National and Organisational culture

What is Culture ?

They always tell us that if we go to Asia and especially to China we will end up eating Cockroaches or even Monkey brains. For us the thought of eating that is horrible and unimaginable. But in order to say why it is normal for them to do so and abnormal to us to do the same we should ask ourselves two questions.

http://webpages.scu.edu/ftp/mawong/modelminority/Images/CultureClash-X.gif

1. What is “us” ?... This could maybe defined as a group, similar to each individual within but different to other groups. And that is what Culture is all about. How you see different groups of people interacting with one another in the Organisational sphere but with a different set of values and beliefs (as the boring definition says more or less) that is hard to come to an agreement based on the different cultures colliding.

And 2. What is Culture ?... Culture is that group, culture is those common beliefs and values of a community. “Culture is the full range of learned human behaviour patterns”.1

1.  Available at http://anthro.palomar.edu/culture/culture_1.htm

Therefore having defined “Culture” briefly, now, Organisational culture goes a bit further into the field of psychology and talks about the Behaviour inside the Enterprise or the Organisation.

We must rely then on proper Data base definition...

“Organisational culture forms the glue that holds the organisation together and stimulates employees to commit to the organisation and to perform.”

“We define organisational culture as shared perceptions of organisational work practices within organisational units that may differ from other organisational units. Organisational work practices are the central part of this definition. The definition is a shortened version of Kostova’s (1999, p. 309) definition: “particular ways of conducting organizational functions that have evolved over time . . . [These] practices reflect the shared knowledge and competence of the organization.” 2

2. Available at Defining, Measuring, and Comparing Organisational Cultures. Authors: Van den Berg, Peter T., Applied Psychology: An International Review; Oct2004, Vol. 53 Issue 4, p570-582, 13p, Data base: Business Source Complete.

Now this Organisational culture creates a series of things that give the units a sense of belonging to an Organisation. As we saw in class a group or an Organisation could show common Symbols, Myths / stories, Ceremonies, Language, Group norms, Slogans, and even Heroes.

But then a question proposed in class arises... Do you think that is possible to change corporate culture ?. How would you do it ?.

Corporate or Organisational culture is possible to change, I would say, because it is based on the individual and then on the group, and if we can change the way an individual thinks by showing him new ideas, then the group itself will change. It is not to alienate the individual criteria; it is just to teach him / her how to act in front of certain cases or opportunities.

http://www.iproconhcm.co.uk/Images/3.jpg

If we change one of the circles that compose the whole system that whole system has to be affected, therefore if we change some aspects in the individual´s mind by training or further Organisational values and beliefs, we could change Corporate culture. This is because the mind changes, persons change and groups as well.