Organizational Culture and Behavior

Organizational culture and behavior, although different in meaning, signify two very important aspects of people management. These terms are largely related to the psychology of employees, and these two tools can be used by the management to improve the efficiency and work-rate of employees in an organization. So what is organizational culture and behavior? Let us examine both these terms one by one.

Organizational Culture

To understand what is organizational culture, we first need to understand what culture is. Culture is a set of values that are adopted by people who cohabit any place. For example, when we refer to a culture of a particular place (say, Mayan Culture) we are talking about the shared traits of the people who lived there, their lifestyles, their rituals, etc. If we apply this definition of culture with the prefixed word 'organization', we are referring to the rules and the underlying values of an organization that are constant and apply to all employees, without any bias or favoritism. It is the foundation of the overt and covert behaviors and reactions of all people that work in an organization.

Going into the depth of this subject, it is said that organizational culture and ethics can be broken up into 3 tiers on an organizational culture pyramid. The lowest tier is that of artifacts and behaviors. Artifacts and behaviors are the most tangible aspects of organizational culture. The physical layout of the workplace and the displayed behaviors of the employees comprise this level. The next tier on the organizational culture pyramid is that of values. Values are those thoughts which influence the assumptions and behaviors of employees. Hence they are tangible. The top tier on the organizational culture pyramid is that of assumptions and beliefs. This tier is the most crucial and intangible aspect of organizational culture. At the same time assumptions and beliefs are toughest to imbibe in the employees and takes time. But once the employees are in tune with the assumptions and beliefs of the organization, they stay on and impact the values and behaviors of the employees. Read on for more about types of organizational culture and primary characteristics of organizational culture.

Thus we can see that it is very important that a good organizational culture is created, taught and followed. It is the responsibility of the management to create a good organizational culture through organizational leadership which is harmonious, symbiotic and realistic. A good organizational culture based on mutual respect fosters teamwork and efficiency.

Organizational Behavior

Organizational culture and behavior are quite interrelated as organizational culture influences behavior and vice-versa. Organizational behavior is the study of how individuals behave in an organization. It is one of the key areas in the field of management. Organizational behavior, as the name suggests, studies the behaviors of individuals but is restricted to the behaviors displayed by them in the organization. It deals with the overt and covert behaviors of employees and their response to certain stimuli. It also studies an important branch of group and team dynamics. The point of studying organizational behavior by managers is to understand the behaviors of employees, why they behave in a particular way, and look for ways in which wrong employee behaviors can be improved.

Over the years several organizational behavior theories have been suggested. These theories gave the various models of organizational systems. Organizational systems have been modified over time to ensure employee satisfaction and organizational progress. Organizational behavior is the art and science which advocates that there can indeed be mutual satisfaction between employees and the management as opposed to the old notion that these two parties are always at loggerheads due to disparate visions. Organizational behavior says that a shared vision and employee motivation leads an organization towards success.

This was all about organizational culture and behavior. It is interesting to know that organizational culture is a part of the vast topic of organizational behavior. After all, organizational culture too deals with the modification and improvement in organizational behavior of individuals.