what organizational culture is and why it is so important for companies

 what organizational culture is and why it is so important for companies

The organizational culture is made up of different individual values.

1. What is organizational culture?

Organizational culture is understood as the beliefs, values, habits, traditions, attitudes and experiences of an organization .

Because every organization is made up of people, this culture is made up of different individual values ​​that make an organization " whole ". However, the organizational culture is not simply the sum of the individualities that perform in a certain organization or company .

On the contrary, the organizational culture is prior to the individual ones. This means that all organizational culture forms its bases and then adapt the staff  (employees) that will constitute this organizational culture.

Organizational culture is also usually defined as the set of norms and values ​​that people have within a certain organization.

The purpose of the organizational culture is to  control the way in which people interact with each other (and with the outside world) to interact.

Organizational culture is, in short, the  psychology of a company. In other words, it is the human core of the company, it is the behavior of the sum of its employees, it is the image that the organization offers to the society in which it is inserted, it is the process of selecting its employees and its suppliers. as well.

It can help you: Organizational Development .

2. Importance of organizational culture

The organizational culture has two major axes of importance: one internal (in relation to its staff, managers, work environment, etc.) and another in relation to society (external); with the environment , with the neighborhood, charity, governmental activities, etc.

Organizational culture guides the direction of the company as it guides the way in which each company or organization should conduct itself . It also directs the deal with its employees, customers and society in general.

Every employee seeks to identify with a certain organizational culture. Hence, the importance in relation to these, lies in an adequate identification of values, beliefs, habits, norms and customs between employees and the organizational culture.

With respect to the society in which the company is inserted the organization, the organizational culture serves as a spokesman for the way in which that company relates to society , ie its image; the way in which he takes care (or not) of the environment, his interest in the environment of the same, his influence and participation in the neighborhood activities, etc.

3. Elements of organizational culture

It is necessary to establish who or who are responsible for making decisions.

Within the organizational culture there are different elements that constitute it:

• Identity of the organization:  What kind of company is it? What are their values? What are your  goals ? What is your mission ?
• Control systems: The organizational culture must have control systems, that is, processes that monitor what is happening inside a company with human capital (that is, with employees and managers).
• Structures of power: It  establishes who or who are responsible for making decisions, how it is distributed and in what percentages.
• Symbols:  This includes the logos and all design (visual and auditory support) that the company has. Exclusive executive parkings or restrooms are also symbols of power and fit into this section.
• Rituals and routines:  This includes all business meetings, business group, performance reports, etc. Often these can be formal but also many companies have many rites or routines informally.
• Stories, myths and anecdotes:  This is the implicit message that underlies the entire organization. Stories tell of the emergence of organizations; its bases and its growth, its current impact on the market, etc. The anecdotes are narrations of real stories that senior employees relate to new employees. That is, the message that is valued within the organizational culture of each company.

Each of these elements works together with the others, being able to overlap if necessary.

4. Climate of organizational culture

The climate of the organizational culture will be defined by the following:

• Physical environment. It refers to the facilities, the equipment installed with which the company has, the temperature of the workplace, luminosity, hygiene , comfort of access to it, etc.
• Structural characteristics. It has to do with the hierarchical structure of the organization, how is its formal structure, the direction style among other variables.
• Social environment It refers to the relationship between employees, managers, departments, etc.
• Personal characteristics. This includes the expectations of employees, attitudes , motivations, desires, goals, etc.
• Organizational behavior. It has to do with the level of satisfaction existing in the organization, the way to control absenteeism, late arrivals, the amount of rotation or not of employees, the pressure with which one works daily, etc.