Running head: ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE: VALUES, NORMS, AND ARTIFACTS
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Organizational Culture: Value, Norms, and Artifacts
Student’s Name
Institutional Affiliation
ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE: VALUES, NORMS, AND ARTIFACTS
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Organizational Culture: Value, Norms, and Artifacts
Organizational culture is the collective norms, values, and artifacts present in a firm.
Different organizations have distinct values, which are different from the rest of other firms.
Organizational culture is important in any firm because it enhances its competitive advantage.
Employees in a firm learn about organizational culture through a process referred to as
socialization. Through socialization, workers internalize the firm’s values and norms by
immersing themselves in the everyday operations of the business. The paper discusses an
employment experience describing the values, norms, and artifacts, the socialization process, and
a discussion of whether the example would increase an organization’s competitive advantage.
Every organization should have its unique culture to achieve a competitive advantage.
Employment Experience
During summer break, my dad organized a job offer for me to work as a part-time cashier
in an accounting firm. During the first two weeks on the job, I noticed that the firm has its
culture. Regarding the values, all employees were encouraged to always be committed, open-
minded, and be loyal to the firm. Concerning the norms, all employees were encouraged to
provide satisfactory services and promote creativity while at work. Pertaining to the artifacts, all
employees had their desk and computer in their working area. More so, all employees were
required to wear company labeled t-shirts while at work. Rothaermel (2017) indicated that
organizational culture is the building block for a company’s competitive advantage. Hogan and
Coote (2014) cited research by Homburg and pflesser who they say found that values, norms,
and artifacts shape employee’s behavior and market-orientation in regards to being informed of
market trends and establishing customer’s experience. The organization I worked for had a
unique culture and did well in the market.
ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE: VALUES, NORMS, AND ARTIFACTS
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The Socialization Process of Embedding the Culture
The socialization process took place during my orientation. The human resource director
of the company asked the receptionist to take me around the work station and introduce me to
other employees. Also, during that period, I was informed of the company norms and values.
Ekwutosi and Moses (2013) discussed organizational commitment and the socialization process
where they indicated that employees derive norms and values during socialization. Furthermore,
according to Rothaermel (2017), successful socialization results in productivity. Arguably, this
productivity is what increases the firm’s competitive advantage.
Discussion
I consider the socialization process to be an example of an effective culture for
contributing to the organization’s competitive advantage. The reason is that when such values
and norms are internalized, employees become accustomed to the daily activities of the
organization, which eventually improves their productivity. Rothaermel (2017) articulated that
an organization’s culture affects employee behavior and performance. Apparently, when an
organization instills good values and norms to its workers, the improvement in performance
would contribute to their competitive advantage. This was noticeable in the company I worked
for during the summer break. The organization had a good standing in the financial market.
Conclusion
As discussed, organizational culture is important because it improves performance.
Companies need to create a culture that has appropriate norms and values that employees can use
as a guide in their daily activities. Besides, the socialization process appears to be beneficial
because, through that, values and norms are instilled in the workers. Overall, building a strong
organizational culture is the key component to survival in the competitive market.
ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE: VALUES, NORMS, AND ARTIFACTS
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References
Ekwutosi, O.C., and Moses, O.S. (2013). Internalization of Organizational Culture : A
Theoretical Perspective. International Journal of Business Tourism and Applied Sciences
Vol. 1 No.2. Retrieved from http://www.ijbts-
journal.com/images/column_1356587255/8%20UL0093-ONUOHA%20CHARITY
%20EKWUTOSI.pdf
Hogan, S.J., and Coote, L.V. (2014). Organizational culture, innovation, and performance: A test
of Schein's model. Journal of Business Research 67 1609–1621.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2013.09.007
Rothaermel, F. T. (2017). Strategic management concepts (Custom 3rd ed.) New York, NY:
McGraw-Hill.
