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What are culture management strategies? Strategies for culture management are about the achievement of longer term objectives for either changing the culture in specified ways or for reinforcing the existing culture of an organization its values and the way things are done around here. It will be concerned with how the culture of the organization can be moved from a present state to a future desired state. The strategy will be based on an analysis of the present culture and the extent to which it supports the achievement of business goals. This should identify areas where changes are deemed to be desirable. Those changes can then be specified and plans developed for them to be implemented.
Culture reinforcement strategies are also based on an analysis of the existing culture and how it supports the attainment of goals. In so far as it is supportive, steps can be taken to ensure that the desirable features of the culture are maintained. Culture management often focuses on the development of shared values and gaining commitment to them. These values will be concerned with the sort of behavior the management believes is appropriate in the interests of the organization.
The core values of the business express the beliefs about what management regards as important with regard to how the organization functions and how people should behave. The aim is to ensure that these beliefs are also held and acted upon by employees. Organization Culture It has been defined as the commonly held beliefs, attitudes and values that exist in an organization put more simply, culture is the way we do things around here These values, norms, beliefs, attitudes will shape the ways in which people behave and get things done around here. It is difficult to define It is multi-dimensional with many different components at different levels It is not particularly dynamic and ever changing It takes time to establish and therefore time to change a corporate culture Organizational Climate Culture refers to the deep structure of organizations which is rooted in the values, beliefs and assumptions held by organizational members.
Climate refers to those aspects of the environment that are consciously perceived by organizational members. Climate is a perception and is description. They are realizations experienced by an individual. Appropriate Cultures A good culture exerts a positive influence on organizational behavior.
It could help to create a high-performance culture, one that will produce a high level of business performance. The qualities of a high performance culture of an established retail chain, a growing service business and a consumer products company that is losing market share may be very different. All cultures evolve over time. Cultures that are good in one set of circumstances or period of time may be dysfunctional in different circumstances of different times. There is no such things as ideal culture, only an appropriate culture.
Strategies for supporting and changing cultures The first step is to analyze the existing culture. This can be done through questionnaires, surveys and discussions in focus groups or workshops. It is often helpful to involve people in analyzing the outcome of surveys, getting them to produce a diagnosis of the cultural issues facing the organization and to participate in the development and implementation of plans and programmes to deal with any issues. While involvement is highly desirable there will be situations when management has to carry out the analysis and determine the actions required without the initial participation of employees.
But the latter should be kept informed and brought into discussion on developments as soon as possible. Culture support and reinforcement It aims to preserve and underpin what is good and functional about the present culture. The most powerful mechanisms for culture embedding and reinforcement are What leaders pay attention to, measure and control Leader reactions to critical incidents and crises Deliberate role modeling, teaching and coaching by leaders Criteria for allocation of rewards and status Criteria for recruitment, selection, promotion and commitment Other ways of underpinning the culture are Re-affirming the behaviours believed to be important Encouraging appropriate behaviours by providing financial and non-financial rewards for behaviour which is in accordance with expectations and through actions designed, for example to implement total quality and customer care programmes to improve productivity, to promote and reward good teamwork, to develop a learning organization Developing a statement of core values which describe the basis for desired behaviors using th 3 e value heads for reviewing individual and team performance and emphasizing that people are expected to behave in ways that will uphold the values Ensuing that induction procedures cover expected behaviors and core values and how people are expected to act upon them. CULTURE CHANGE In theory, culture change programmes start with an analysis of the existing culture. The desired culture is then defined, which leads to the identification of a culture gap that needs to be filed. This analysis can identify behavioral expectations so that development and reward processes can be used to define and reinforce them.
A comprehensive change programme may be fundamental part of an organization transformation exercise. Culture change programmes can focus on particular aspects of culture, for example, performance, commitment, quality, customer service, teamwork, organizational learning. In each case the underpinning values would need to be defined. CHANGE MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES Conceptually the change process starts with an awareness of the need for change. An analysis of this situation and the factors that have created it leads to a diagnosis of their distinctive characteristics and an indication of the direction in which action needs to be taken and therefore the change strategy. Possible courses of action can then be identified and evaluated and a choice made of the preferred action.
It is then necessary to decide how to get from here to there. It is here that problems of introducing change emerge and have to be managed. These problems can include resistance to change, low stability, high levels of stress, misdirected energy, conflict and loss of momentum. Hence the need to do everything possible when formulating the strategy to anticipate reactions and likely impediments to the introduction of change. The installation stage may not be straightforward and can also be painful. It seems likely that this gap arose because of a failure to adopt a strategic approach to managing change that recognized the problems of making things happen.
Resistance to change People resist change because it is seen as a threat to familiar patterns of behaviour as well as to status and financial rewards. When we talk about resistance to change we tend to imply that management is always rational in changing its direction and that employees are stupid, emotional or irrational in not responding in the way they should. But if an individual is going to be worse off, explicitly or implicitly, when the proposed changes have been made, any resistance is entirely rational in terms of his own best interest. The interests of the organization and the individual do not always coincide. GUIDELINES FOR CHANGE MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES The achievement of sustainable change requires strong commitment and visionary leadership from the top. There is a need to understand the culture of the organization and the levers for change that are most likely to be effective in that culture.
Those concerned with managing change at all levels should have the temperament and leadership skills appropriate to the circumstances of the organization and its change strategies It is important to build a working environment that is conducive to change This means developing the firm as a learning organization Commitment to change is improved is those affected by change are allowed to participate as fully as possible in planning and implementing it. The aim should be to get them to own the change as something they want and will be glad to live with The reward system should encourage innovation and recognize success in achieving change Strategies for change must be adaptable the ability to respond swiftly to new situations and demands which will inevitably arise if essential. Change will always involve failure as well as success. The failures must be expected and learnt from. Hard evidence and data on the need for change are the most powerful tools for its achievement but establishing the need for change is easier than deciding how to satisfy it. The emphasis must be on changing behavior and not trying to enforce corporate values.
It is easier to change behavior by changing processes, structure and systems than to change attitudes. It is necessary to anticipate problems of implementation which will include resource dependency, the capacity and willingness of middle managers to support the change, the capacity and willingness of HR to ensure that the change is embedded in spite of indifferent or negative reactions There are usually people in organizations who can act as champions of change Resistance to change is inevitable if the individuals concerned feel that they are going to be worse off implicitly or explicitly
Free research essays on topics related to: culture change, management strategies, resistance to change, learning organization, core values
Research essay sample on Strategies For Culture Management
