BUSINESS PURPOSE
The purpose of this paper is to describe the
characteristics of Corporate Culture and how it can
influence an enterprise. It will also describe a survey
technique for identifying and defining the culture.
The corporate culture is defined during Phase 3 of
EEM, "Physical Enterprise Analysis." For additional
information:
INTRODUCTION
The perceptive manager understands the importance of
establishing and controlling the work environment, including
both logical and physical considerations. Unfortunately, many
managers do not appreciate the concept of Corporate Culture and
how to use it to their advantage.
Corporate Culture pertains to the identity and personality
of the enterprise we work with, either in the private or public
sectors. All companies have a culture; a way they behave and
operate. They may be organized and disciplined or chaotic and
unstructured. Either way, this is the culture which the
enterprise has elected to adopt. What is important is that in
order for an employee to function and succeed, they must be
able to recognize, accept and adapt to the culture.
System developers must take the corporate culture into
consideration during system design. Information Systems must be
compatible with the corporate culture, otherwise the culture
will resist the new system and not use it. (They may even go as
far as sabotaging the system, regardless of how well it is
designed).
MEMBER VERSUS ALIEN
Have you ever noticed how people react to foreign visitors;
whether an exchange student or a visiting professional? The
stranger may be welcomed, but may never be accepted unless that
person can adapt to the norms of their new environment. If they
do not, the members will shun the stranger and reject the alien
from their culture. The same is true in business. If the new
employee, consultant or visitor cannot adapt to the Corporate
Culture, their chances for success are slight. The members of
the culture will reject the person outright and will work
against them.
The reason for this phenomenon is that people tend to
prefer conformity in their culture. Conformity represents a
harmonious environment where the behavior and actions are
predictable. Most people have a deeply rooted desire for a
sense of order and stability in their lives, which is what
conformity provides. A stable environment promotes
self-confidence in the members of the culture and allows them
to concentrate on their work.
HUMAN PERSPECTIVE
Corporate Culture deals with how we see ourselves and
others. We act on our perceptions, not necessarily what occurs
in reality. The culture greatly influences our perspectives and
behavior. For example, our values and beliefs may distort what
happens in fact. Gossip, propaganda, and a sensational press,
deals with what people want to hear, not necessarily what
happens in fact.
DEFINING CULTURE
Before we can alter the culture, we must first understand
it. Culture is defined as the characteristics of the members of
a civilization. Ultimately, culture defines the quality of life
for a group of people.
Culture does not appear suddenly, it evolves over time as
people grow and learn. The older the heritage, the more
ingrained the culture is in its members.
There are essentially three parts to any culture:
Customs, Philosophy and Society. Each influences the others.
CUSTOMS
Webster defines custom as a "long-established practice
considered as unwritten law." Custom dictates the expected
manner of conduct for the culture. It prescribes the etiquette
to be observed in dress, speech, courtesy and politics
(gamesmanship). Several companies have long understood the
power of customs. These norms are established to project a
particular image the company wishes to convey.
PHILOSOPHY
Our philosophical or religious viewpoint is the basis for
our values. It influences our judgment in terms of what is
ethical and what is not. Although uniform morality sounds
attractive to executives, it can be quite dangerous if unethical
practices are allowed to creep into the moral fiber of the
company.
SOCIETY
Society defines our interpersonal relationships. This
includes how we elect to govern and live our lives. Society
defines the class structure in an organization, from Chairman of
the Board to the hourly worker. It defines government, laws and
institutions which must be observed by its members. More often
than not, the society is "dictated" by management as opposed to
"democratically" selected by the workers.
INFLUENTIAL FACTORS
Obviously, it is people, first and foremost, that influence
any culture. In terms of Corporate Culture, the only external
factor that influences the enterprise is the "Resident Culture,"
which is the culture at any particular geographical location.
The Resident Culture refers to the local customs, religion and
society observed in our personal lives, outside of the
workplace. The Resident Culture and Corporate Culture may
differ considerably in some areas but are normally compatible.
Anthropologists have long known that the physical
surroundings, such as geography and climate, greatly influence
the Resident Culture. The Resident Culture, in turn, influences
the Corporate Culture. The Corporate Culture, which affects the
behavior of its members, will greatly influence the Resident
Culture.
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Personal RESIDENT CORPORATE Professional
Lives CULTURE CULTURE Lives
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SUB-CULTURES
Within any culture there are those people exhibiting
special characteristics that distinguish them from others within
an embracing culture; this is what is called "sub-cultures." In
a Corporate Culture, sub-cultures take the form of cliques,
special interest groups, even whole departments within a
company. This is acceptable as long as the sub-culture does
not violate the norms of the parent culture. When the
characteristics of the sub-culture differ significantly from the
main culture, it becomes a culture in its own right. This
situation can be counterproductive in a corporate culture, a
company within a company. For example, we have seen several
MIS/DP organizations who view themselves as independent of the
companies they serve. They "march to their own drummer" doing
what is best for the MIS/DP Department, not necessarily what is
best for their company. Conversely, we have seen management
regulate the MIS department as a separate, independent group as
opposed to a vital part of the business.
IDENTIFYING THE CORPORATE CULTURE
It is one thing to enact legislation, quite another to
enforce it. Without an effective means to monitor the Corporate
Culture, it becomes a difficult job to try to control it.
To change the Corporate Culture, one must begin by defining
the current customs, values and attitudes that are observed in
the enterprise. Great care must be taken in doing this. It
cannot be based on conjecture or speculation which could lead
to erroneous conclusions and actions. It must be performed as
scientifically as possible. A survey, such as the one attached
to this paper, can be used to perform a statistical analysis
of the Corporate Culture. It is important that the survey
establish what the culture is AS IT EXISTS TODAY, NOT HOW IT
SHOULD BE TOMORROW. This is for management to decide. In
addition, the survey should not be presented or viewed as an
employee review. If this happens, the people in the survey will
not participate in a positive way.
There are several other indicators that can be used to
gauge the culture. For example, a trend analysis of the
following items could be studied:
- Absenteeism
- Customer Complaints
- Employee Complaints
- Other Complaints (e.g., government violations)
- Defects in Workmanship
- Delinquent Commitments
- Productivity
- Profit Margin
- Tardiness
- Turnover
- Violation of Rules/Policies
- Work stoppages/Interruptions
Obviously Personnel Administration or Human Resource
Management can provide assistance in gathering these facts.
Also, a Project Management System is useful for gathering
historical data.
CHANGING THE CORPORATE CULTURE
Changing the Corporate Culture involves influencing the
three elements of the culture: Customs, Philosophy and
Society. This is not a simple task. It must be remembered that
culture is learned. As such, it can be taught and enforced.
However, the greater the change, the longer it will take to
implement. It should evolve naturally over time. A cultural
revolution, such as the one experienced in communist China, is
too disruptive for people to understand and accept. As a
result, they will resist and rebel.
A smaller company can change its culture much more rapidly
than a larger company, simply because of communication
considerations. In addition, an organization in the private
sector can change faster than one in the public sector (such as
a government agency), only because a commercial company is not
encumbered with government regulations. This is an instance
where a "dictatorship" works more effectively than a
"democracy."
Developing a corporate consciousness is difficult to
implement and involves considerable training and demonstration.
Great care must be taken to avoid the "do as I say, not as I do"
situation.
SUMMARY
Management is much more than just meeting deadlines. It
is a people-oriented function. If we lived in a perfect world,
there would not be a need for managers. People would build
things correctly the first time and on schedule, within costs.
The fact of the matter is that we live in an imperfect world.
People do make mistakes; people do have different perspectives,
etc. Management is the process of encouraging people to do what
you want them to do, when you want them to do it. The Corporate
Culture is a vital part of the art of management. Failure to
recognize this has led to serious difficulties for several
managers. But for those managers who take it into
consideration, the Corporate Culture can greatly improve the
productivity and effectiveness of any organization.
THE "PRIDE" SURVEY ON CORPORATE CULTURE
The "PRIDE" Survey on Corporate Culture is used to help
identify the attitudes, customs and values of the members of the
culture. The survey highlights how the members perceive
themselves, their group or department, management, and the
enterprise overall. It is also used to identify the emergence
of any sub-cultures within the enterprise.
The survey may be administered either as a "fill in and
return" type of form, or as part of an interview with employees.
The former may be effective for a massive sampling, but there is
the possibility that some people will not complete the form.
Interviewing will probably have more success simply because
it will encourage participation. It will also help to
differentiate the individual departments or areas involved.
When conducting the survey it is not essential to identify
those interviewed by name. In fact, it is preferable that the
individual's name be omitted and the answers remain
confidential. Each interviewee must be assured that the survey
is not an employee evaluation, but rather an analysis of the
current corporate culture. For statistical analysis purposes,
it may be desirable to know the type of employee that is
completing the survey (e.g., Secretary, Manager, Clerk, Laborer,
etc.) and the department or area where they work. Interviewees
should be selected on a random basis to obtain a true sample of
the culture.
There are five parts to the survey. Although each part is
different, each section looks for inconsistencies between the
norms of one department or area versus the enterprise overall.
This is used to identify sub-cultures. To do this, each part of
the survey is divided into two sections, a view of the
department or area, and a view of the enterprise; both sections
use identical questions. The average of all questions are then
compiled and compared. If there are substantial differences
between the departmental view and the enterprise view, then it
is highly likely that a sub-culture exists. This analysis
permits the evaluation of a single department, multiple
departments, or the entire enterprise.
It is very important that the surveys and results from the
survey be dated so as not to confuse it with past surveys.
Dating also permits the ability to track the corporate culture.
The following is a description of each part of the survey:
- PART I - PERCEPTION OF PEOPLE - This part is
concerned with how employees view themselves, their associates,
and their work.
- PART II - PERCEPTION OF MANAGEMENT - This part is
concerned with how employees view management.
- PART III - VALUES - This establishes the set of
values observed by the employees. It also establishes the
orientation of the culture, long-term thinking versus short-term
(a "fast track" mentality). For example, if the Corporate
Culture is oriented to short-term thinking, a long term plan
will probably not be feasible.
- PART IV - CUSTOMS - This defines the customs
observed by the employees.
The survey should be custom tailored to the installation's
requirements. Additional questions can be added if so desired.
<![CDATA[
"PRIDE" SURVEY ON CORPORATE CULTURE
-----------------------------------
DEPARTMENT: TYPE POSITION: SURVEY DATE:
----------------------------------------------------------------
PART I - PERCEPTION OF PEOPLE
A. THE VIEW OF THE PEOPLE IN THE
DEPARTMENT/AREA (ONLY) TOWARDS: 1 2 3 4 5
Adaptability to Change ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Adherence to Rules and Policies ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Alertness/Grasp Instruction ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Attitude towards Job ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Cleanliness of Work Environment ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Communications (internal) ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Courtesy ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Creativity ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Dedication ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Dependability ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Discipline ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Drive/Results Orientation ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Ethics ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Friendliness ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Job Knowledge ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Job Satisfaction ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Loyalty ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Organization (personal) ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Personality ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Politics ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Quality of Work ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Quantity of Work ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Teamwork/Cooperation ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
SCALE: 1 - High
2 - Above Average
3 - Average
4 - Below Average
5 - Low
"PRIDE" SURVEY ON CORPORATE CULTURE
-----------------------------------
PART I - PERCEPTION OF PEOPLE
B. THE VIEW OF ALL OF THE PEOPLE
IN THE ENTERPRISE TOWARD: 1 2 3 4 5
Adaptability to Change ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Adherence to Rules and Policies ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Alertness/Grasp Instruction ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Attitude towards Job ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Cleanliness of Work Environment ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Communications (internal) ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Courtesy ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Creativity ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Dedication ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Dependability ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Discipline ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Drive/Results Orientation ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Ethics ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Friendliness ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Job Knowledge ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Job Satisfaction ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Loyalty ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Organization (personal) ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Personality ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Politics ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Quality of Work ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Quantity of Work ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Teamwork/Cooperation ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
SCALE: 1 - High
2 - Above Average
3 - Average
4 - Below Average
5 - Low
"PRIDE" SURVEY ON CORPORATE CULTURE
-----------------------------------
PART II - PERCEPTION OF MANAGEMENT
A. THE VIEW OF THE PEOPLE IN THE
DEPARTMENT/AREA (ONLY) TOWARDS
DEPARTMENT MANAGEMENT: 1 2 3 4 5
Communication with subordinates ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Concern for subordinates ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Courtesy ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Dedication ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Delegating Responsibility ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Discipline ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Drive/Results Orientation ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Ethics ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Fairness ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Leadership ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Loyalty ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Motivational Skills ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Organization ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Planning Skills ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Politics ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Problem Solving ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Providing Opportunity ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Quality Consciousness ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
SCALE: 1 - High
2 - Above Average
3 - Average
4 - Below Average
5 - Low
"PRIDE" SURVEY ON CORPORATE CULTURE
-----------------------------------
PART II - PERCEPTION OF MANAGEMENT
B. THE VIEW OF THE PEOPLE IN THE
DEPARTMENT/AREA (ONLY) TOWARDS
EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT: 1 2 3 4 5
Communication with subordinates ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Concern for subordinates ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Courtesy ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Dedication ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Delegating Responsibility ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Discipline ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Drive/Results Orientation ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Ethics ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Fairness ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Leadership ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Loyalty ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Motivational Skills ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Organization ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Planning Skills ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Politics ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Problem Solving ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Providing Opportunity ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Quality Consciousness ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
SCALE: 1 - High
2 - Above Average
3 - Average
4 - Below Average
5 - Low
"PRIDE" SURVEY ON CORPORATE CULTURE
-----------------------------------
PART III - VALUES; HOW WE REGARD/RESPECT SOMETHING
A. HOW THE PEOPLE IN THE
DEPARTMENT/AREA VALUE: 1 2 3 4 5
The Company ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Customer (list as required) ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Their Job ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Product (list as required) ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Fellow Employees ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Residing Community ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Use of Personal Time ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Use of Company Time ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Service (list as required) ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Vendor (list as required) ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
B. HOW THE PEOPLE IN THE
ENTERPRISE OVERALL VALUE: 1 2 3 4 5
The Company ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Customer (list as required) ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Their Job ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Product (list as required) ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Fellow Employees ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Residing Community ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Use of Personal Time ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Use of Company Time ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Service (list as required) ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Vendor (list as required) ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
SCALE: 1 - High
2 - Above Average
3 - Average
4 - Below Average
5 - Low
"PRIDE" SURVEY ON CORPORATE CULTURE
-----------------------------------
PART III - VALUES; HOW WE REGARD/RESPECT SOMETHING
C. METHOD OF REWARD:
What is the basis for being rewarded (e.g., recognition,
raises, bonuses, promotion); meeting short-term objectives
or long-term?
1 2 3 4 5
1. WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT/AREA ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
2. WITHIN THE ENTERPRISE OVERALL ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
SCALE: 1 - Short-Term Only
2 - Mostly on Short-Term; some Long-Term
3 - Evenly divided
4 - Mostly on Long-Term; some Short-Term
5 - Long-Term Only
"PRIDE" SURVEY ON CORPORATE CULTURE
-----------------------------------
PART IV - CUSTOMS; ADHERENCE TO RULES & REGULATIONS (WHETHER
WRITTEN OR IMPLIED)
A. BY PEOPLE IN THE DEPARTMENT/AREA: 1 2 3 4 5
Attendance ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Conduct ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Courtesy ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Honesty ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Honor/Integrity ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Housekeeping ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Personal Appearance/Dress ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Punctuality/Promptness ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Respect for Authority ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Respect for Fellow Workers ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Respect for Seniority ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Speech/Forms of Address ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
B. BY PEOPLE IN THE ENTERPRISE OVERALL: 1 2 3 4 5
Attendance ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Conduct ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Courtesy ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Honesty ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Honor/Integrity ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Housekeeping ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Personal Appearance/Dress ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Punctuality/Promptness ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Respect for Authority ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Respect for Fellow Workers ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Respect for Seniority ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Speech/Forms of Address ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
SCALE: 1 - High
2 - Above Average
3 - Average
4 - Below Average
5 - Low
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