Role of Organizational Culture in Change Management - Literature review Example

Role of Organizational Culture in Change Management Name: Course: Institution: Date: Role of Organizational Culture in Change Management Introduction Organizational culture has been identified as an influential phenomenon that affects the success or failure of any organizational change efforts. Numerous studies that have been conducted on organizational culture often assess the role of this aspect in the development of any organization. These studies have revealed that culture is a versatile concept that is characterized by a plethora of controversies in both definition and application. Despite the usefulness of culture in organizations, organizational culture has a strong effect on organizational management which is a consequent of the nature and content of the culture that is adopted. The main objective of this paper is to conduct a critical analysis on the role of organizational culture in change management. This will be through a review different scholarly articles that focus on different aspects of organizational culture that influence management of change. The role of organizational culture in change management According to Oliver Lang in the article Organizational Culture and Organizational Change, organizational culture is an important component in rating organizational performance. This type of culture can be said to be a system of shared values and norms including assumptions which provide guidance to the behavior and attitudes of members in an attempted to influence their perceptions and reactions to the environment (Lang 2013, p. 4). This culture plays a role in influencing the decisions made by the leaders and the behavior of employees. It is also important in explaining the happenings in an organization. Just as an organizational structure is perceived as an organization’s skeleton, organizational culture can be understood as the personality of the organization since it influences the behavior of employees (Lang 2013, p. 4). For the management to initiate any form of change in the operations of the organization there is need for an understanding of how the proposed change will influence employee behavior and the repercussions it would have on the popular culture (Lang 2013, p. 14). While affirming the assertions of Lang concerning the essence of organizational culture in understanding and managing change, Banish and Nawaz (2003, p. 10) in their article The Role of Culture in Organizational Change view organizational culture as an important instrument in reviewing strategies that are customer oriented. Many organizations work in line with certain cultures that have revealed success in the delivery of different products and service to their clients. The need to initiate change in an organization revolves around the fact that there is need for a more solution oriented strategy to improve of the sales and quality of goods and services that are provided (Banish & Nawaz, 2003, p. 13). This means that there is need for change in any organization to ensure successful delivery of their intended objectives. Banish and Nawaz (2003, p. 16) view the management of such change as reliant on the adoption of a holistic approach where an organization’s culture is integrated with the intended policies of change to ensure that the adoption of any policy will have its basis on the existing culture of a revision of the existing culture to find a point of intersection characterized by compromise on the side of employees for the success of the entire organization (Banish & Nawaz, 2003, p. 13). Organizational change according to Gibson and Barsade (2003, p. 14) in the article Managing Organizational Culture Change: The Case of Long-Term Care is a departure from the status quo. Forces that facilitate organizational change originate from two primary sources which include external factors such as prevailing market forces and internal factors such as organizations leadership (Gibson & Barsade, 2003, p. 15). The key determinant of how organizations responds to and manage change is largely dependent on organizational culture. As value-laden glue that binds members of an organization together, organizations define their operations through their deeply held values such as integrity and respect that are founded as defining behavioral norms (Gibson & Barsade, 2003, p. 16). Any meaningful change that is proposed by an organization must be in relation to the expectations of its members which are grounded on cultural values that define organizational operations. This assertion makes the management of change at the cultural level a relatively complex phenomenon due to potential barriers which involve changes in underlying beliefs and value orientations of an organization (Gibson & Barsade, 2003, p. 19). The existence of a multiplicity of cultures in an organization may also comprise barriers that impede organizational change. This is because lack of homogeneity in terms of religious and other cultural backgrounds may lead to culture clash and shocks which in turn affect the success of any meaningful change. It is therefore the responsibility of the management to ensure that any meaningful change is initiated on the basis of the possible repercussions it may have on a given group of employees and the amicable strategies developed to address such challenges (Gibson & Barsade, 2003, p. 13). The reaction of individuals to organizational change is essential in determining the role that organizational culture plays in proposing the success of any given change. A culture that sees individuals as helping change come about or that which allows change to occur in an organization should be the defining feature of the value orientation of the organization. This according to Alvesson and Sveningsson (2008, p. 36) in the article Changing Organizational Culture: Cultural Change Work in Progress is based on the assumption that culture connotes an aspect of sharing. When people share a common belief concerning their role in enhancing change there is a high likelihood that such an organization will experience numerous instances of success characterized by agreement between all the concerned parties. The aspect of unity in diversity seems to be the main cause of some form of agreement in the implementation and the management of any organizational change (Alvesson & Sveningsson 2008, p. 38). It is necessary that for effective change to occur an all inclusive team must be include reflecting a representation of the divergent views and cultural background. Such a strategy will ensure that all the views of the divergent groups are included and a decision based on compromise and the interests of the organization is made (Alvesson & Sveningsson 2008, p. 39). The fact that cultural matters may be beyond managerial control forms the basis of the challenges that organizations face in the process of implementing change. However, openness and receptiveness of novel ideas, values and meanings are considered central in accomplishing the goal of implementing organizational change (Alvesson & Sveningsson 2008, p. 40). Livari Netta (2007, p. 7) in the article The Role of Organizational Culture in Organizational Change- Identifying a Realistic Position for Prospective is Research gives an optimistic perspective on the role of organizational culture in influencing change management. This view asserts that successful management of organizational change endeavors towards the accomplishment of initiatives that lead to increased productivity, improved efficiency in the organization and an improvement in the working conditions. This perspective views organizational management of change as an opportunity that should be exploited by any organization that endeavors to experience certain aspects of growth and development (Netta 2007, p. 8). The only challenge that the leadership of any organization may experience lies on how to exploit all the change efforts in an effective way. Organizational culture seems to play a definitive role in the implementation of organizational change considering that culture is a feature that can be controlled and guided in ways that can ensure better adaptation of change (Netta 2007, p. 8). The naïve notions of culture which define it as manipulable variable place authority in the management to ensure that every proposed measure of change is straightforward and controlled in relation to existing cultural orientation. With such measures, leaders will be able to manipulate and change their organizations’ cultures in ways that are alienable to proposed change. It is also important that cultural sensitive matters are handled with a lot of caution considering that selfish manipulation of cultural values may lead to some form of rejection of the propose changes which may be detrimental for the success of the organization (Netta 2007, p. 10). Membership in any organization is often based on the assumption that organizations are strong social tools which are charged with the mandate e of arranging relationships between different individuals. These organizations often have certain values that underlie the level of efficiency of the said organization. Organizational culture according to Aydin and Ceylan (2009, p. 3) in the article The Role of Organizational Culture of Effectiveness is one of the factors that is currently gaining momentum considering that it is essential in determining the level of success of any organization. Prior to the implementation of any change, the management has a responsibility of considering the level of involvement, transmission of information, reward and incentive to those that it is likely to affect. Such consideration will enhance the level of ownership of the proposed changes among employees (Aydin & Ceylan 2009, pp. 8-10). Prior to the initiation and eventual implementation of any change process, it is important for the management to have a clear and integrated picture of the current position of the organization, their vision statement of the organization and the desired state of affairs of the organization. These are largely understood by a precise realization of the precepts of the organizational culture. Cabrera et al (1996, p. 4) in the article The key of Organizational Culture in a Multi-system View of technology-driven Change argue that an understanding of the “as-is” and the “to-be” affairs of the organization are not only important in understanding the underlying cultural principles of an organization but are also fundamental in the understanding the precise direction of all aspects of change in an organization. “As-is” is the current state of affairs while “to-be” is a description of the desired states of affairs. The analysis of “as-is” provides an understanding of the practicability of the proposed changes and the probable barriers. An analysis of “as-is” and “to-be” helps in identifying and prioritizing on the probable interventions necessary in making a transition (Cabrera et al 1996, p. 4). These include aspects such as the organizational culture which provides a framework of the factors to consider before making any organizational changes (Cabrera et al 1996, p. 4). The role of organizational culture in the management of organizational change can be adequately understood by considering the impact of leadership and change management strategy on organizational culture. Belias and Koustelios (2014, p. 453) in the article The Impact of Leadership and Change Management strategy on Organizational Culture view the art of communication and the dynamic global community as essential in any organization’s survival. The performance of the management and the culture of an organization have an association with organizational performance. A leader who encourages experiential learning and favors change helps in ensuring a flexible organizational culture (Belias & Koustelios, 2014, p. 453). In such an organization, the employees are able to accept and appreciate change considering that they feel free to express their innovative opinions and this leads to high productivity. In the initiation of change, a leader has the ability to realize his or her responsibility in mobilizing others to want to share in the struggle of implementing change (Belias & Koustelios, 2014, p. 455). This is only possible when a leader is able to influence cultural norms and basic assumptions in institutional settings. LaGuardia (2008, p. 56) in the article Organizational Culture identifies the type of leadership and the organizational culture of any organization as definitive in the understanding of an organizations ability to accept meaningful change. This means that culture has the ability to limit much of what an organization can achieve. It is therefore necessary for the definition of the mission and vision statements of any organization to be derived from cultural precepts that are easy to understand and those that day to day roles and responsibilities of employees. This will ensure that any form of change that the management envisions to introduce engages every member of the organization (LaGuardia 2008, p. 57). There is therefore need for leaders to develop a common framework of change considering the fact that cultural systems have their basis on acceptable values and norms. Such a framework can therefore be used to get members of an organization to share their perception and contribute to the overall success of the organization (LaGuardia 2008, p. 59). The overall success of any organization will therefore be defined by its cultural orientation as this defiance the level of competency in the leadership of the said organization (LaGuardia 2008, p. 60). The components of organizational culture and its perceived role in organizational success, as Willcoxon and Millett (2000, p. 92) in the article The Management of Organizational Culture contend, rests on the perception that culture can be historically based or resistance to change so as to affect very strategy and action taken towards change in the organization. The paradigm towards change adopted by any organization will be the determinants of the key areas of leverage that are more likely to realize the desired outcome in relation to maintenance of organizational culture of the introduction of change to boost productivity of the organization (Willcoxon & Millett, 2000, p. 93). The perception adopted in the process will also be a determinant of whether there is continued need to involve the entire organization in specific change projects. Despite the fact that there may be no definitive answer to the questions on the most appropriate way to embrace organizational change considering the fact that culture in organizations are varied (Willcoxon & Millett, 2000, p. 94). This would imply that different organizations while operating within the precepts of their cultures, they will need to embrace that are unique and acceptable within the demands of existing and agreed upon values. Any strategic leader with the aim of ensuring effective management of change in an organization must therefore realize the diversity and dynamism that exists in their organizations prior to the initiation and the eventual implementation of change (Willcoxon & Millett, 2000, p. 95). Rashid eta al (2004, p. 13) in the article The Influence of Organizational Culture on Attitudes towards Organizational Change argue that organizational culture has an association with the attitudes that are developed towards organizational change. This is necessitated by the fact that different organization cultures have varying levels of reception on attitudes towards organizational change. Mercenary organization culture for instance has a positive attitude in facilitating the management of change in an organization (Rashid et al 2004, p. 13). In organizations where their survival is critical, the adoption of mercenary culture will ensure the survival of the organization. In addition, mercenary culture ensures the effective and efficient management of organizational goal since members of the organization will embrace hard work to ensure the progress of the organization (Rashid et al 2004, p. 16). Rashid et al (2004, p. 18) also affirm that a network of cultural groups in an organization is also essential in the realization of organizational change. This type of organizational culture emphasizes on the need to change the attitudes of other members into the adoption of proposed changes. It is the responsibility of the management to identify focal leaders who possess a high degree of influence to sway members into adopting proposed change (Rashid et al 2004, p. 19). It is important to note that this type of culture may face challenges in the implementation process since such changes may affect the friends of these focal leaders. This is especially when these friends are non performers in the organization (Rashid et al 2004, p. 20). It is therefore a requirement for any manager in this type of culture to be skillful in handling sensitive issues that are related to proposed changes to minimize the possibility of arousing any negative impact on the success of organization (Rashid et al 2004, p. 13). Austin and Claassen (2008, p. 322) in the article Impact of Organizational Change on Organizational Culture: Implications for Introduction Evidence- Based Practice emphasize on the importance of understanding the significance of both organizational culture and organizational change in the implementation of any form of change. Proper implementation of organizational change requires the management to understand that implementation of change is divided into both the administrative and technical aspects (Austin & Claassen 2008, p. 322). The administrative part refers to the organizational structure and the administrative processes involved evaluating the performance of the entire organization. Technical changes encompass those affect the technological and mechanical operations of an organization thus affecting the daily work and activities of employees (Austin & Claassen 2008, p. 323). The degree to which any change can be accepted or rejected in an organization is highly dependent on the type of change and the degree of change. The degree of change often has a great impact on the level of acceptability or rejections considering that radical changes that seek to interfere with norms of an organization are most likely to face some form of resistance since they generate some aspect of fear and anxiety among employees (Austin & Claassen 2008, p. 324). Conclusion Organizational culture is essential in effective and efficient performance of any organization. Various scholars agree that not only does this type of culture influence the decision making process, it is also important in explaining the reasons for the occurrence of an event in any organization. Proper understanding and management of organizational culture is an essential role of the management. This also goes with the perception that management of change helps in enhancing the performance and survival of an organization. Any form of change often has an impact on the organizational culture. For any meaningful change to occur the management must consider its impact on the assumptions, values and norms that guide member’s attitudes and behavior. References Alvesson, M & Sveningssoon, S. 2008, Changing Organizational Culture: Cultural Change Work in Progress. Routledge taylor and francis Group, London Austin, P & Claassen, J, 2008. Impact of Organizational Change on Organizational Culture: Implications for Introducing Evidence-Based Practice. The Haworth Press. Aydin, B & Ceylan, A. 2009, The Role of Organizational Culture on Effectiveness. Business Administration Banish, B Nawaz, M, 2003. The Role of Culture in Organizational Change. Massachusetts Institute of Technology Belias, D & Koustelios, A. The Impoaxct of leadership and Change management strategy on Organizational Culture. University of Thessaly, Trikala, Greece Cabrera, A. Cabrera, E & Barajas, S, 1996. The Key Role of Organizational Culture in a Multi-system View of Technology Driven Change. Madrid, Spain Gibson, D & Barsade, D, 2003. Managing Organizational Culture Change: The case of Long-term Care. The Haworth Press Inc LaGuardia, D, 2008, Organizational Culture. Organizational Culture & Change. No. 3. Pp. 56-61 Lang, O, 2003. Organizational Culture and Organizational Change. Cengage Learning Netta, L, 2007. The Role of Organizational Culture in Organizational Change- Identifying a Realistic Position for Prospective is Research. University of Oulu, Finland. Rashid, Z. Sambasivan, M. Rahman, A, 2004. The influence of Organizational Culture on Attitude toward Organizational Change. Emerald Group Publishing Limited. Willcoxon, L & Millett, B, 2000. The Management of Organizational Culture. Australian Journal of Management and Organizational Behavior. Vol. 3, No 22. Read More