A. Corporate (or Organizational) CultureCorporate (or Organizational) Culture: What is it? How would you describe corporate culture? Is it a positive or negative force for the firm/organization, owners/funders, employees, suppliers, and other stakeholders? How can corporate culture affect productivity? What is its source of generation? Does it just emerge, or is it cultivated? How can corporate culture affect the productivity of the organization? Share your thoughts and examples.Response #1. Heather Cortez. According to the book corporate culture encompasses the way work and authority are organized, the ways people are rewarded and controlled, as well as organizational features such as customs, company slogans, and social rituals (Brickley, Smith, Zimmerman, 2009). Corporate culture to me involves many aspects of a company. This to me would include how they do business, how they treat the employees, how the employees are rewarded, how their slogan is perceived, how the company helps other organizations, etc. Some of these things can lead to a bad corporate culture like the one Enron showed.
All the employees learn and demonstrate the corporate culture of an organization with management most likely displaying it the most. Corporate culture is passed along to new employees through trainings, emails, or even word of mouth. Every company’s corporate culture is difference so companies have to think of ways to effectively communicate what they want the new employees to know. Training classes can help inform new employees of the roots of the company so they understand the culture that is present today. Companywide meetings might also be held to rely the current goals that are aligned with a company’s corporate culture.
Corporate culture can definitely affect productivity because if the employees aren’t happy with the culture around them then they aren’t going to care as much about their job. One website suggests, “Organizations able to maintain positive cultures enjoy many benefits. Morale is improved, and the work environment more enjoyable, with increased teamwork, openness to new ideas and sharing of information” (El-Nadi). A positive and encouraging corporate culture is also attract and retain employees. The website offers some good corporate cultures and one example is Wal-Mart. The founder of Wal-Mart, Sam Walton, is an example of how corporate culture molded his company. The article mentions, “He had a concern and respect for staff from the foundation of the company creates an environment of trust that persists to this day. Walton met staff, calling them by their first name and encouraged change to maintain the competitive edge” (El-Nadi). To think that this man created a corporate culture many years ago and it is still carried on throughout the organization is amazing. Even with all the growth Wal-Mart has experienced it can still look back, think of how Sam would have done it, and follow his steps.
Another good example of productivity and corporate culture mentioned on the website is Hewlett Packard. There were problems at HP so they decided to change their culture. The new culture incorporated its staff to formulate three personal and three professional goals each year and if they met them they were rewarded with things like getting away early to be with family (El-Nadi). After the program was in place for two years, “HP reports no loss in productivity despite staff working shorter hours and there is an increased staff retention rate. The program has been marked by the extent to which managers bought in, and modeled it in their personal lives” (El-Nadi). This type of corporate culture encompasses the organization but also the idea of employees having time to do things in their personal lives.
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Response #2
Micheal Murry Investopedia.com defines corporate culture as “the beliefs and behaviors that determine how a company’s employees and management interact and handle outside business transactions.” (http://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/corporate-culture.asp#axzz1wDVAozmj). Corporate culture is typically not formally documented, but evolves over time, and can be either a positive or negative force in driving business and drawing employees. In the Cincinnati area, there are two companies that come to mind which have a very strong corporate culture but they could not be more different.
Fifth Third Bank (5/3) is noted to have a very structured corporate culture. Employees as the corporate office are required to dress in business professional and wear a “5/3” pin on their suit jacket at all times to signify their association with the organization. Every year on May 3 (“5/3 Day”), Fifth Thirds across the country join forces to celebrate the bank’s special day. On this day, employees receive gifts and customers are thanked for their loyalty in a manner determined by each location. Both the 5/3 day and the structure of the dress/pins are part of the corporate culture at 5/3 that leads to strong brand recognition.
Procter & Gamble (P&G) is another example I can reference of corporate culture in the Cincinnati area. One of the most notorious aspects for P&G’s corporate culture is their “promote from within” mindset. As noted by A.G. Lafley, former COO of P&G, “We promote from the inside, because that’s our primary source of talent” (Kimes, 2009). This is widely known across the city of Cincinnati, in addition to their generous profit sharing and retirement plans. With this in mind, the corporate culture of P&G makes it a strong choice for potential employees. Another interesting facet of P&G’s culture is employees are encouraged to change positions within the organization every two years.
I believe corporate culture strongly plays into productivity. Procter & Gamble has a corporate culture that encourages sharing ideas and collaborating. Upon taking the position of CEO in 2000, A.G. Lafley attempted to change the corporate culture by instilling a new company motto “the consumer is boss” (Lafley, 2008). With this change in corporate culture, the new product success rate increased from 15-20% in 2000, to between 50 and 60 percent in 2008 (Lafley, 2008). This is a direct result of orienting the entire company to a common strategic purpose. |
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B. Teams equal Productivity?
Prominent business professors, management consultants, motivational speakers, and firms have lauded the productivity of teams, compared with the results of decision making by individuals. They suggest most firms and organizations have failed to properly use teams. How does this observation strike you? Does it describe your experiences with team versus individualtasking and performance?How many times have you been on either side, as a team member or an individual? What were your experiences with team versus individual tasking and performance?Response #3, Evelette Johnson. The benefit of working on a team is being able to work with other individuals and valuing their ideas and beliefs. A team, teaches you to work with others building trust and solving issues more effectively, It gives each person a chance to focus on their assigned project within the team, eliminating the possibility of any unethical work.
However; in my experience, although teams have proven to be effective, it sometimes leads to one person taking on the majority of the work. This is usually the ‘go getter” who volunteers for much and ends up doing the most.
I have been on both sides quite a few times and I prefer to work individually. It pushes me to do my best and I can’t depend on team members to pick up the slack for me. I know that if I don’t do it, it won’t get done, which urges me to perform at my best.