The article was produced by the writer of Essay-Paper.net. Rachel Hewlett is a 7-years experienced freelance writer. Contact her to get information about sample research paper and report writing tips.
How do organizations go about identifying the exact elements of the culture it has in place? Many conduct an audit of the existing culture. The beginning step of this process is to ask the senior executives how they would describe the culture, followed by an organization-wide survey of employee opinions to validate the information provided by executives.
Such audits can identify any conflicting values and analyze actions taken by employees and management to determine if those actions support or detract from particular values the company desires as part of its culture. A gap analysis is performed to identify how far away the actual culture is from desired culture. This represents a considerable opportunity for the senior management team to develop actionable plans to close the gap. It is important to remember, however, that the success of any planned changes will be in direct proportion to the level of commitment given to the change. In addition, once commitment is given by the CEO and senior management to the need for changes to attitudes, beliefs and behaviors, it will take some time before these changes become part of everyday culture.
A culture borne out of effective leadership, empowered employees, strong development programs, good communications and a real focus on customers, will result in enhanced productivity and improved workforce retention. In 1992, John Kotter and James Heskett published Corporate Culture and Performance, a landmark study of more than 200 US companies. They concluded that over time, organizations that managed their staff well saw their share prices increase more than 10 times higher than organizations that did not. Studies have also demonstrated that poor cultural fit is a major factor behind failed mergers.
Gallup conducted a survey of over 3 million American employees regarding engagement levels. Analysis of the survey results showed that 71% of Americans who go to work every day are not engaged in their job. American businesses are operating at one third of their capacity. The cost to the American economy could exceed a trillion dollars in lost productivity.
Unfortunately, organizational culture has its drawback. Firstly, it is not easy to demonstrate a hard and fast link between cultural change and business improvement – a majority of the evidence is based on common sense. For these reasons, changing culture is virtually impossible without commitment from top and middle management and tangible benefits or rewards for everyone else.
- Related Videos
- Related Articles
- Ask / Related Q&A
- Business Culture in Sub Saharan Africa
- Ten Ways to be Better at Creating A Winning Business Culture
- The New Harry Potter Film and Business Culture
- Chinese Business Culture
- Business Cultures Old
- Tips on Business Culture in Dubai
- South Asia - Introduction to Business Culture and Protocol
- Online Business Culture




Social Learning Theory and Organizational Applications
By: Matt Argano | 12/11/2009Organizations which fail to provide a direct correlation between an employee’s individual efforts and contributions to the Company’s overall success often find themselves challenged with remaining competitive and relevant
New Mesothelioma Treatment Options
By: Thomas Xiao | 11/11/2009Recently, there have been a number of new mesothelioma treatments being developed. This has given victims of mesothelioma new hopes for more and better mesothelioma treatment options for this disease.
CMMS Software Helps You Organize Results
By: Ashley Combs | 09/11/2009With the communication between your boss, your plant director, and your secretary, problems jump up everyday. CMMS can help you handle these problems as they arise, and recognize them before they happen. Implement CMMS soon and watch your efficiency rise.
Finding Your Keys Is No Longer A Problem, But What About Everything Else
By: Michael Lamb | 09/11/2009Information about an exciting new online filing system to help you get better organized. Increase your productivity, stop wasting your time searching for files, retrieve anything from your filing system in seconds.
EAM Software – An Efficient Solution to Build Your Bottom Line
By: Ashley Combs | 06/11/2009Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) allows for more productive and efficient tracking of your bottom line. In order to keep your priorities aligned and in order, EAM software can be implemented. This management system gives you a comprehensive view of all assets within any company from staff to equipment. These results will be the basis of future work regarding the company as a whole.
My Family and Coworkers All Laughed at Me When I Told Them I Had Discovered a Way to Make Filing Fun
By: Michael Lamb | 06/11/2009Information about an exciting new online filing system to help you get better organized. Increase your productivity, stop wasting your time searching for files, retrieve anything from your filing system in seconds.
How To Find The Friendliest State In Which To Incorporate!
By: Keith Thompson | 05/11/2009In coming to a decision about which state is the best to incorporate your business there are many things you need to consider. Each business is different, and your personal goals and aims may help dictate the choice. There is no one size fits all when it come to a choice like this. One thing is sure, if you don't look into these factors you will likely make some mistakes, and as you know these are the kind of mistakes that tend to be expensive.
How to conduct a focus group
By: Jan Krivocheia | 05/11/2009Focus groups are structured small group interviews. The people that are being interviewed are similar in some way (e.g., same views on certain topics, different background, part of the same community, or same financial standing). The purpose of the interview is to gather information about a particular topic guided by a set of focused questions. Participants hear and interact with each other and the leader (facilitator), which yields different information than if people were interviewed individually.
The general perception of the Whites to the Slave Religious Ceremonies
By: Rachel Hewlett | 22/06/2009 | CultureThe general perception of the whites to the slave religious ceremonies was a bad one not only because they thought the practice was uncivilized and barbaric but also because the despised the slaves.
Civil War in the United States
By: Rachel Hewlett | 22/06/2009 | HistoryThe white wanted to kill the slave’s hope of ever going home or ever being free and that is why they wanted to discourage them from the practices that made them hope to be free. The whites wanted the slave to belong to them forever and that is white the slave states were so much against the abolishment of slave trade during the civil war.
Slavery in the United States
By: Rachel Hewlett | 22/06/2009 | College & UniversityThe white of the southern wanted to be powerful and that is why they were so much against the religious ceremonies of the slaves as they felt that the grouping would give them the chance to form rebellious movements against them.
The Civil War and Slaves in America
By: Rachel Hewlett | 22/06/2009 | HistoryFederal laws against slavery were not proposed, as they already existed. The further spread of slavery needed to be controlled. The south part feared that it would lose the control of the federal government to antislavery forces and the northern feared that the slave powers already controlled the government.
Slave Religion in North America
By: Rachel Hewlett | 22/06/2009 | HistoryBy the year 1810 the slave trade to the United States came to an end and the population of the slaves begun to increase naturally. This made way to the transmission and the preservation of the religious practices that were African American.
Whites and Slave Religious Ceremony
By: Rachel Hewlett | 22/06/2009 | College & UniversityProblems between the white and the slave because of their religious activities were not with the West Indian slaves only. The stories of the African American religion are a variety of creative fusion.
Slave Religious Ceremonies
By: Rachel Hewlett | 22/06/2009 | CultureThe slaves merged with the white in many process but they never surrendered to the European religious, social and cultural practices. The elements that were African derived were preserved and they converged and co existed with the Christian symbols. This policy shares a common African heritage.
White Perceptions of Slave Religious Ceremonies
By: Rachel Hewlett | 22/06/2009 | HistoryThere were different perceptions of the slave religious ceremonies by the white. The incantation rituals by the West Indian slaves were portrayed as African based. The slaves were opposed to the whites Christianity religion and this upset the white because it caused a threat to the whites man’s safety.