Organizational culture is the established rules of conduct and values that are necessary to guide the way the organization operates.
With the help of a correctly formulated organizational culture structure, you can rally the work team, effectively use labor resources to fulfill the plans, and also form a sustainable motivation for career and professional growth for employees of the enterprise.
The emergence of the concept
In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, the concept of organizational culture with a personnel management structure began to be widely used. In practice, this idea provided the possibility of improving the existing organization of the working team. In theoretical terms, the emergence of organizational culture has become a new opportunity for acquiring and accumulating experience.management activities, as well as for the exchange of acquired knowledge between enterprises and companies.
Today, the study of the structure of organizational culture has become a separate subject of management activity, although it has not acquired the status of an object for a new scientific discipline. Management theory studies this issue as a special conceptual method, and organization theory considers it as an independent school in the field of general science.
What is organizational culture
Organizational culture is the link for the entire structure of the company, covering all levels available in the work team. Through it, the enterprise is considered as an inseparable whole. Thus, we can say that organizational culture has a structure-forming function. Due to the existing connections and relationships between team members, as well as the presence of the same values and aspirations, the organizational culture forms an effective structure of the working system.
For the successful formation of the management structure of an organizational culture, it is necessary to build stable relationships between team members at various levels. At the same time, ties between persons included in the system under consideration should be stronger and more stable than relations with those who are not included in this system. In this case, the employees of the company will strive to maintain their position in this organization, betweenthey will cooperate on the basis of common aspirations. In addition, there will be a desire to work for the benefit of the organization's goal set by management.
Levels of organizational culture
According to the vision of organizational culture in the structure of the organization, three main levels can be distinguished.
Outer layer. It includes elements of the organization that are evaluated visually not only by members of the team, but also by outsiders. These are, for example, company logos and mottos, the appearance of company buildings, interior design, the presence of own terminology, the relationship between members of the work team, formal and informal communication, the possibility of holding various ceremonies, etc.
Inner level. It includes common values and norms of behavior established between employees of the company. This level is perceived at the level of consciousness, so the acceptance or non-acceptance of the general philosophy by the collective depends on the individual desire of each of its members.
Deep level. It shows the main cultural values of the employees of the enterprise. These include national, religious and cultural characteristics, which are elements of the formation of mentality: a description of the external environment, factors of human nature and relationships between people, perception of the surrounding team, approach to the work performed. These elements are formed at the unconscious level and are the most important for the overall content and structure of organizational culture.
Formation of organizational culture
Foreffective formation of organizational culture, the head of the company should correctly choose the structure and priorities of team management.
In the case of a radical modernization of the organizational culture, a restructuring of the company would also be a good option. Then employees will have the opportunity to adapt to new working conditions with the help of external factors. Restructuring implies a change in external tools that are outside the sphere of influence of the employee, as well as internal ones - those that have a direct impact on his work activities and attitude to the overall strategy.
Thus, when forming the structure of organizational culture and managing the organization, a psychological atmosphere is formed within the team, and the perception of the environment by an individual employee also changes.
Team management elements
The structure of any organizational culture involves the development of several elements of successful management:
- Making a plan to achieve the main goals. To do this, it is necessary to develop a special management strategy and determine the basic goals for the subsystems available in the organization. In this case, the plan drawn up should reflect the main activities of the company. In addition, it is necessary to select the most productive employees who will implement the strategy chosen by management as the direction of the enterprise.
- Choosing the main mission of the company. Missionshows the status of the enterprise, forms its relationship with competitors, demonstrates the main characteristic of the organizational culture structure chosen by the management. If there are changes in the production process, then the main strategy is subject to them.
- Creation of regulatory norms of employee behavior. This set of rules includes uniforms, accepted etiquette, as well as instructions for working with clients. Deviation from the rules may affect the performance of work by all employees of the enterprise.
- Employee bonuses. This is a motivating factor for promotion, according to the accepted values of the organizational culture structure. For its correct formation, the manager should conduct a competent system of rewards and punishments, based on periodic observations of the employees of the organization.
Subjective elements
In the structure of the organizational culture of an enterprise, elements are distinguished that can be divided into two groups: objective and subjective.
The subjective group usually includes the following elements.
The philosophy of the company is a system of values and main principles of the company that show employees the importance of belonging to a team. It is expressed in the sum of all the main goals of the enterprise, shows the priority areas for development and modernization, and also represents the main way to manage and manage the organization, create an image and motivation foremployees.
Company values show which detail, in the opinion of management, is considered the most important for the activities carried out. The value system is a kind of core for the entire structure of the organization. The more firmly it is rooted in the culture of the employees of the enterprise, the more influence it has on the consciousness and work of the team.
Traditions are elements of the social culture structure that make up the company's history and heritage. They can also be called one of the main elements for the successful work of the organization's team. Traditions that are passed on from one employee to another and preserved over time are a symbol of the continuity of generations in the development of society and reflect the cultural achievements acquired during the existence of the company. An example would be holding corporate parties on various significant dates or celebrating the birthdays of each of the employees. Leadership should not interfere in the process of creating or changing traditions, as this will cause opposition from the collective. The established rules develop the spirit of cooperation between employees of the organization, and also contribute to maintaining loy alty to the company itself.
Objective elements
The objective elements of organizational culture and organization structure include the following forms and phenomena.
Language is a form of transmission of accumulated experience in the form of a combination of signs and symbols with a clearly defined meaning. It helps to formculture and continuity of traditions.
The social-psychological atmosphere is a system of relationships between employees of an organization. It represents a certain emotional background and opinion in relation to the company-employer. It includes the socio-psychological state of the members of the team, the relationship between them, the system of values and expectations from the work being done. The atmosphere depends on the degree of development of the staff and has a direct impact on the degree of quality of work and the acquisition of professional experience by new employees. In addition, this element of the structure shows the state of culture within the team at a given time.
Heroes of the company are current or former employees who, by their example, have made a great contribution to strengthening the philosophy and value system of the company. Thus, they became a role model for all other employees of the organization. These can be employees who regularly exceed the plan, the best sales managers, employees who provide quality service in the company, etc.
Correct behavior
Corrects of conduct show what rules and standards employees are guided by when solving professional problems. Typically, this element affects the following areas:
- distribution of working time;
- profit accrual;
- training;
- communication;
- take the initiative.
Norms can beinformal or formal. Formal rules are regulated in documents by management. Failure to comply may result in pen alties. Informal norms are determined by the team or employee based on subjective opinion.
Relationship between culture and structure
At the current level of development of social and economic relations, taking into account the financial crisis, we can conclude that changes in the management structures of companies will bring global changes. Thus, the types of organizational structures in organizational culture will take on a completely new look.
However, it cannot be denied that an important factor for the structure is also the continuity of generations. The basic philosophy that has existed in the company for a long time cannot be completely eliminated. Even if it carries a possible threat to the further development and modernization of the enterprise. Therefore, it can be noted that the organizational structure has a close relationship with culture.
The relationship between organizational structure and organizational culture lies primarily in the following relationships:
- Each company on a conscious or unconscious level creates an individual philosophy and value system, which is a reflection of the culture within the organization, as well as its ethical image. Own traditions and prohibitions are established, which become regulating for making decisions and doing business within the company. Thus, the creation of a structure formsorganizational culture of the enterprise. All this forms an independent image of the company.
- The culture of society is the connecting factor for organizational culture and structure.
- One of the most important functions of the organizational structure is to create and change ways to achieve the main goal set by the management, and in the event of a financial crisis, also the effective functioning of the enterprise. Therefore, changes in the management structure of organizational culture are due, first of all, to changes in the structure of the company. As a result, factors that adversely affect the device also negatively affect the overall culture within the team. Qualitative positive changes in the structure are the main reason for the company's survival in the face of fierce competition and the financial crisis.
For the full development and modernization of the enterprise, it is necessary to carefully study the relationship between organizational culture and organizational structure. Her research is a promising direction in the subject of management activities. A creative and creative approach to this issue will ensure the effective functioning of the enterprise even in difficult conditions.
Meaning of organizational culture
In conclusion, we can say that the combination of all of the above elements determines an important part of any enterprise - the organizational structure. Some of its elements are not visible to an outsider, but each of them positively or negatively affects the workflow, decision-making and, as a result, the entirecompany activities.
For the effective functioning of an organization, it is necessary not only to have expensive equipment or proven technologies, but also a properly structured organizational culture. It affects the employees of the company, on the work of which, in turn, the development and growth of the organization depends.
