Research and Analysis

This article discusses the main argument, assumptions, limitations, and conclusions about organizational culture and change. It also provides recommendations and a real-life example of Amazon. The article explores the impact of organizational culture on employee performance and productivity, as well as the relationship between organizational culture and performance in acute hospitals. It concludes by discussing the importance of managing resources and the environment during cultural change.

Running head: RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS 1
Research and Analysis
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RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS
1. Identify and discuss the main argument presented in the article (200)
The article’s primary theme is based on the fact that changing organizational
culture results in the accumulation of a wavelength that can be felt within the
organization. However, effecting change within the organization is a challenging task
because it requires ensuring there is a collective consensus (Walker & Soule, 2017).
Changing a running culture necessitates the existence of optimism, compliance,
conviction, and trust. In addition, this article as well argues that effecting change cannot
be successful if a hierarchical position is adhered to, such as by maintaining the top-
down approach. Changing the culture of any organization is important basically for two
main reasons: it facilitates revising the processes of an organization along with making
sure that the culture makes the company action-oriented, innovative, as well as aligned
to its objectives (Auernhammer & Hall, 2014). Also, when changing a company’s
culture, it is important that the leadership be at the forefront in leading the change. The
article explains that any sort of culture change must be linked to a cause and purpose of
the previous leadership. Nonetheless, the cultural change should be implemented in the
entire company and the status should enhance efficiency. The article notes that cultural
change can only be successful if initiated by the organizational leaders.
2. Identify and discuss assumptions and limitations in the article content server
(254)
One of the limitations of this article is that it overemphasizes and focuses
extensively on leadership to accelerate cultural change in an organization. The article
portrays that leadership is the most important factor required to initiate cultural change.
However, the author fails to acknowledge that the consumers, employees, as well as
the suppliers, are the other stakeholders that play a crucial role in commencing cultural
change in an organization (Awadh & Saad, 2013). Based on the ideas presented in the
article, there is a likelihood of there being friction. However, the article fails to clearly
articulate the reasons behind such positivity along with the results that would be
obtained if there is no friction during the cultural change process. The author also fails

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to focus on the primary players that are responsible for harnessing change as well as
innovation in a company.
The articles assume that there is an inconsistency between the authoritative
movement maker and the organizational leader. At times, in an organization, the two
are the same, and in the case of large companies, the Human Resource department
portrays efficiency in the manner in which it manages a cultural change. To make
change happen, the entire company must together with a common goal (Büschgens,
Bausch & Balkin, 2013). During the process of changing organizational culture, it is
prudent that the authorities do it sparingly since there is a likelihood of overusing their
authority to accelerate transformation. Nonetheless, the articles also assume that
moderate friction is a positive outcome for the company by taking into consideration
dialect as an organization’s growth factor.
3. Identify and discuss the main conclusions of this article (200)
The main conclusions of this article can be put into two categories: The article
effectively elaborates on the nature of the environment which is essential when initiating
cultural change as well as the approaches that the management can use to initiate the
change. The first set of conclusion suggests that a company is required to bring out
every element of apprehension, motivation, including trust if the change is to be
effectively managed. Also, the company should ensure that the organizational leaders,
as well as the decision-makers, support the change in culture. With support coming
from this group of people, there is little resistance when advocating for cultural change.
Rather than mentioning the change, the environment should incorporate the reasons
behind the cultural change with the aim of creating a sense of urgency among the
employees (Zhu & Engels, 2014). Based on the second conclusion, the organizational
leadership, as well as the management, should be incorporated and taken into account
by claiming their professionalism and role when instituting cultural change. The article
explains that the manner which the leadership brings the change by initiating actions
into the employees' line of work including their positive intention are the primary drivers
that prepare the staff for change.

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4. Identify and discuss the main ideas in this article relevant to the themes
and/or concepts taught in MGT100. (257)
The main themes in this article that are related to MGT100 are managing
resources during cultural change, dependence on the company’s culture during the
change process, along with a focus on the environment. Effectively initiating change in
an organization entails allocating resources to various groups to achieve better results
and outcomes (Hogan & Coote, 2014). Nonetheless, the inadequacy of such resources
may hinder the process of initiating change and it affects productivity. There is a direct
link between resources needs to instill change and environmental complexity. For
instance, increased uncertainty in both the internal and the external environment results
in scarce resources.
A team that has got the best resources and organizational culture are capable of
handling crisis and managing change more efficiently. A strong organizational culture
refers to the state where the management exemplary guides the team to attain a
common goal, ensuring that all the team members collaborate to the cause (Schneider,
Ehrhart & Macey, 2013). The article presents Dr. Reddy’s case, explaining that after the
management and the leadership leading the change began to believe in themselves
and guide based on their decision, the resulting culture became patient-oriented,
nimble, and innovative.
Both the internal and external environment possess the ability to increase the
chances and effectiveness of operation management. In addition, the environment
provides an opportunity to predict and forecast future threats (Bortolotti, Boscari &
Danese, 2015). Environmental certainty in a company also has got a direct effect on
managing cultural change because having a positive reinforcement in the company’s
culture creates a positive vibe. Other external environmental factors such as
competition and economic growth accelerate cultural change.

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5. (a) Discuss an example of a real business, either a place you have worked at
or a workplace you are aware of.(448)
An example of a real-life business that has effectively managed to change its
culture is Amazon. Jeff Bezos is the organization’s CEO and founder. With Bezos
leading the way, the company has been able to revolutionize its retail, logistics, as well
as its marketing. Studying Amazon has never been boring because the organization is
continuously evolving (Wiewiora, et al., 2013). Ranging from the company’s product
expansion to culture along with instrumentation, a lot can be learned by understanding
the mechanisms that drive Amazon (O’Reilly III, et al., 2014). When initiating cultural
change in Amazon, through a letter to the company’s shareholders, Bezos laid out the
fundamentals of his approach. During the 1997s which was the era of the early internet,
the competition was increasing and despite the low revenues, the management
remained focused on the future. The plan was to remain customer-focused and
emphasize on the long-term. Cultural change has been successful due to environmental
factors such as competition and because there was support for change from the
organization’s stakeholders, and that the leadership remained determined and lead the
change.
(b) What CSR approach and strategy does this business follow?
Amazon Corporation maintains a Corporate Social Responsibility initiative whose
goal is to target and satisfy the interests of its key stakeholder groups. Specifically,
Amazon, an e-commerce company experiences pressure from its different groups of
stakeholders including their interests. However, the Corporate Social Responsibility at
Amazon is designed in such a manner that they address and satisfy the following
groups of stakeholders based on their significance: the customers, employees, and the
communities (Belias & Koustelios, 2014). The strategies that Amazon uses and which
have resulted in the company’s success include: first, the company focuses on the long-
term. An example of Amazon’s long-term focus is the Amazon Web Services (AWS).
Second, the organization builds its strategies on things that do not change, such as the
customers’ wants that include fast delivery, low prices, along with selection. Additionally,
the organization sees the importance of satisfying its customers instead of the

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competitor (De Bono, Heling & Borg, 2014). To ensure the customers are satisfied, the
organization offers an ever-expanding including a large selection of products along with
a personalized experience.
(c) Provide recommendations
To facilitate cultural change in the organization, these recommendations can be
adopted;
1. The organization should ensure that it has a solid Human Resource team.
Since change is mostly associated with changing people’s mindset rather than
measuring their level of performance, the Human Resource department needs to play
the most critical role to deliver the change process.
2. Nonetheless, the organization managing resources are crucial. Before the
company deploys the strategies necessary to drive the change, it is important that the
leadership considers the most possible options of managing resources, either technical,
monetary, or human resource. The management cannot drive cultural change if there is
a lack of a thoughtful process.
6. Find two peer-reviewed journal articles on organizational culture. (152)
Uddin, M. J., Luva, R. H., & Hossian, S. M. M. (2013). Impact of organizational
culture on employee performance and productivity: A case study of telecommunication
sector in Bangladesh. International Journal of Business and Management, 8(2), 63.
The article notes that organizations are dynamic, thus they pose broad
opportunities as well as challenges to the policymakers and the corporate practitioners.
As such, it is very essential to understand these dynamics if an organization is to pursue
strategic objectives. Specifically, this article is important because it examines the effects
of organizational culture on productivity as well as employee performance by reflecting
on multinational organizations in Bangladesh.

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Jacobs, R., Mannion, R., Davies, H. T., Harrison, S., Konteh, F., & Walshe, K.
(2013). The relationship between organizational culture and performance in acute
hospitals. Social science & medicine, 76, 115-125.
The article is important because it investigates the relationship between senior
management, culture, and organizational performance. Specifically, the paper reflects
on English acute hospitals (NHS Trusts). The article identifies that organizational culture
varies between companies, and the variation is related and consistent with the routine
measurements of performance. Nonetheless, organizations such as hospitals are
adopting a more competitive culture archetypes that mirrors their current policy context
though, through implementing more competitive cultures. The article thus shows the
relationship that exists between culture and performance.
7. Provide two more articles associated with the mentioned article (100)
(a) Indirect quote from the 1st article
Several organizational cultural attributes such as the staff’s norms, gestures, as
well as beliefs significantly influence the performance of an organization (Uddin, Luva &
Hossian, 2013). There is negative and positive mannerism of culture that has significant
impacts on the staff and a firm’s performance.
(b) Direct quote from the 2nd article
Culture may impact upon efficiency, via embedding shared values, beliefs and
norms within the organization, which in turn help shape the ways in which organizational
members interact and engage with each other (Jacobs, et al., 2013). Specific cultural
values may be more or less conducive to (for example): effective decision-making;
reporting, responding to and learning from errors; team-based working; and inter-
departmental synergies and creativity.

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References
Auernhammer, J., & Hall, H. (2014). Organizational culture in knowledge creation,
creativity and innovation: Towards the Freiraum model. Journal of Information
Science, 40(2), 154-166.
Awadh, A. M., & Saad, A. M. (2013). Impact of organizational culture on employee
performance. International Review of Management and Business Research, 2(1),
168-175.
Belias, D., & Koustelios, A. (2014). Organizational culture and job satisfaction: A
review. International Review of Management and Marketing, 4(2), 132-149.
Bortolotti, T., Boscari, S., & Danese, P. (2015). Successful lean implementation:
Organizational culture and soft lean practices. International Journal of Production
Economics, 160, 182-201.
Büschgens, T., Bausch, A., & Balkin, D. B. (2013). Organizational culture and
innovation: A meta‐analytic review. Journal of product innovation
management, 30(4), 763-781.
De Bono, S., Heling, G., & Borg, M. A. (2014). Organizational culture and its
implications for infection prevention and control in healthcare institutions. Journal
of Hospital Infection, 86(1), 1-6.
Hogan, S. J., & Coote, L. V. (2014). Organizational culture, innovation, and
performance: A test of Schein's model. Journal of Business Research, 67(8),
1609-1621.
Jacobs, R., Mannion, R., Davies, H. T., Harrison, S., Konteh, F., & Walshe, K. (2013).
The relationship between organizational culture and performance in acute
hospitals. Social science & medicine, 76, 115-125.
O’Reilly III, C. A., Caldwell, D. F., Chatman, J. A., & Doerr, B. (2014). The promise and
problems of organizational culture: CEO personality, culture, and firm
performance. Group & Organization Management, 39(6), 595-625.
Schneider, B., Ehrhart, M. G., & Macey, W. H. (2013). Organizational climate and
culture. Annual review of psychology, 64, 361-388.

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Uddin, M. J., Luva, R. H., & Hossian, S. M. M. (2013). Impact of organizational culture
on employee performance and productivity: A case study of telecommunication
sector in Bangladesh. International Journal of Business and Management, 8(2),
63.
Walker, B., & Soule, S. (2017). Changing company culture requires a movement, not a
mandate. Harvard Business Review, 2-6.
Wiewiora, A., Trigunarsyah, B., Murphy, G., & Coffey, V. (2013). Organizational culture
and willingness to share knowledge: A competing values perspective in
Australian context. International Journal of Project Management, 31(8), 1163-
1174.
Zhu, C., & Engels, N. (2014). Organizational culture and instructional innovations in
higher education: Perceptions and reactions of teachers and
students. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 42(1), 136-158.