Organizational culture
HRMG 4200 - Strategic Human Resource Management
Walden University
2022
Organizational culture
Organizational culture is the way of thinking, feeling and doing things in the organizational
environment. Organizational theory by Sehein 1985 states that members of an organization have
to be taught the correct ways to perceive, think and feel in relation to the internal organizational
environment.
Williams 1993 defines organizational culture as the commonly held and relatively stable
believes, attitudes and values that exist within the organization.
Robbin 2002 says that just the way individuals have personalities so does the organization.
Organizations like people can be characterized as i.e. rigid, friendly, worm and innovative and
conservative. These traits can be used to predict attitudes and behavior of people within these
organizations.
Appraising the organization based on the six characteristics below gives a composite picture of
the organization’s culture .Recent research suggests six primary characteristics in aggregate
captures the essence of an organization.
1. Innovation and Risk taking-this is the degree to which employees are encouraged to be
innovative and take risks.
2. Outcome-the degree to which management focuses a result or outcome rather than on
techniques and process used to achieve the outcomes.
3. People Orientation-the degree to which management decisions take in to consideration the
effect of outcome on people within the organization.
4. Team Orientation-the degree to which work activities are organized around rather than
individuals.
5. Aggressiveness-the degree to which people are aggressive and competitive than easy going
attention to details.
6. Stability-the degree to which organizational activities emphasizes on maintaining the status in
contrast to growth. According to mankind 1994 culture is manmade part of environment, it
reflects the way of life of people. Culture therefore comprises the total believes, norms and
values which are related to the patterned regularity in peoples behaviors.
Work levels in an organization can be examined as follows;
I) Work behavior, importance attached to work involvement, effect, role, clarity, satisfaction
with work etc
ii) Work conducive norms, values, power stricture, groupings etc
iii) Organization goals, objectives, philosophy and traditions behind them.
Employee productivity
Employee productivity refers to the outcome of an employee performance of work in the
organization. Goals theory (menthol, steel and Karen 1987) suggests that goal setting does
increase individual, group and unit performance. Early goal setting research provided strong
support that specific and challenging goals are more associated with higher levels of
performance than no goals.
Locke and Lathan 1990 proposed an integrated model of work motivation and satisfaction in
which challenging goals and specific goals lead to high productivity which therefore leads to
increased rewards, greater satisfaction and ultimately a stronger commitment to the organization.
Shelley 1991-participants with a ‘do your best’ initiative or difficult goals as well as a goal for
creativity were more likely to exhibit high levels of productivity and creativity while employees
with only productivity goal are less creative.
According to Maslow’s theory of human needs which allows for influence of other needs,
stresses the individual needs of self fulfillment as a prime motivator, the in [placation for
managers in their work if they have to work efficiently.
The knowledge and the expectance of the employees as well as strategies required to complete
the task at hand also influence the goal performance relationship. Goals encourage employees to
explore strategies to tackle the task and thus may improve productivity.
Locke and Lathan 1990 said that satisfaction with rewards is associated not only with
spontaneous and extra ordinary role behaviors’ and desire to stay with the organization but also
with a stronger commitment to the job, such commitment encourages employee to set more
difficult and challenging goals.
Bowditch and Buono1989 says that in life people are expected to exhibit greater commitment to
and motivation towards their organization and goals must be provided with opportunities to
fulfill value personal goals.
The maintenance approach to motivation
Fredrick Helzberg,Benard Mausner and Barber Sunder Man 1956 developed this approach. It is
referred to by several names, motivation and dual factor or motivation hygiene factors and
motivating factors.
TABLE 1.0
Hygiene factor environmental Motivator Factor
Policies and administrators Achievement Awards
Working Condition Challenging work, motions
Personal life Increased Responsibility
Supervision Recognition, Decision making
The theory is relevant and supports the research questions and objectives. The managers of Rift
Valley Textiles do not allow personal growth and development of the employees.
The administration of organizational aspects for employees ignored the fact that employees in
Rift Valley Textiles as people can also aspire for achievement of personal growth, increased
responsibility for decision making and consideration, employee productivity can collapse. It is
important that the heads of departments of employees should have clear policies towards the
employee supervision, working conditions, personal life, pay and security of the employees so
that they are motivated to develop sense of responsibilities and achievement.
REFERENCES
Balthazard, P., Cooke, R., & Potter, R. (2006). Dysfunction Culture, Dysfunctional;
Bennet Roge (1997)Management 3rd edition prenticehall.G. Britain.
Chamber Iain,(1994)Migrancy, Culture identity Routledge, London.Change. Maryland: The
Scarecrow Press, Inc.
Cliford and Morco Surgi (1993)Research, how to plan speak and write about it.
CNN.com (1996). Shuttle Challenger Debris washes up on shore. Retrieved from
http://www.cnn.com/TECH/9612/17/challenger.debris/index.html on 1/15/2012
Cole G.A (2002) Management theory and practice 6th edition, Eist publisher, London
Cole G.A (2002) personnel and Human Resourse management, Eist publisher, London,
England.Corporation. Retrieved from www.hbr.org on 1/26/2012
Deessler Garry, (2005) Human resourse management, prentice hall publisher Delhi, India
Drucker, P. (2004). What Makes an Executive Effective? Harvard Business School Publishing
Fernandez, S. & Rainey, H. (2006). Managing Successful Organizations in the Public Sector
French, W. & Bell, C. (1999), Organizational Development: Behavioral Science Interventions f
Frost, P., et al., (1991). Reframing Organizational Culture. California: SAGE Publications, Inc.
Glass, G. (1976). Primary, Secondary, and Meta-Analysis Research. American Educational
Goleman, D. (2010). What Makes a Leader? Harvard Business School Publishing Corporation.
Harrison, R. (1975). Diagnosing Organizational Ideology. Found in: Scott, T. et al. Healthcare
Performance and Organizational Culture. United Kingdom: Radcliffe Medica
Harvey, T. (2001). Checklist for Change: A Pragmatic Approach to Creating and Controlling
Kreitner Robert (2002) Management A.I.T.B.S publisher Delhi, India
Mugenda and Mugenda 1999 Research Methods.
Organization: Capturing the Behavioral Norms that Form Organizational Culture and Drive
Organizational Improvement. New Jersey: Prentice Hall.
Performance. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 21 (8), 709-732. Retrieved from Press Ltd.
Public Administration Review, March/April 2006. Research Association, Nov. 1975,
Robbins.P Stephen and Mary (2005) 8th edition Management Person Publisher, New Jersey.
www.emeraldinsight.com
