm, in others peer pressure prevents it from happening. Certainly the top execs may set the standard. If it is an old, well established company it will often have a life of its own and the execs are hired to perpetuate the status quo. In others new leaders quickly learn that they need to conform to survive. Luckily there are many organizations that are learning from very successful examples that a high culture equates to a healthy bottom line. For the culture to change it must be driven from the top down. Anything else is like pushing a noodle up hill. If that fundamental desire is there, then HR can have a great deal of influence in helping the leaders to understand the cost/benefit of improving the culture. And to be sure, there is a cost and a benefit. The cost is both in terms of doing nothing (absenteeism, quality, retention, etc) or the investment in making a change. The benefits for change can be dramatic...We have one client who just increased production by approx 40% a month while substantially reducing overhead. This was accomplished through a culture change that allowed everyone to bring their full intellectual capital to the table. The next question is how to begin to make the neccessary changes. In order to do that you need to know where you are right now. That also allows you to provide evidence of the opportunity for improvement to your leadership as well as demonstrating the specific areas for improvement. Please let me know if you would like further info on our Team Scorecard which measures the current culture as well as where the team agrees that they would like to be. Rebecca 573.747.1951 RebeccaL@pmginternational.net
jim_jim Joined: May 31, 2006 Posts: 5	Posted: 2006-06-09 04:36 Derar Rebeca Dear Rebeca Thanks very much for your feed back on organisation culture. Yes ; I would like to know more about your Team Scorecard which measures the current culture and where the team agrees that they would like to be. I would be very much thankful if you could let me know further details of it. Thanks & Regards JIm ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Can someone pl give broader definition to term "corporate culture"? How would you identify if the current culture needs to be changed and if so how would you identify the required changes and implement them. Hi: Culture is also the traditions, accepted behaviors, and all the other aspects both small and large that make an organization unique. For example, in some gossip is the norm, in others peer pressure prevents it from happening. Certainly the top execs may set the standard. If it is an old, well established company it will often have a life of its own and the execs are hired to perpetuate the status quo. In others new leaders quickly learn that they need to conform to survive. Luckily there are many organizations that are learning from very successful examples that a high culture equates to a healthy bottom line. For the culture to change it must be driven from the top down. Anything else is like pushing a noodle up hill. If that fundamental desire is there, then HR can have a great deal of influence in helping the leaders to understand the cost/benefit of improving the culture. And to be sure, there is a cost and a benefit. The cost is both in terms of doing nothing (absenteeism, quality, retention, etc) or the investment in making a change. The benefits for change can be dramatic...We have one client who just increased production by approx 40% a month while substantially reducing overhead. This was accomplished through a culture change that allowed everyone to bring their full intellectual capital to the table. The next question is how to begin to make the neccessary changes. In order to do that you need to know where you are right now. That also allows you to provide evidence of the opportunity for improvement to your leadership as well as demonstrating the specific areas for improvement. Please let me know if you would like further info on our Team Scorecard which measures the current culture as well as where the team agrees that they would like to be.
djcgroup Joined: Aug 27, 2002 Posts: 175	Posted: 2006-06-13 08:40 A simple definition of culture, and it is hard to find anything simple about culture, is that "it is the way we do things around here". After all, isn't that what any new employee does for the first few weeks, watch what and how everything is done. So, if you buy into this definition, by changing the "way we do things around here", you will change the culture. Howevere, after wrestling with this issue for many years as a senior training person within GM and GE, I would suggest that changing culture is of less value than figuring out how to work within the culture you have. Lets say you want to implement some new idea (process, tools, product) - you can implement in ways in which you like to implement things or you can implement in ways that are consistent with your culture. Which way do you think you would be more successful? If you answered "consistent with the culture" then you need to make sure you fully and accurately understand your existing culture. The cultures within GM and GE are VERY different - not a right or wrong issue - so the way to get things done within them is equally different. I have focused a lot of energy and effort in this direction and feel that I can assist others in their journey. And, by the way, by successfully implementing new ideas, you will have changed the culture. An interesting paradox. Bottom line, focusing your efforts on understanding and working within your culture will be far more value added than trying to change your existing culture. But if you insist on doing this, at least do it in ways that are consistent with your culture. Let me know if I can be of assistance. David - The DJC Group
deltac Joined: Jul 27, 2004 Posts: 273	Posted: 2006-06-14 06:12 It may be best to initiate organizational changes that fit best with the current culture rather than worry about how to change the culture. An analogy to corporate culture is an individual's personality - core characteristics are unlikely to change, but small adaptations add up over time.