The organizational culture of an organization refers to the type of climate and values that influence the patterns of behavior within an organization. It determines how the people within that organization behave in specific situations, interact with other members of the organization, and behave toward those outside of the organization. There are several dimensions of organizational culture that include things like leadership structure, rewards, welfare package, formality and degree of autonomy.
One of the obvious dimensions of organizational culture is the leadership structure. Companies may differ on how accessible the CEO is to other members of the staff. The degree of accessibility of a top manager, leader or chairman of an organization is a factor that contributes to its cultural identity. When it comes to how they are addressed by the junior members of the staff, some employers are less rigid than others. Some managers might insist on being referred to by their first name, while others will expect to be referred to in a more formal manner.
Organizations have different methods of rewarding their employees for loyalty and exceptional performance. An organization might do this by promoting employees more rapidly, increasing their bonuses, or giving them gifts. Some companies may also encourage their employees to be individual achievers, while others prefer that their employees act as team players. These are also dimensions of organizational culture within an organization.
Another one of the dimensions of organizational culture is the type of welfare package that the organization has put in place for its employees. Some organizations have a more robust welfare culture than others. For instance, some organizations might include features like transport allowance in the salary of their workers. They might also provide breakfast and lunch for their employees, while another organization in the same category will not offer the same concessions toward its workers.
The degree of autonomy refers to the approach that an organization takes to the adherence to formality. This aspect of organizational culture includes such things like the acceptable dress code expected of the employees and the accessibility of the top management to the junior staff. Some organizations take a more laid back approach to the way employees are expected to dress. Other organizations are by their very nature more strict in their requirements. For instance, the employees at a surf paraphernalia store might be allowed to wear shorts and t-shirts to work, while an employee in a financial organization would be expected to wear more formal attire.
