A. Elements of Organizational Culture

The emerging challenges for communicating and organizing in a global/local operational environment (think globally, act locally) are based on understanding the interrelationships among cultural differences, communication behaviors, and organizational relationships both within and outside of the organization.

Culture is comprised of the shared values, customs, traditions, rituals, behaviors and beliefs shared by a social group (national, ethnic, organizational, etc.). Cultures also share languages, or ways of speaking. From a communication perspective, cultures are made and remade through the words we use to describe our world.

The challange for a manager is to examine the current culture and style of communication operating within an organization and to develop communication skills that will allow for the insight, sensitivity, vision, versatility, focus, patience, and global-localism called for in today’s complex work environment.

· Values: The goals, views, and philosophies that an organization shares. Example: The Organization’s mission statement.

· Rites and Rituals: The performances, activities, and celebrations that reinforce organization beliefs, values and goals.

· Heroes: Members of the organization who personify its values and highlight its vision.

· Communication Networks: Informal channels of interaction that relay social and work messages that serve to indoctrinate members. Examples: Networking the chain of command.

· Norms: The ways of doing things in an organization; the rules, tasks and standards of the organization. Examples: Dress codes or ways of addressing superiors/subordinates.

· Stories, Myths, and Legends: The stories that are repeatedly told that comprise the history of the organization's important events: .

· Climate: The atmosphere of supportiveness or defensiveness that people feel within the organization. Example: Employee satisfaction with organization communication channels.

Managers and Organizational Culture: Take 15 minutes and brainstorm the following questions: On a daily basis, what kinds of things do you do that create an organizational culture? What kinds of rites, rituals, communication networks or norms might you initiate to enhance your organization’s culture? How are those rituals, values and networks changing in your organization?

Organizational Culture Shapes the Message Organizational culture is the shared values, customs, traditions, rituals, behaviors, and beliefs shared in common by the members of that organization. Just as a nation generally has its own language or dialect, so too does an organization have its own language; that language consists of the jargon and ways of speaking that are particular to the people who work there.
An organization’s culture is composed of the project/programme purpose environment, values, heroes, rites and rituals, communication networks, cultural messages, norms, stories, myths, and legends, and climate.
Just as a nation generally has its own language or dialect, so too does an organization have its own language: the jargon and ways of speaking that are particular to the people who work there. Most of us have encountered this in our own organizations , but are generally unaware of it because we use the jargon all of the time and know what it means.
A strong organizational culture has a significant impact on people’s behavior on the job. In the most general sense a strong organizational culture provides organizational identity, a sense of uniqueness, and sense of connection for all members within the organization.