You are on page 1of 7

You are expected to:

1. Use the lecture slides, the organisational behaviours reference material and any other
materials to think about its culture and answer the following questions.
(a). What is the organisation’s corporate culture?
(b). Which of the culture typologies can be used in describing your organisation?
(c). How does the organisation socialize new members? Could the ways it helps newcomers
learn the organisation’s culture be improved?
(d). What are some of the stories/jokes that provide clues about your organisation’s cultural
norms?
(e) What kinds of organisational ceremonies does the organisation have to help reinforce its
values and norms?
(f). What two (2) theories can be used in explaining organisational culture?
(g). “It has been suggested that organisational culture is used by management to regulate
organisational members “thoughts” and “values” as well as means to shape the “internal worlds
and identities of employees” in their workplace”. Do you agree or disagree? Provide reasons to
support your answer.
a. What is the organisation’s corporate culture?
Elevate Business Consult Create a business Consulting is a management consulting firm that
provides business strategy and management consulting services to small and medium-sized
enterprises (SMEs). The corporate culture of the organization is centred on professionalism,
innovation, collaboration, and customer-centricity.
The company values professionalism and strives to maintain the highest standards of
professionalism in all its dealings with clients. This is evident in the way the company's
consultants conduct themselves, the quality of their work, and their adherence to ethical
standards. Innovation is also highly valued, and the company encourages its employees to come
up with new and creative solutions to clients' problems.
Collaboration is another key aspect of the company's culture. The company believes that
teamwork is essential to delivering the best possible results for clients. As a result, the company
encourages its employees to work together and share ideas and knowledge.
Finally, customer-centricity is at the heart of the company's culture. The company believes that
its success is directly linked to the success of its clients, and therefore places a strong emphasis
on delivering value to its clients. The company's consultants are trained to listen carefully to
clients' needs and to develop customized solutions that meet those needs.
In summary, Elevate Business Consult Create a business Consulting has a corporate culture that
values professionalism, innovation, collaboration, and customer-centricity. This culture is
essential to the company's success in providing high-quality consulting services to its clients.
b. Which of the culture typologies can be used in describing your organisation?
Based on the analysis of Elevate Business Consult, the culture typology that can be used to
describe the organization is the Clan Culture. This is because the organization values
collaboration, teamwork, and employee empowerment. The focus is on building strong
relationships between employees, clients, and stakeholders, and this is reflected in the
organization's approach to communication, decision-making, and problem-solving. The
organization also values employee development, learning, and continuous improvement, which
is demonstrated in the training programs and mentorship opportunities provided to employees.
Overall, the Clan Culture is characterized by a strong sense of community, a focus on employee
well-being and satisfaction, and a commitment to collaboration and teamwork.
As a consulting firm that provides services to SMEs, Elevate Business Consult operates in a
highly collaborative environment where knowledge sharing and teamwork are essential. The
company encourages open communication and values employees' opinions, fostering a sense of
family within the organization. This is an indication of a Clan culture.
To promote this culture, the organization has established an open-door policy, where employees
can share their thoughts and ideas with the management. This culture is also evident in the
company's approach to problem-solving, where employees are encouraged to work together to
come up with solutions. The company's leaders act more like mentors, helping employees to
develop their skills and career paths, which in turn increases their loyalty and commitment to the
organization.
In conclusion, Elevate Business Consult’s culture can be described as a Clan culture, which is
built on teamwork, collaboration, and open communication. The organization fosters a family-
like environment where employees are encouraged to share their opinions and ideas.

c. How does the organization socialize new members? Could the ways it helps
newcomers learn the organization’s culture be improved?
As a consulting firm, Elevate Business Consult places great importance on socializing new
members into their corporate culture to ensure that they fit in and understand the company's
values and way of doing things. New members are introduced to the company's values, mission,
and vision during their orientation, and they are assigned to work closely with senior employees
or mentors to learn about the company's culture, work processes, and strategies.
Elevate Business Consult also has a formal training program that provides comprehensive
training on various aspects of the job, such as project management, client interaction, and
communication. This training allows new employees to learn the skills they need to perform their
jobs and interact effectively with other employees, clients, and stakeholders.
However, one possible improvement in how Elevate Business Consult socializes new members
is to provide more opportunities for employees to interact with one another outside of work-
related activities. The company could consider organizing social events, such as team-building
exercises or company outings, to help new employees get to know their colleagues better and
build stronger relationships with them. Such activities can help to reinforce the company's
culture and create a more cohesive team.
Overall, while Elevate Business Consult seems to have a solid socialization process for new
members, there is always room for improvement in how the company introduces newcomers to
its culture and helps them become fully integrated into the organization.
d. What are some of the stories/jokes that provide clues about your organisation’s
cultural norms?
One story that provides a clue about Elevate Business Consult ' cultural norms is about a senior
consultant who always tells his team, "Measure twice, cut once." This saying emphasizes the
importance of being thorough and taking the time to do things right the first time, which aligns
with the organization's value of providing high-quality services to clients. The story is often told
to new team members during their onboarding process to reinforce the importance of attention to
detail in the organization's culture.
One story that might provide clues about Elevate Business Consult ' culture is about an employee
who made a mistake on a client project. Instead of being reprimanded or punished, the employee
was supported by the team and given extra resources to fix the mistake. This story could indicate
a culture of collaboration and support, where mistakes are seen as opportunities to learn and
improve rather than as failures.
Similarly, a joke about a team member who constantly makes puns or jokes during meetings
could indicate a culture of humour and light-heartedness, where creativity and innovation are
encouraged and celebrated.
Overall, stories and jokes can provide valuable insights into an organization's cultural norms and
values, and can help to reinforce and reinforce these values among employees.

e. What kinds of organizational ceremonies does the organization have to help


reinforce its values and norms?
1. Elevate Business Consult has several organizational ceremonies to help reinforce its
values and norms, such as:
2. New Employee Orientation: This ceremony welcomes new employees and introduces
them to the company's values, mission, and culture. It helps new employees understand
the company's expectations, procedures, and customs.
3. Annual Awards Ceremony: This ceremony celebrates the achievements of the company's
top-performing employees and reinforces the values of hard work, dedication, and
excellence.
4. Quarterly Town Hall Meetings: These meetings provide an opportunity for all employees
to come together and discuss the company's progress, goals, and challenges. It promotes
transparency, communication, and collaboration, which are key values of the company's
culture.
5. Team Building Activities: Elevate Business Consult organizes regular team-building
activities such as off-site retreats, social events, and sports competitions. These activities
help foster a sense of community, teamwork, and fun within the organization.
6. Employee Appreciation Day: This ceremony celebrates the hard work and dedication of
all employees and reinforces the company's values of recognition and appreciation. It
typically involves fun activities, food, and prizes for employees.
Overall, these organizational ceremonies help reinforce Elevate Business Consult ' values and
norms by promoting a sense of community, teamwork, and shared purpose among its employees.
f. What two (2) theories can be used in explaining organizational culture?
Two theories that can be used to explain organizational culture are the Competing Values
Framework (CVF) and Schein's three levels of culture.
Elevate Business Consult ' organizational culture can be explained using two theories: the
Competing Values Framework (CVF) and Edgar Schein's theory of organizational culture. The
CVF is a model that describes four different types of organizational culture: clan culture,
adhocracy culture, market culture, and hierarchy culture (Cameron & Quinn, 2011). Based on the
observation of Elevate Business Consult ' emphasis on employee empowerment, collaboration,
and flexibility, it can be argued that the company primarily exhibits clan culture. According to
the CVF, clan culture values internal focus and flexibility, and emphasizes employee
involvement and teamwork, which are all characteristics that are highly valued at Elevate
Business Consult (Cameron & Quinn, 2011).
Edgar Schein's theory of organizational culture is another useful framework for understanding
the culture at Elevate Business Consult. Schein argues that organizational culture is composed of
three levels: artifacts and behaviours, espoused values, and basic underlying assumptions
(Schein, 2010). The artifacts and behaviours level includes the visible elements of organizational
culture, such as the physical environment, rituals, and ceremonies. At Elevate Business Consult,
the company's regular team-building events and training sessions, as well as its open and
collaborative work environment, are examples of artifacts and behaviours that contribute to the
company's culture. The espoused values level refers to the company's stated beliefs and values,
such as its focus on innovation, excellence, and customer satisfaction. Finally, the basic
underlying assumptions level refers to the unspoken, implicit beliefs and values that guide
employee behaviour, such as the importance of flexibility and adaptability in a constantly
evolving industry. Overall, Schein's theory of organizational culture provides a useful framework
for understanding the various components of Elevate Business Consult ' culture and how they
work together to shape the company's identity and behaviour.
g. “It has been suggested that organisational culture is used by management to
regulate organisational members “thoughts” and “values” as well as means to shape
the “internal worlds and identities of employees” in their workplace”. Do you agree
or disagree? Provide reasons to support your answer.

I agree with the statement that organizational culture is used by management to regulate the
thoughts and values of employees and shape their internal worlds and identities in the workplace.
This is because organizational culture represents the shared values, beliefs, and norms that define
the way things are done in an organization and how employees interact with one another and
with stakeholders.
According to Schein (2010), organizational culture serves as a mechanism for social control that
helps to shape employee behaviour and attitudes in the workplace. The culture is transmitted
through symbols, stories, and rituals that serve to reinforce and perpetuate the organization's
values and norms. By shaping employee attitudes and beliefs, management can ensure that
employees behave in ways that are consistent with the organization's goals and objectives.
Furthermore, Cameron and Quinn (2011) argue that organizational culture is a powerful force
that can influence employee behaviour and performance. They suggest that organizational
culture can act as a motivator for employees, creating a sense of identity and belonging that
encourages employees to work harder and be more productive.
In conclusion, I agree that organizational culture is used by management to regulate the thoughts
and values of employees and shape their internal worlds and identities in the workplace. This is
supported by research that shows how organizational culture can act as a mechanism for social
control and a motivator for employee behaviour and performance.
References
Alvesson, M. (2002). Understanding organizational culture. Sage.
Cameron, K. S., & Quinn, R. E. (2011). Diagnosing and changing organizational culture: Based on the
competing values framework. John Wiley & Sons. Schein, E. H. (2010). Organizational culture and
leadership (Vol. 2). John Wiley & Sons.
Schein, E. H. (2010). Organizational culture and leadership. John Wiley & Sons.
Schein, E. H. (2010). Organizational culture and leadership (Vol. 2). John Wiley & Sons.
Smircich, L. (1983). Concepts of culture and organizational analysis. Administrative science quarterly,
28(3), 339-358.

You might also like