1、中文 3500 字 原文： Developing corporate culture as a competitive advantage Golnaz Sadri, Brian Lees Abstract Defines the concept of corporate culture and shows how it affects organizations. Corporations that have been successful in establishing and fostering positive cultures are profiled. The authors fi
2、nd that an effective culture must be aligned with employee values and be consistent with the environment in which the organization operates. While it is best to establish a positive culture with which employees can identify during an organizations infancy, it is possible to change an existing cultur
3、e. Such change is best accomplished by modeling desired behavior at all levels of management and by planning events that foster frequent interaction among cross-functional employees. Concludes that a positive culture can provide a significant competitive advantage. Introduction Corporate culture has
4、 become an important topic in business primarily during the last two decades. While corporate culture is an intangible concept, it clearly plays a meaningful role in corporations, affecting employees and organizational operations throughout a firm. While culture is not the only determinant of busine
5、ss success or failure, a positive culture can be a significant competitive advantage over organizations with which a firm competes. This paper will review how the concept of corporate culture became popular, define corporate culture, show how it affects real-world organizations, and consider ways in
6、 which cultural change may be brought about. The rise of corporate culture People come from a variety of ethnic backgrounds and cultural heritages, have a variety of personalities, and have been shaped by a diverse range of experiences. When people from diverse backgrounds are brought together in a
7、work environment, these factors will manifest themselves in an infinite variety of ways. Over time a dominant set of norms will emerge, guiding the way in which work is accomplished within the organization. This phenomenon gives rise to the concept of corporate (or organizational) culture. Corporate
8、 culture only began to be studied and appreciated in the USA during the last two decades. An influential book entitled Corporate Cultures: The Rites and Rituals of Corporate Life (Deal and Kennedy, 1982) popularized the notion of understanding, establishing, and fostering a positive corporate cultur
9、e. In less than two decades since the time that this book was published, culture has gone from a relatively unknown concept to being widely recognized as playing a central role in corporate strategy. It is clear that corporate culture has become an important consideration for top management, and the
10、refore it is worthwhile to consider the definition of corporate culture in more detail. Corporate culture defined There are many ways to define corporate culture because it is influenced heavily by factors such as the industry in which the company operates, its geographic location, events that have
11、occurred during its history, the personalities of its employees, and their patterns of interaction. Some of the formal definitions offered include “ a cognitive framework consisting of attitudes, values, behavioral norms, and expectations”, “the collective thoughts, habits, attitudes, feelings, and
12、patterns of behavior”, and “the pattern of arrangement, material or behavior which has been adopted by a society (corporation, group, or team) as the accepted way of solving problems”. In more useful terms, a positive corporate culture typically encompasses several key elements. First, it is fostere
13、d not merely by a mission statement, but by a clear corporate vision, which is a mental picture of the companys desired future. Corporate visions are most effective when clearly communicated by top organizational leaders who exhibit strong values and have dynamic, charismatic personalities. Second,
14、corporate culture is supported by corporate values that are consistent with the purpose of the company and aligned with the personal values of organizational members. Corporate vision and values permeate all levels of the organization and are consistently modeled by top management. Third, employees
15、are highly valued at all levels of the organization (they are often referred to as associates or team members), and there is extensive employee interaction both within and across functional departments. Fourth, the culture is adaptable, adjusting quickly in response to external conditions and is con
16、sistent, treating all employees equally and fairly. Finally, corporate culture is perpetuated in some way, perhaps through tangible symbols, slogans, stories, or ceremonies that highlight corporate values. The aforementioned characteristics of a positive culture cannot exist without widespread emplo
17、yee support. Even within an organization that has a strong overall culture, there will also be many subcultures. These could form for many reasons, perhaps due to functional differences in the organization, or to ethnic or geographic differences among employees. The dominant culture in the organizat
18、ion must be strong enough for members of various subcultures within the organization to identify with, accept and embrace it. This necessarily requires that the values of the dominant culture be aligned with the values of each of the subcultures as well as the personal values of each individual. Cat
19、egorizing corporate culture In order to provide a basis for further analysis, researchers have sought to place corporate cultures into general categories. One such categorization by Sonnenfeld defines four types of cultures: the academy, the club, the baseball team, and the fortress. The academy exp
20、oses employees to many different jobs so that they can move around within the organization. The club is very concerned with how people will fit in to the organization. The baseball team consists of talented people or stars that are rewarded heavily for their accomplishments but who will readily leav
21、e the organization when a better opportunity comes along. The fortress is an organization that is concerned mainly with survival. Goffee and Jones offer another categorization, postulating that corporate culture is determined by levels of sociability (a measure of sincere friendliness among members
22、of a community) and solidarity (a communitys ability to pursue shared objectives quickly and effectively) and they have developed a survey that can aid in understanding where an organization fits on this scale. The combination of these dimensions gives rise to categories that they have labeled as ne
23、tworked, mercenary, fragmented, and communal. None of these categories is considered to be better than the others. Instead, they serve as a way for management to determine where their culture fits relative to other types of cultures. A networked culture is distinguished by high sociability and low s
24、olidarity. Individuals in this type of culture feel like family and socialize often. Promotions are achieved and work is accomplished via informal networks or subcultures within the organization. This corresponds loosely with Sonnenfelds club category. A mercenary culture has low sociability and hig
25、h solidarity. Individuals do not interact socially but are united in supporting strategic business objectives. They do not tend to exhibit a strong degree of loyalty, staying only as long as their personal needs continue to be met. This category is similar to Sonnenfelds baseball team. A fragmented
26、culture has low sociability and low solidarity. People in This type of organization rarely interact. They may work with their office doors shut or from home. This type of culture might be found in a law office or in a company that is downsizing. This category would be similar to Sonnenfelds fortress
27、. Finally, a communal organization has high sociability and high solidarity. This type of culture is often found in small start-up companies. Members of such an organization work very closely together for long hours and will likely socialize together. They strongly identify with the corporate cultur
28、e and have a high sense of fairness so that rewards are shared equally. This category is most similar to Sonnenfelds academy. Categorizing an organizations culture can help managers in several ways. First, categorizing the culture is a precursor to better understanding the pros and cons of that part
29、icular type of culture. Second, a clear understanding of their corporate culture can assist managers in getting the correct person-organization match when recruiting for new employees. Third, knowing where a company is right now can assist managers in making decisions about and progress toward cultu
30、ral change. Benefits of a positive culture An organization that is able to maintain a positive culture is likely to enjoy many benefits. When organization members identify with the culture, the work environment tends to be more enjoyable, which boosts morale. This leads to increased levels of teamwo
31、rk, sharing of information, and openness to new ideas. The resulting increased interaction among employees activates learning and continuous improvement because information flows more freely throughout the organization. Additionally, such a culture helps to attract and retain top employees, evidenced by books such as The 100 Best Companies to Work for in America in which culture is emphasized as a primary determinant of the attractiveness of an employer. When considering corporate culture, it is helpful to consider actual companies that have demonstrated the positive effects
