[Solution] Organizational Culture
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Author: Emily Carter
Culture is a part of the organization's internal environment. It plays a critical role in shaping managers' behavior, and managers themselves can shape culture.
Culture: What It Is and How Managers Create It
Organizational culture is the set of values, beliefs, behaviors, customs, and attitudes that give the organization a unique identity in terms of what it stands for, how it works, and what it values. Culture gives the organization its "feel." Especially in a large organization, different parts of the organization may have different cultures.
Though difficult to observe or measure, culture is vital to the effectiveness of the organization. Organizations with strong cultures tend to be more successful than those with weak cultures.
Organizational culture is formed by many influences over time. These include the following:
- The founder
- Symbols
- Stories
- Heroes
- Slogans
- Ceremonies
- History of successes
- Shared experiences
How to Manage Culture
Managers play a vital role in shaping, reinforcing, and sometimes changing organizational culture through their actions, decisions, and leadership style.
Select the best answer to the following question.
What is organizational culture?
- A commitment to sponsor artists in the communities in which the organization does business and where its employees live
- The values, beliefs, behaviors, customs, and attitudes of top executives, which are different from those of lower-level employees
- The set of values, beliefs, behaviors, customs, and attitudes that define what the organization stands for, how it does things, and what it considers important
View Explanation
Organizational culture is the set of values, beliefs, behaviors, customs, and attitudes that define what the organization stands for, how it does things, and what it considers important.
Organizational culture does not refer to the sponsorship of cultural groups or events in the community. It is possible for different groups of employees to share different cultures, but this means the organization lacks a strong unifying culture.
Select the correct response(s) to the following question.
If a manager has decided that the organizational culture should change, which action(s) should the manager consider taking? Check all that apply.
- Express the new culture through rituals, stories, and ceremonies.
- Develop a clear vision of what the culture should be.
- Hire only from within to prevent contamination from other organizations' cultures.
- Reward employees who align with the new culture.
View Explanation
Managers can use a number of approaches to change the organization's culture. First, it's important that they envision how they want the culture to change. Then, they may reward employees who act in accordance with the culture; rewards may take the form of raises and promotions. Managers should also express the new culture through new stories, ceremonies, and so forth that communicate a break from the past.
While the manager may want to promote employees who embrace the new culture, the manager may not want to hire only from within, because employees from other organizations may bring new ideas that contribute to cultural change.
Select the phrase that best completes the sentence.
Managers should seek to change the organizational culture when the culture has become .
View Explanation
A culture that has become misaligned with the organization's environment will be a source of weakness for that organization and should be changed.
