Introduction:
Organizations have a stable existence of their own, and one that is quite apart from the unique composition of people of which they are composed at any given time. It is organizational culture which accounts for this stability – the cognitive framework consisting of attitudes, values, behavioral norms, shared beliefs and expectations of the people in the organization. Once established, these beliefs, expectations and values tend to be relatively stable and strongly influence organizations and those working in them. Any company’s culture can be interpreted by observing symbols, stories (narratives based on true events that are repeated frequently and shared among organization employees), heroes, slogans (for example, Nike’s ‘Just Do It’) and ceremonies associated with the company (Baron & Greenberg, 2000).
Corporate Culture:
A healthcare organization which was formed as
a result of the merger of three separate entities
had to undergo some difficult times because of
the different cultures merging together. When
different cultures combine to form one dominant
culture, every interaction in any part of the
framework is new and unknown for employees, who
often experience problems due to this huge change.
The management of the organization in question
also incorporated a new set of elements in the
corporate culture which were although different,
but had the potential to lead to a very successful
and advantageous corporate culture for the company
( Clift & Wood, 2004; Waters 2004).
If the company’s culture is a socially responsible one, this is also much better for the company in the long run and has a positive environmental impact. Ethics and values can go hand in hand with sound business practice if there is the goal of creating a more stable and healthy society. Social responsibility is simply the obligation of organization members to make decisions and take actions that will enhance the welfare and interests of society as well as the organization. This company tried to make its culture a socially responsible one by ensuring that its workforce consisted of a diverse blend of employees. Workforce diversity is an important social issue today and many companies have borne the brunt of lawsuits and litigious action due to their refusal to acknowledge people belonging to different ethnicities and cultures. Hence, this organization has taken a welcome step in that direction by implementing a mix of multiple cultures in its staff makeup (Waters, 2004).
Managers should ensure that it is part of the company’s culture to always try to do a little better than what is expected and ensure that its employees have the knowledge and resourcees needed to take care of its customers. The philosophy of taking care of poeple better must be incorporated in the organizational culture. Customer service should be a top priority and the management of this company has tried to do this by a number of steps. First, they redesigned the care delivery model. Aside from this, the 8-hour long shifts were done away with and self-scheduling introduced so that emploeyes are able to perform at their best during their time on the job, rather than simply counting minutes until it is time to go home. The culture was made more reactive, and all employees were no longer considered experts to just do as they pleased. Leadership and authority structures were revamped so that communication was fostered and employees could serve their patients better. At the end of the day, customer service is truly a necessity. In a health care organization, stellar patient care services are more integral and this company is trying to serve its patients better by introducing elements into its culture which will benefit them (Waters 2004). |