Organizational Culture of Citibank

This article explores the organizational culture of Citibank, including its emphasis on diversity and innovation. It analyzes the alignment between the company's espoused values, artifacts, and basic assumptions, and discusses the strength of the culture and its impact on employee behavior. The article concludes with recommendations for introducing new artifacts to reinforce the company's values.

ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE OF CITIBANK
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1. A description of the organization’s culture.
Organizational culture is described as the scheme of shared theories, beliefs, and values that
govern the people’s behavior in the organization (Wiśniewska-Mikosik, 2017). Citibank has
always maintained a unique organizational culture since its formation in 1812. Citibank has
prioritized diversity in its operations. Citibank operates in various countries, and the employees
are given the opportunity to move from one nation to another. Innovation is also a key
component of the organizational culture of Citibank (Citibank, 2018).
2. Observations about the three facets of organizational culture
The artifacts in the Citibank can be termed as well-defined. The employees of Citibank are
mostly dressed in casual clothes. It is only the head executives who normally wear suits. In
Citibank, causal dressing-code is greatly embraced. Citibank also has sound espoused values that
are appealing to all the members of the organization. The espoused values of Citi are tailored
towards its mission statement. Citibank espoused values include promotion of trust in the
financial sector, prioritizing the needs of their clients, promoting honesty, transparency, and
accountability in their financial dealings and boosting the economic standards of the general
population (Citibank, 2018). Additionally, Citibank has basic assumptions that promote
efficiency in its operations. First, Citibank must be profitable for the firm to continue operating.
Second, Citibank has the assumption that the customers will be there to buy its products and
services. Third, the assumption of the talented workforce also exists in Citibank. Fourth, the
assumption of effective management expertise is also evident in Citibank.
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3. Discuss whether the espoused values in your organization (what the company
publicly purports to be) are (mis)aligned with the artifacts and basic assumptions that
exist. If inconsistencies exist, discuss this and its implications.
Research indicates that there should be alignment between the espoused values, artifacts and the
basic assumptions in the organization. In case of misalignment, the operations of an organization
are likely to be ineffective (Wiśniewska-Mikosik, 2017). The espoused values, artifacts and the
basic assumptions in Citibank are considerably aligned. In fact, it is due to this alignment of the
three cultural facets of organizational culture that the firm has experienced great growth and
development (Citibank, 2018). The organizational culture is Citibank is based on the needs,
values, and beliefs of all the employees. The company doesn’t have a specific dress code as this
is the only way the workers can embrace their individual culture. There is great employee
satisfaction and productivity in Citibank; and this can only be attributed to the alignment
between the three cultural facets of the organizational culture.
4. Discuss the strength of the organizational culture and the degree to which it is
shared among employees.
One notable aspect that makes the organizational culture of Citibank very strong is the hiring of
culturally competent employees. Every employee at Citibank understands and respects the
culture of everyone. The organizational culture of Citibank can be termed as strong, however,
with some flows. For instance, the employees state that there is some pressure from the
management especially when it comes to performance. Moreover, the complexity of Citibank
sometimes hinders effective bonding and communication between the managers and the
employees (Keresztes and Pirger, 2018).
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5. Discuss if (and how) your organization’s culture guides/directs employees’ behavior.
The organizational culture of Citibank acts as the guiding principle for all the employees. It is the
organizational culture of Citibank that defines the relationships that should exist in the whole
organization. The mode of the communication among the employees as well as the managers is
determined by the organizational culture of the firm. All the employees are supposed to embrace
diversity and perform their assigned tasks responsibly. The organizational culture of Citibank
ensures that the employees’ performance is aligned with the goals and objectives of the firm
(Wiśniewska-Mikosik, 2017).
6. Make recommendations about how your organization could introduce new artifacts
that would reinforce its espoused values in an effort to more clearly convey its intended
culture.
First, Citibank should provide free-ride to and from work just like the case with Google.
Secondly, Citibank can introduce free foods and accommodation to its employees especially
those who are residing far from the workplace. The office layout of Citibank should further be
revised to facilitate effective communication between the managers and employees. Moreover,
the motivation strategies in the organization should further be enhanced to promote greater
productivity and job satisfaction (Keresztes and Pirger, 2018)
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References
CitiBank (2018). Conduct, Culture and Governance. 12th ed. [ebook] New York: NY
Punlishers. Available at:
https://www.citigroup.com/citi/about/citizenship/download/2015/global/2015-citi-global-
citizenship-factsheet-conduct-culture-governance-en.pdf [Accessed 23 Sep. 2018].
Citibank (2018). Message From HR - Citibank Turkey. [online] Citibank.com.tr. Available at:
https://www.citibank.com.tr/gcb/english/aboutus/Message-From-HR.htm [Accessed 23 Sep.
2018].
Keresztes, G. and Pirger, T. (2018). Innovation and Organizational Culture – Change
Management Issues in a Financial Institution’s Organizational Culture. Gazdaság és
Társadalom, 4.
Wiśniewska-Mikosik, J. (2017). Organizational Culture as a Variable that Determines Effective
Cross-cultural Management. Journal of Intercultural Management, 7(3), pp.143-155.
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