What is corporate culture?
Enjoying Flashcards?
Tell us what you think
What is corporate culture?
Corporate culture is the personality of an organisation, including shared values, beliefs, attitudes and practices that shape how people work together.
True or False?
A strong organisational culture is easily recognised and embedded in how a business operates.
True.
A strong organisational culture is easily recognised and embedded in how a business operates.
Give two common visual features of a strong organisational culture.
Common visual features of a strong organisational culture include:
Business-specific artifacts like uniforms
Ceremonies and rituals like awards evenings
A well-known figurehead as a role model
Layout of business premises, e.g. open plan offices
The training culture, e.g induction and on-going training
True or False?
In businesses with a weak culture, employees are likely to have a 'can do' attitude.
False.
In businesses with a strong culture, employees are likely to have a 'can do' attitude, be united and support the mission of the business.
What is a subculture?
A subculture is a culture within an organisation that may differ from the official culture. It often forms the day-to-day working experiences of employees.
True or False?
Subcultures in an organisation are always negative.
False.
Subcultures can be positive and their importance should not be ignored.
State two signs of a weak organisational culture.
Signs of a weak organizational culture include
A 'them and us' attitude between workers and management
Employees that doubt the sincerity of the corporate mission
High staff turnover.
What is a corporate mission?
A corporate mission is the overall purpose and values of an organisation that guides its actions and approach to decision-making.
What are Charles Handy's four Gods of Management?
Charles Handy's four Gods of Management are:
Zeus (Power Culture)
Apollo (Role Culture)
Athena (Task Culture)
Dionysus (Person Culture)
What is a power culture, according to Charles Handy?
A power culture is one where decision-making is carried out by one or a small number of powerful individuals, usually at the top of the business hierarchy.
In a role culture, where does power lie?
In a role culture, power lies with those with particular job titles rather than those with desirable skills.
True or False?
In a task culture, individuals with extensive experience and skills are loosely brought together.
False.
It is in a person culture that individuals with extensive experience and skills are loosely brought together.
True or False?
In a power culture there are many rules to determine decision-making procedures.
False.
In a power culture, few rules exist to determine decision-making procedures.
In which of Handy's cultures are teams created and dissolved as projects are started and completed?
Teams are created and dissolved as projects are started and completed in a task culture.
In which of Handy's cultures do individuals often work autonomously?
In a person culture individuals often work autonomously.
What is a culture clash?
A culture clash is when people from different backgrounds come together in the workplace, leading to misunderstandings due to diverse values, communication styles or work habits.
Define the term culture gap.
A culture gap is when a business's actual culture is not aligned with management's desired culture.
True or False?
Organic growth in a business often leads to a more hierarchical structure.
True.
Organic growth in a business often leads to a more hierarchical structure.
True or False?
Following a merger of two businesses, the dominant firm's culture often prevails.
True.
Following a merger of two businesses, the dominant firm's culture often prevails, though a hybrid culture may emerge.
Why might culture clashes affect employee motivation?
Culture clashes can lead to demotivation if employees' cultural values are not respected or understood, resulting in low morale and reduced productivity.
What is a potential impact of culture clashes on team spirit?
Culture clashes can lead to the formation of subgroups within an organisation. This may result in a lack of cohesion within teams, affecting collaboration.