A company's reputation depends in part on its organizational culture.
Organizational culture is a concept that refers to the values, norms and practices that characterize an organization (a company, an institution or another entity). This notion can be associated with a way of acting or a philosophy.
This organizational culture is forged and at the same time reflected from the actions and attitudes of the corporation's human resources. Its components are symbolic and are reflected in the different activities of the company , contributing to the development or strengthening of a corporate identity .
Characteristics of organizational culture
The characteristics of organizational culture are traits that define the identity of the organization. These are elements linked to the vision of the company's directors, who through their leadership seek to transfer them to the direction, management and administration of the corporation .
Organizational behavior, in this way, is closely related to corporate culture . The organizational structure, the organization of work and the development of activities must be based on this culture , which provides support for decision-making.
It can be stated that organizational culture is instituted from certain premises that managers (current or past) established or developed in their professional tasks . These precepts are considered valid, useful or recommended to resolve conflicts in internal integration and problems of adaptation to the environment.
The organizational culture, therefore, is considered adequate to guide the behavior of the members of the organization, ensuring that the sum of these parts functions as an efficient whole. That is why these values and practices are taught to new members, who must adopt them.
Information linked to organizational culture must be transmitted through the company's internal communication and external communication .
Classification according to type
Organizational culture can be classified as weak or strong depending on its meaning by the members of the entity. When values do not convince or attract workers, the corporate culture is weak.
In these cases, managers have to try to impose them since natural assimilation does not occur. The control that management must carry out, on the other hand, has to be exhaustive because, otherwise, the activities may not fall within what was intended.
What happens is different when the staff adopts beliefs, traditions and rules with conviction. The strong organizational culture helps the strategy to be respected and the group dynamics to be fluid, which facilitates the achievement of objectives.
The effects of organizational culture
The effects of organizational culture are internal and external. In the work environment, it plays a leading role in recruiting and retaining talent: when the values of human resources coincide with the corporate culture, commitment is strengthened and resignations are reduced. It also affects the leadership style exercised by managers.
At an external level, organizational culture influences the relationship with suppliers and customers. The offer of products and services, advertising campaigns and the management of the corporate image are some of the issues that are linked to the cultural level of the company .
It is important to indicate that organizational culture is not immutable. Although it preserves an essence, it must adapt to the conditions posed by the market and even society. If it remains unchanged, it will most likely lose relevance and no longer be able to fulfill its mission, so flexibility and adaptability are key.
The organizational culture must consider job satisfaction.
Organization chart and rules
The organization chart and rules of a company also make up the organizational culture. In this framework, the cultural becomes concrete and specific and can be consulted in documents or publications.
The organization chart establishes what the command hierarchy is like, placing each member of the organization in their corresponding position and establishing how internal links are established. This allows obligations and responsibilities to be assigned.
The organizational culture also includes the norms that workers are obliged to respect. In general, these guidelines specify rules of coexistence and set ethical limits. Depending on each company, sanctions are sometimes determined for those who do not comply with the provisions.
Implementation of an organizational culture
When the organizational culture is not defined or cannot be recognized, a series of steps must be carried out to make its implementation possible. The first phase requires carrying out an evaluation to outline the profile of the firm.
Then the values that serve as a guide must be identified, which must be in accordance with the business. Once this is done, it is essential to communicate the vision or philosophy as a summary of the corporate culture.
The well-being of workers
It cannot be omitted to mention that the organizational culture must consider the well-being of the workers . And not only this: it has to contribute to that well-being.
Work-life balance is an increasingly relevant factor for companies and human resources. The design of friendly work spaces and the possibility of developing teleworking are issues that must be observed.
The organizational culture also has to contemplate benefits and compensations that increase employee satisfaction and motivation . Recognition of a positive performance evaluation is another point that should be considered.