Home » Blog » Organisation Culture, which one is your company?

This is one of our favourite areas of HR, company culture as it is the heart of how you do anything in your company.  They say there are four accepted attributes of culture which are

Shared

Culture doesn’t exist in isolation but rather is a shared concept. It exists in the rights and wrongs of group behaviour – what is acceptable behaviour and what is not as well as what people commonly experience.

Pervasive

You’ll find culture at every level of an organisation from the managing director down to the intern. It will be in the symbolism or branding a business employs, the type of person it hires, the environments it inhabits, the way it transacts business and the stories it creates.

Enduring

Culture is long lasting; it’s not a flash in the pan. Culture can influence the direction of a business over a long period of time. For example, people are attracted by organisations with values and ideas similar to their own. When you hire people some will fit in and some won’t. Eventually, the ones who won’t will leave and your culture effectively becomes self-perpetuating.

Implicit

Culture is implicit and arguably almost autonomous at times, a bit like breathing – you’re aware of it sometimes but not always, you don’t always control it but it is always there and vital to your wellbeing. Your workers have the ability to sense and respond to organisational culture without necessarily being aware of it. It’s instinctive or implicit.

So what are the cultural/leadership styles?

Every company’s culture is unique but they tend to fall into one of eight different styles:

Caring

A caring culture is one built on mutual trust and support. Workplaces are collaborative, colleagues support each other and teamwork is encouraged.

Purpose

A culture with purpose is one founded on an ideal of trying to do good for the long-term global future. The focus is on idealism and sustainability. People are compassionate and leaders in this environment focus on their shared ideals.

Learning

In learning cultures the environment is one that is very creative and open to new ideas. People are inventive and united by innovation and curiosity. Leaders emphasise this creativity.

Enjoyment

In enjoyment-centred cultures the environment tends to be one where people do what makes them happy. The atmosphere is fun, light-hearted and stimulating. Think of Google’s Googleplex which is well known to be more like an adult playground with its yoga, massages, volleyball and they have a piano that anyone can play!

Results

In a results-focussed culture the emphasis is on achievement. People in this environment are often united by a competitive spirit where outcomes are based on how well they do – they often aspire to be the top performer or the most successful. Leaders focus on achieving those goals.

Authority

This is characterised by workers who want to gain a personal advantage. It’s an environment where strength, decisiveness and a strong hierarchy are important. Leaders are confident and provide clear, decisive direction.

Safety

In this environment planning ahead, being cautious and considering all the risks are paramount. Workplaces tend to be predictable places defined by workers who want to feel protected and leaders who place emphasis on realistic outcomes and the importance of planning for all eventualities.

Order

Order is another culture style where structure is important. There is a strong emphasis on playing by the rules, following a logical order and wanting to fit in. Leaders will focus on the procedural side of things.

So if you have read to this part you will realise that the answer to the question at the beginning is different for everyone and your company maybe a combination of some of the above.  Remember you need to be true to yourself and bring everyone on board, it may be challenging, but we love a challenge at HR Business Consultants.

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