Corporate Culture : The Key To Understanding Work Organisations :: essays research papers

Corporate Culture The Key to Understanding Work OrganisationsOrganisational or corporate culture is widely held to refer to a system of dual-lane meanings held by members that distinguishes the giving medication from otherorganisations, that is a set of shared key component partistics or values.The culture that an organisation has will play an important part in its successin its market sector. Likewise an organisations continued success will dependto a large extent on the ability of the lead of the organisation toperpetuate that culture.A large, established organisation in a mature market is likely to haveobjectives of moderate growth and the maintenance of its position deep down themarket. McDonalds is an example of such an organisation. You could walk in toa McDonalds restaurant in London, Tokyo or Moscow and expect to see staffdressed in the same uniform serving the same food from at heart restaurants thatlook remarkably similar. There are no risks to be taken here and ra rely a snapdecision to be made and certainly not by the staff.Contrast this with a small organisation, thirsty for success in an risingmarket such as Steve Jobs Apple Computers in the early eighties. Here was acompany led by a very strong character who was highly motivated, possessed ahighly practical imagination and was fanatical about detail. He built up amultinational company on the strength of his ability to promote free thinkingcoupled with the attention to detail that is required to produce a world classcomputer within the organisation that he ran.It is quite clear that if the cultures of these two organisations weretransposed there would be internal chaos and the companys would lose theirpositions within their markets. A McDonalds restaurant that started to caterflair to its menu would soon cut in to the companys tightly controlled pro fit inmargins whereas a company with tightly enforced rules and regulations couldnever lead the market in innovative technologies.It is not by chance that these two organisations have such different cultures.They are each the product of a clearly constructed and executed leadershippolicies reinforced by the organisations founders and subsequently their topmanagement. The processes of selection and socialisation are key tools in themaintenance of an organisations culture.The selection process is typically employed within organisations not only toselect individuals who have the technical skills and knowledge to perform theirroles within the organisation but also to select people who will fit in with,and not undermine, the organisations culture.The process of socialisation has as its key objective the moulding of the