Organisational culture means the entire collective set of values, beliefs, behaviors, and norms an organisation is made of, however adopted in the interaction and decision-making of each one in that organisation. It is sometimes even referred to as the "personality," comprising how employees and leaders work, communicate, and commit to the organisation's overall success. The key values that establish the pillars of organisational culture are core elements supporting the development, sustainability, and eventual alignment with the organisation's goals. In this article we will read in detail about the types of organisational culture, its importance and its development in very simple terms. Enroll now in a techniques for Safety Culture course to enhance your skills in resolving disputes and fostering stronger collaborations.
History, mission, values, and industry determine the cultural composition of an organisation, but common types of organisational culture help to classify the way people interact within the workplace.There are many different types of organisational culture, but we will elaborate on three main types of organisational culture with best performance including culture of the clan, market culture, and hierarchical culture.
Clan culture is often related to a family-like system where every member counts teamwork, deliberation and consensus. Employees in such cultures will have a tendency to work together, develop close connections between them, and support each other. Decision making is usually a collective and democratic affair of collaboration and employee development. Illustrations of such a situation would be typical within organisations that place employee welfare and work-life balance in the fore.
The main features of clan culture are as follows
Emphasis on teamwork and collaboration
Employee development and growth
Supportive and inclusive environment of work
Deciding by consensus and input from the group
The main features of market culture are as follows
Intense stress on strong competition and results
Performance, productivity, and efficiency in work
Well formulated and measurable goals
Result-oriented assertive leaders.
It is a type of culture that is very structured, desiring rules, policies, and procedures. The organisation works along formal hierarchies and standard processes. Employees must follow established protocols and have little flexibility regarding how work is carried out. Such cultures value stability, order, and predictability. Very common in large established organisations or government institutions where compliance, consistency and risk mitigation are at the top of the priorities.
The main features of Hierarchy Culture are as follows
Emphasis on the structure, order and predictability
Clearly defined roles and responsibilities
Formal decision making processes
Focuses on stability and efficiency
The very purposes of the success and sustainability of an organization are shaped by the culture of the organisation. As we have explained about the types of organizational culture, now we will tell you about the importance of organisational culture, why culture is so important in an organisation.
Organisational culture is indeed an excellent tool for attracting and retaining talent within the organisation. Those potential employees who find the organization's values and culture aligned with theirs are more likely to experience deeper engagement and motivation in their job roles.
Employees with personal values consonant with those of the organization are tied; thus, an employee will be more likely to be engaged at work. Engagement implies: it means that engaged employees are much more passionate about their work and care more about completing their responsibilities and have the impetus to achieve the organization's goals. A good organisational culture would create an environment where employees feel valued, heard, and supported, resulting in higher job satisfaction and productivity.
The way an organisation functions overall at one time is directly related to the kind of performance produced in the individuals that somehow define the organisation's culture. Great performance-propelling culture can be a strong motivator that drives an organisation into increased productivity, efficiency, and quality of work.
Culturing an organisation is a dynamic and continual process that begins right from the time when the founders and leadership team set the tone for the organization's values, mission, and vision. Nothing is static, and that is so with culture: the changes happening time and again are due to the actions or behaviors shaped by employees, leaders, and other stakeholders. Below are a few crucial steps toward the development of nurturing a healthy organisational culture:
Every organisational culture has its foundation based on core values and missions. Therefore, these values, beliefs, and behaviors ought to be the ones the organisation wants to propagate. Accordingly, an organisation will need its leaders to go into discussion with employees on defining these values and hence derive how to articulate them to be aligned with the twin goals of the organisation's mission and vision. Core values then become that of compass for any decision taken in behavior and action at all levels of the organization.
The actions, decisions and interaction made between the leaders and the employees become the whole in setting the tone of what is acceptable and expected in the organization. Therefore leaders should live the values and behaviors they wish to promote-an excellent example for others to follow, establishing trust as well and reinforcing the desired cultural norms.
In conclusion, pillars of organisational culture are crucial in molding the behavior of employees, driving performance, and aligning individuals to the goals of the organisation, under the pillars of which stand all organisations. Therefore, organisations will need to know the types and significance of these cultural pillars, as well as how to develop them, so that they can create an environment that is supportive, efficient, and engaged. Through a well-cultured foundation, organisations are able to have customers and employees who truly love the business and involve themselves more toward the increased productivity in those terms. If you want to learn more about organisational culture, join The British Academy for Training and Development and reach your destination with success.