Types of Organisational Culture

Common Types of Organisational Culture

Here are some common types of organisation culture found in businesses:

Alternative Organisational Culture Models

Refer to the below table to understand alternative types of organisational culture with examples - 

How to Identify Your Organisation’s Culture?

Understanding your company's work culture is like decoding the personality of a group. Here we will talk about three major areas that offer valuable insights into understanding the type of organisational culture your business follows:

• Employee Feedback and Behavior: This could be your hidden Eldorado. You can arrange anonymous surveys to assess and understand the POVs (point of view) of your employees on values, employee satisfaction, communication, diversity and inclusion. Conduct one-to-one interviews for more in-depth dives into individual experiences. Do not forget to follow workplace interactions. Try to gauge if it is coordinated or competitive. Analysing exit interviews can also be a good idea. Most importantly, performance reviews can reveal how well employees sync with desired behaviours.
• Leadership Style and Decisions: Leaders set the style, and the rest follow it. Study their interactions – are they supportive or over-dominating? Are decisions being made as a team or top-down? Is communication open and honest? How do they handle disagreement? Understanding these patterns can help you uncover the power dynamics and trust levels within the organisation.
• Communication and Collaboration: How do people talk to each other? Are communications formal or casual? How do teams collaborate? Is feedback regular and two-way? Do employees socialise? These factors reflect the organisation's level of formality, accessibility, and community.

Choosing and Shaping the Right Organisational Culture

When it comes to choosing and shaping the right types of organisational culture, the cookie-cutter approach won't work. Here is a breakdown of the key aspects that need to be taken care of:

• Aligning Culture with Business Goals and Values: Ask yourself - What principles make the DNA of your organisation, for example - innovation, integrity, etc.? How does your work culture back your mission and vision? Is your culture in line with your competitive strategy? These values steer employee behaviour and decision-making. So, make sure the culture supports what you are trying to achieve.
• Steps to Shift from One Culture Type to Another: Understand your existing culture in the first place - its strengths and weaknesses. You can use surveys, interviews, and personal observations to assess it. Then, find out the answer of - what kind of culture do you need to achieve your goals? What behaviours and values should it represent? Make it a point to identify the differences between your current and preferred culture. It will help you highlight areas for change. Good things take time. The same applies to cultural change. Be patient.
• Maintaining Balance: Make sure your business model strikes the right balance between structure, innovation, and employee well-being. Too much structure is likely to stifle innovation and excessive innovation can make things cluttered. All these would ultimately impact the well-being of your employees.
• Role of HR in Shaping Organisational Culture: HR acts as a flag-bearer of the culture. They make sure that it aligns with the organisation's goals. They are responsible for hiring candidates who fit the desired culture, helping new joinees understand and blend into the culture, and developing programs that fortify the expected values and behaviours.

Conclusion

Your work culture is the personality of your business. It significantly impacts employee engagement and productivity. Different types of organisational culture cater to varying business needs.

Shaping a desired culture requires aligning it with business goals, understanding and bridging the gap between current and desired states, and maintaining a balance between structure and innovation.

Fostering a culture aligned with the business vision is paramount for success. Make it a thumb rule to continuously assess and evolve your culture to remain competitive and attract top talent.