Managing Organizational Culture for Improved Performance Essay

Managing Organizational Culture for Improved Performance - Essay Example 93) indicates that organisational culture has been described as a set of norms, beliefs, principles and ways of behaving that gives organisations a distinctive character. This is the same definition that many writers have used and so there is a general understanding of what it means. Norms are established patterns of behaviour which most writers agree to. 1.3 Culture Management Culture management refers to the refreshment of the existing culture within an organisation or the change of a culture that has become obsolete (Grigoruta et al 2005). 2.0 Culture and organisational performance According to Deal and Kennedy (2000) every business has a culture.’ However, sometimes it is reduced to bits and pieces and is therefore difficult to read from the outside. Some employees are loyal to their bosses while some are loyal to the union and still there are others who only care about their fellow employees. Even though there are those who only work because they need money there are time s when the culture of an organisation is strong and cohesive with everyone having knowledge of the goals and therefore working towards it. Deal and Kennedy (2000) further points out that culture has a very powerful influence whether it is weak or strong. It affects almost everything including who gets promoted, how employees dress and the spots they play. This impact suggests that ‘culture has a major impact on the success of the business.’ Deal and Kennedy (2000) provides examples of early leaders of American businesses including Harley Procter of Procter & Gamble and Thomas Watson of IBM who believed that strong culture played a role in the success of their organisations. These leaders believed that the organisation in which persons were employed helped to shape their lives and productivity. They saw their role as creating an environment which was effectively a culture within their organisations; one in which employees felt secure and thereby carry out the work necess ary to make the organisation successful. They had no magical formula but through trial and error. The cultures that these leaders built and nourished have helped to sustain their organisations through very difficult times. The organisations that they led continue to be successful as they still have strong cultures and still continue to be leaders in their industry. What Deal and Kennedy (2000) suggests is that there is no formula – they just did it by trial and error which is much like trying something until it works. This cannot be a prescription for organisations that want to improve their performance and is far from the truth. It is clear that these leaders of whom Deal and Kennedy (2000) spoke used various means which resulted in highly motivated employees who were willing to go the extra mile to ensure that these organisations achieved there goals. Motivating people and letting them feel as if they are a very important part of the organisation is an important aspect of l eadership. It is the things that are done to motivate employees that have led to successful companies. Deal and Kennedy