Organizational Culture Assignment

1Running head: DISSERTATION
Dissertation
Name of student:
Name of university:
Author note:

2DISSERTATION
Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction..............................................................................................................4
Purpose of the dissertation.....................................................................................................4
Perimeter for the study...........................................................................................................4
Reasons for choice of topic....................................................................................................4
Background............................................................................................................................5
Research Question..................................................................................................................8
Hypotheses.............................................................................................................................8
Chapter 2: Literature review....................................................................................................10
Overview of organisational culture......................................................................................10
Models of organisational culture..........................................................................................11
Importance of organisational culture...................................................................................15
Organisational culture and employee behaviour..................................................................17
Organisational culture and employee behaviour in the construction industry.....................19
Summary of findings............................................................................................................20
Chapter 3: Research Methodology...........................................................................................22
Outline of the Research........................................................................................................22
Research Onion....................................................................................................................22
Research Philosophy............................................................................................................23
Research Approach..............................................................................................................24
Research Design...................................................................................................................25
Sampling Method.................................................................................................................26
Research Strategy.................................................................................................................26
Data Collection.....................................................................................................................27
Accessibility issues..............................................................................................................28
Ethical Issues........................................................................................................................28
Timetable and Resources.....................................................................................................29

3DISSERTATION
Chapter 4: Data Analysis.........................................................................................................31
Primary Data Analysis.........................................................................................................31
Secondary Data Analysis.....................................................................................................47
Chapter 5 Conclusion and Recommendation...........................................................................52
Linking with the Objectives.................................................................................................52
Recommendations................................................................................................................53
References................................................................................................................................54
Bibliography.............................................................................................................................58

4DISSERTATION
Chapter 1: Introduction
Purpose of the dissertation
The purpose of the dissertation was to evaluate the influence of organizational culture
on employee behavior of the construction industry in Singapore. The objective of the study
was to undertake a critical analysis of the impact organisational culture has in this particular
industry among the different important industries pointed out. The characteristics of the
internal organisations that make a mark on attitude and behaviour of employees in this
industry, thereby driving organisational success, were to be reviewed in here.
Perimeter for the study
The present research aimed at addressing the existing gap in previous research. A
rigorous study was to be presented that would add substantial additional information to the
pool of research that already exists. The methodology for the research was decided after
scrutinizing the flaws in previous literature. A mixed method research was decided upon that
would conduct both primary and secondary data analysis. Such an approach is needed to
enhance the reliability of the study and make the findings of the study valid.
Reasons for choice of topic
Recent literature has highlighted the challenges and issues faced by employees in the
construction industry in the latest times. Organisations from the construction industry across
the globe have reported behavioral issues presented by employees that have been difficult to
address. There has been little research done to understand the importance of organisational
culture in the construction industry, and thus a better understanding is required in this
context. Through a better understanding of the impact of organisational culture on employee

5DISSERTATION
behaviour, aspects related to work pressure, time of work and quality measures can be better
understood.
The prime rationale for selecting the chosen research topic for the present research
was the shortage of reliable studies that highlighted key aspects related to the research
question. The impact of organisational culture on employee behaviour in the construction
industry in Singapore had not been studied previously by any researchers. Studies conducted
in countries other than Singapore also presented a number of limitations. This mainly related
to the study methodology. To address this research gap and carry forward research on the
concerned subject, the present research was carried out.
Background
According to Draft (2012), organisational culture can be defined as the set of
behaviours and values fostered by the organisation that contribute to the psychological and
social environment. It encompasses the interactions, inner workings, self-image and future
expectations witnessed within the organisational context. The basis of the organisational
culture is the comprehensive set of customs, beliefs, attitudes and rules implemented,
validated and supported over time. Organisational culture is evident in the manner in which
the company carries out the business, in the degree of freedom given to the employees
regarding decision making process, in the process of information flow through different
levels and in the commitment levels of the employees. Organisational culture has a very
crucial part to play in the functioning and operations of business since it is a mechanism to
disseminate information on employee behaviour throughout the organisation. For bringing
about balance in the behaviour of the employee, it is important to foster a proper culture.
As opined by Moheska and Sokolva (2014) there exists a wider range of theories and
models explaining the very valuable concept of organisational culture. These theories take

6DISSERTATION
into consideration the ethical approaches that are assumed within the context of an
organisation. There is a substantial amount of debate regarding the extent to which these
theories hold true. As stated by the authors, there can be different directions from which
organisational culture can be discussed. The three main theoretical perspectives are
differentiation, integration and fragmentation. There is no certainty regarding which
perspective is perfectly right and which has flaws in it. A diverse range of worldviews has
been presented. It is noteworthy that all of them have certain advantages as well as certain
disadvantages. Since cultural aspects can be reinforcing each other, there might be
overlapping of ideas, raising questions on the effectiveness of the models.
Ghemawat and Reiche (2011) highlighted that organisational culture has a deep
impact on the performance of the employees and their productivity. Further, such a culture
sets up the guideline for customer service and care, the safety of the product, quality of
product, punctuality and attendance of employees and concern of the employees in matters of
the environment. MacIntos and Doherty (2010) in this regard commented that the
organisational culture can be affected by histories, demographics, personalities and the
manner in which people interact. At the core, it is a value that shows the direction in
understanding what might be allowed and what might not be, including the ethics, quality and
work practices.
Organisational culture is the driving factor behind the establishment of
communication between employees and managers thereby closing the gap between these two
levels within an organisation. Tsai (2011) described that an employee looks up to the culture
of the setting as the motivational factor. Such motivation is imperative for giving best efforts
and working towards the fulfilment of the organisation’s objectives and mission. The vision
of the employees is in alignment with that of the managers when the culture is in their favour.
Employee agreeing with the culture of the organisation reports better job satisfaction level.

7DISSERTATION
Commitment is also created than enables the employee to stay in the organisation for a long
time. This is to be referred to as the loyalty of the employees.
In this context, it would be now desirable to discuss the concept of employee
behaviour. The common idea is that employees in any organisation are to be perceived by the
managers as the lowest level having a negligible contribution in important decision-making
process of the employees. It is expected that the employees follow the instructions and other
directive provided by the managers. The underlying principle is that such a practice helps in
fulfilment of the organisation's missions. It is, however, important to build up an environment
that is ethical and justified so that the employees show eagerness to follow the mangers and
leaders (Petros and Georgios 2014). Research has indicated that behaviour of the employee is
dependent on the ethical behaviour of the leaders that make up the culture of the organisation.
The ethical behaviour resolves conflicts on one hand and leads to employee satisfaction on
the other hand (Khuong and Nhu 2015). The direct influence of organisational culture on
employees has been explained by Sharma and Bajpai (2010). As per the authors, a positive
culture in an organisation has a positive influence on the employee while a negative culture
has a negative influence. Positive behaviour can be emerging from rewards and recognition
while negative behaviour can be .emerging from unnecessary and untimely criticism.
Influence of organisational culture on different forms of employee behaviour has been
recognised in different sectors and industries. The construction industry of Singapore is one
such industry where diverse challenges might be faced in relation to employee behaviour.
Demographics point out that the total population of Singapore is 5.6 million as per the data of
2016. The construction industry contributes largely towards the economic growth of the
country and almost 5% GDP. The total construction industry can be divided into different
categories such as the construction of HDB flats 73.3%, construction of a condominium and
Other Apartments 20.4%, landed properties 5.4%, and other constructions work 0.9%

8DISSERTATION
(Singstat 2017). The demand put in place in the year for total construction was approximately
$26 billion (Lim 2017). About 426.9 thousand employees work in this industry of which
100.9 thousand are permanent residents of the country. Communication with employees has
been a significant challenge for managers belonging to the construction industry since they
come from diverse cultural backgrounds. Behaviour of employees and their motivation level
is very important for taking the organisation to the higher level. Language barrier is one of
these factors that pose an immense challenge. For achieving the goals of the organisations
within this industry, it is necessary that managers have a good understanding of the factors
that influence the behaviours of the employees. This is because cultural and ethical
implications of the value system of employees for their behaviour are noteworthy (Jeanette
and Woon 2016).
Research Objectives
 To understand the impact of organizational culture on employee behavior and
employee performance
 To understand the importance of organizational culture in the context of the
construction industry of Singapore
Research Question
For undertaking a rigorous research it is necessary to walk in a distinct direction with
a precise research question. The research question that was addressed in the present research
was “what is the impact of organisational culture on employee behaviour in construction
industry in Singapore?”
Hypotheses