Organizational culture is the established rules of behavior and values that are necessary to determine the order of work in the organization in question.
With the help of a correctly formulated structure of organizational culture, it is possible to unite the work team, use labor resources efficiently to fulfill the plans, and also form a stable motivation for career and professional growth for the employees of the enterprise.
The emergence of the concept
At the end of the 20th and beginning of the 21st centuries, the concept of organizational culture with the personnel management structure became widely used. In practice, this idea provided the opportunity to improve the existing device of the work collective. In theoretical terms, the emergence of an organizational culture has become a new opportunity for the acquisition and accumulation of managerial experience, 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 managerial 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 connecting link for the entire structure of the company, covering all levels available in the work team. Through it, the enterprise is seen as an inextricable 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 in 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 organizational culture, it is necessary to build sustainable ties between team members at various levels. At the same time, relations 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 company's employees will strive to maintain their position in this organization, and cooperation will arise between them on the basis of common aspirations. In addition, there will be a desire to work for the good of the goal of the organization set by the leadership.
Organizational culture levels
According to the vision of organizational culture in the structure of the organization, three main levels can be distinguished.
External level. It includes elements of the organization, which are visually evaluated not only by team members, but also by unauthorized persons. These are, for example, company logos and mottos, the appearance of company buildings, the interior design of premises, the presence of their own terminology, the relationship between members of the work team, formal and informal communication, the availability of various ceremonies, etc.
The inner level. It includes common values and codes of conduct established between company employees. This level is perceived at the level of consciousness, therefore, the acceptance or rejection by the collective of a general philosophy depends on the individual desire of each of its members.
Deep level. It shows the basic cultural values of the employees of the enterprise. These include national, religious and cultural characteristics that are elements of the formation of mentality: a description of the external environment, factors of human nature and relationships between people, the perception of the environment, the approach to the work performed. These elements are formed at an unconscious level and are most important for the overall content and structure of organizational culture.
Formation of organizational culture
For the effective formation of organizational culture, the head of the company should choose the structure and priorities of team management.
In the case of a radical modernization of 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 using external factors. Restructuring implies changes in external instruments that are outside the scope of the employee’s influence, as well as internal ones that directly affect his work and attitude to the overall strategy.
Thus, in the formation of the structure of organizational culture and management of the organization, a psychological atmosphere is formed within the team, and the perception of the environment by an individual employee changes.
Team Management
The structure of any organization’s culture includes the development of several elements of successful management:
- Drawing up a plan to achieve the main goals. For 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 should reflect the main activities of the company. In addition, it is necessary to choose the most productive employees who will implement the strategy chosen by the leadership as the direction of development of the enterprise.
- The choice of the main mission of the company. The mission shows the status of the enterprise, forms its relationship with competitors, demonstrates the main characteristic of the organizational culture structure selected by management. If changes occur in the production process, then the basic strategy is also subjected to them.
- Creation of regulatory standards of conduct for employees. This set of rules includes the uniform, 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.
- Bonus employees. This is a motivating factor for promotion, according to the accepted values of the structure of organizational culture. For its correct formation, the leader should conduct a competent system of rewards and punishments, based on periodic observations of the organization’s employees.
Subjective elements
In the structure of the organizational culture of the enterprise, there are elements that can be divided into two groups: objective and subjective.
The following elements are usually included in the subjective group.
The company's philosophy is a system of values and the main principles of the company, which show employees the importance of belonging to the team. It is expressed in the sum of all the main goals of the enterprise, shows priority areas for development and modernization, and also represents the main way of managing and managing the organization, creating an image and motivation for employees.
The company's values show which particular part, in the opinion of management, is considered the most important for the activity. The value system is a kind of core for the entire structure of the organization. The more firmly rooted it is in the culture of the enterprise employees, the more influence it exerts on the consciousness and work of the team.
Traditions are elements of the structure of social culture that make up the history and legacy of a company. They can also be called one of the main elements for the successful work of the organization team. Traditions that are transferred from one employee to another and persist 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 employee. Management should not interfere in the process of creating or changing traditions, as this will cause opposition from the team. The existing rules develop a spirit of cooperation between employees of the organization, and also help maintain loyalty to the company itself.
Objective elements
The objective elements of organizational culture and the structure of the organization 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. With its help, the formation of culture and the continuity of traditions takes place.
The socio-psychological atmosphere is a system of relationships between employees of the organization. It represents a certain emotional background and opinion in relation to the company-employer. It may include the socio-psychological state of the team members, 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 point in time.
The heroes of the enterprise are current or former employees who, by their example, have made a great contribution to strengthening the company's philosophy and value system. Thus, they became a role model for all other employees of the organization. This can be regularly overfulfilling the plan, the best sales managers, employees who provide quality service in the company, etc.
Code of Conduct
Standards of conduct show what rules and standards employees are guided in solving professional problems. Typically, this element affects the following areas:
- distribution of working hours;
- accrual of profit;
- training;
- communication
- manifestation of the initiative.
Norms can be informal or formal. Formal rules are regulated in documents by the management. Their failure may be followed by a penalty. Informal norms are determined by a team or employee based on subjective opinion.
The relationship of 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 make global changes. Thus, the types of organizational structures in organizational culture will take on a completely new look.
However, it cannot be denied that the continuity of generations is also an important factor for the structure. The basic philosophy that has existed in a 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 of organizational structure and organizational culture is, first of all, in the following respects:
- Each company at 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. They establish their own traditions and prohibitions, which become regulatory for decision-making and doing business within the company. Thus, the creation of the structure forms the organizational culture of the enterprise. All this forms an independent image of the company.
- The culture of society is a connecting factor for organizational culture and structure.
- One of the most important functions of the organizational structure is the creation and change of ways to achieve the main goal set by the leadership, and in case of financial crisis, the effective functioning of the enterprise. Therefore, changes in the management structure of organizational culture are caused, first of all, by 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 survival of the company 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 area in the subject of managerial activity. A creative and creative approach to this issue will ensure the effective functioning of the enterprise even in difficult conditions.
The value of organizational culture
In conclusion, we can say that the totality 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 consequence, the entire activity of the company.
For the effective functioning of the organization, it is necessary not only the availability of expensive equipment or proven technologies, but also a properly structured organizational culture. It affects the employees of the company, whose work, in turn, determines the development and growth of the organization.