Given the fact that in many of our articles we mention about the concept of "organizational culture," we believe the time has come to talk in detail about this. We will try to define this concept as all the values and habits that shape the environment within an organization.
Most of the times, the beliefs and principles that guide an organization’s members hide factors such as its history, the activity field or technologies, and strategies used over the time to promote its products or services. Equally, the culture of an organization depends on the type of management promoted within it, of its employees and the society in which it was born and developed.
What does "organizational culture" mean
Although it is an apparently abstract concept, the organizational culture is an extremely large concept, that defines a company or institution through the visions, values, rules, symbols, beliefs or habits assumed inside it, the language used in internal communication or behavioral model adopted by employees. Organizational culture includes a set of elements that dictate the course of things in certain situations that the entity may encounter during its existence.
Basically, the organizational culture should exist in any organization, whether we are talking about schools with tradition, NGOs or government institutions, and not just in companies, firms or corporations. The concept became popular in the business environment in the 80s and 90s, although it appeared a few decades before this period, being initially limited to one with a vague sense and referring to things that define an organization without detailed reference to it items.
Principles and values you should consider – Why do they matter so much
Nowadays, organizational culture refers to the values and practices that employees from companies or institutions share. These values and practices are closely related to the business objectives of the organization and are somehow dictated by the need to outpace the competition, to build a strong image in the market, to attract customers, partners and, ultimately, to gain profit.
So, among the elements of a healthy and successful organizational culture we should mention things such as a clear mission, dedicated and skilled staff, integrity, trust, effective leadership, efficient systems and processes, performance reward, customer orientation, efficient communication, learning and professional development, adaptability, and innovation.
Finally, we must remember that these principles can turn into a mere theory if they are not implemented, and if they are not efficiently communicated and promoted among employees from all departments. This can be done through brainstorming, promoting good practice models, informing or reminding the values that make the organization by its employees to be respectable and successful.
BIA HR TEAM