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- Is organisational culture the same thing as organisational climate?
- Where did the term organisational culture spring from?
- Why should we bother looking at our organisational culture?
- We don't have an organisational culture, do we?
- How can you describe culture in practical terms?
- When should I look at our organisational culture?
- Can an organisation have more than one culture?
1. Is organisational culture the same thing as organisational climate?
Organisational climate can be described as the working 'atmosphere' which employees experience, and which they, and indeed visitors are able to describe. Organisational culture is the attitudes and behaviours which employees adopt, in response to the organisational climate. Organisational culture is more difficult to assess, and it is unlikely that employees could describe this very well.
2. Where did the term organisational culture spring from?
The term arises out of anthropological, sociological and psychological research conducted over the last two centuries, although it was Jacques, in 1952, who first referred to 'the culture of the factory'. The terms corporate culture and organisational culture didn't really become part of business vocabulary until the 1980s, helped by books, such as Peters & Waterman's (1982) In Search of Excellence.
3. Why should we bother looking at our organisational culture?
Organisational culture can act as a barrier to good intentions on the part of management. An analogous example is that if you were in a foreign country, and you did something, or said something which was contrary to the cultural beliefs of that country, you would be ignored (at best). This is very similar to the way organisational culture views, or interprets management actions. Management actions need to be in tune with the prevailing organisational culture, or the organisational culture needs to be altered if changes and new ways of working and doing things are to be truly embraced by employees.
4. We don't have an organisational culture, do we?
This is a commom myth. All organisations have their own culture. If you were asked to describe the national cultures of north America, or France, you would come up with two completely different profiles, despite the fact that you may not have had extensive experience of either country. Sports or social clubs have their own distinct culture, we only have to spend a few minutes in such a club and we can think of key words that can describe such a distinct culture. Your organisation is no different. Wherever there is a collection of people who work, or socialise together, then there will be a particular culture - a way of behaving and doing things.
5. How can you describe culture in practical terms?
Organisational culture develops in reaction to the organisational climate. An autocratic leader will create a different organisational climate to one who is is an inclusive leader. Culture flows from employee perceptions, and responses to such things as: Leadership behaviour, openness of communications, the structure of the organisation and if employees are treated as individuals or as a 'number'. The particular ways in which employees respond to these everyday situations within the organisation & the ways in which they believe they should respond to business situations is one way of describing organisational culture.
6. When should I look at our organisational culture?
The easy answer is, the sooner the better. Realistically, in today's frenetic business world, the ideal time to be looking at the culture of your organisation is when you are contemplating organisational changes, aimed at bringing about organisational improvements. If you inflict a change on an unresponsive culture, you will not achieve the desired outcome. You need to know about the culture that you are dealing with, so that you can design your change and improvement programme accordingly.
7. Can an organisation have more than one culture?
Yes, the classic 'us & them' phrase usually refers to the separate cultures of 'management' and 'workers'. However, organisations can have multiple cultures, what we call subcultures. You may have noticed how some departments 'tow the company line' whilst others are 'out on a limb'. The plan here should be to align all of the separate subcultures so that they share (to a reasonable extent) common beliefs and behaviours. In essence, everyone is 'pulling in the same direction'.