Organizational Culture

Organizational Culture

To know about Organizational culture, we should know that what culture actually is:

"Culture" is derived from a French term, which in turn is derived from the Latin "colere," which means to tend to the earth and grow, or cultivation and nurture. Culture basically is the knowledge and characteristics of a particular group of people, defined by everything from language, religion, cuisine, social habits, music and arts; Culture can also be defined as the “people who have shared patterns of behaviors and interactions, cognitive constructs and understanding that are learned by socialization. Thus, it can be seen as the growth of a group identity fostered by social patterns unique to the group”.

Understanding Organizational Culture:

Would you dress the same way for a board meeting and a football game? Would you dress, for a party and a funeral, same?

There are a set of unwritten rules which dictate that what is considered to be the acceptable way to dress, behave and act for each type of event. Every Organization has a distinct culture of its own just like every country or even different regions of a country.

Defining Organizational Culture:

Organizational culture refers to a system of shared meaning held by members which distinguishes the organization from other organizations. These shared meanings have a great influence on the organization and the people working together in an organization especially the way the act, dress, behave and perform their jobs. Every organization develops and maintains a culture because it makes the organization different and distinct from other organizations and also set boundaries and guidelines for its members i.e. how to behave etc.

Seven primary characteristics seem to capture the essence