Introduction to Organizational Behavior

The core values, assumptions, norms, procedures, etc. that are followed in an organization constitute its culture. These are more often than not, accepted and followed throughout the organization, without much deviation. However, the presence of individuals from various social cultures and backgrounds in an organization, may lend a slight variation to the beliefs and ideologies of the organizational members. This difference results in the formation of subcultures within organizations. The presence of subcultures may be advantageous to an organization as the deviations from the norm may throw up alternatives to existing practices, which are often useful to the organization in adapting to changes in the external environment. Such adaptability is essential for the organization to survive. However, if the differences in ideologies go beyond a desirable level, they may have a negative effect on the organization and undermine it. The strength of an organizational culture depends on the sharedness and intensity of the core values of the organization. A strong culture tends to enhance employee commitment and loyalty towards the organization.

The difference between the two lies in the fact that, while formalization deals with the standardization of jobs and involves documentation of accepted values and norms, a strong organizational culture can achieve a certain amount of uniformity in work processes without documentation being required. Organizational culture plays a variety of roles in strengthening bonds between the members of an organization. The boundary-defining role of organizational culture implies that it helps to draw distinctions between one organization and another. It also creates a sense of identity and belongingness among the employees of the organization. Organization culture synergizes the efforts of organizational members towards the achievement of the common objectives of the organization. It also maintains the stability of the social system in the organization by minimizing individual differences between employees. Organizational culture is determined largely by the values, assumptions and personal traits of the founders. These values lay the foundation for the organizational culture, which is then accepted and followed throughout the organization.