Managing Cultures in Organizations

UTS Business School
MANAGEMENT
MPO 21129 ASSIGNMENT COVER – INDIVIDUAL
Student Name: TRUONG Q. LAM NGUYEN Student No: 12807754
Student Email: [e-mail] Date Submitted: Monday 3 June 2019
Tutor: CRIS ABBU Tutorial Day & Time: Friday 6pm-7:30pm
Essay Word Count: 1516 Reflection Word Count: 313
Essay question: Managing Cultures
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Managing cultures
Organizations are today characterized by dynamic technological developments,
intensified by the existence of competition and self-enhancing values. Competitive advantage
ensures the growth of an organization to extend its market niche. Michael Porter associates the
competitive advantage on a positive view while Gary Harmel works on it with it on a resource
view. Organizations can only retain their competitive edge by changing to meet the wants of the
business environment. The strategies implemented will improve organizations learning and
knowledge. Existing cultures and prevailing organization cultures to be precise plays an
important role in ensuring success. As discussed by Brewis (2007), the need to place cultures on
a psychological platform will distinguish procedural and declarative knowledge.
The culture of an organization displays on economic performance and the company’s
continuity. For instance, an organization with a dedicated and strong team built through
visionary leaders end up with more financial successful years on a long-term basis.
Organizations structure also facilitates the success of new products and process innovation and
change. Culture management is a relevant process in the growth of an organization, and its extent
is felt on the two articles above. Brewis (2007) explains that managing organizational culture is
the ultimate goal for an organization to realize the length of its potential. Fredrickson (2003),
however, states that culture just gives direction to the staff on what they believe and how things
should be run. Business platforms require both leaders and managers. Though taken by many
individuals to mean the same, the two aspects of the business are different. A good manager and
leader offer the success of the organization at different levels.
Corporate culture is a strategic investment that ensures well-driven business activities.
The needs to create success in the economy that comes with corporate change are extensive.
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Approaching a change requires putting into consideration the important cultural themes that
ensure expression in an organization, without any neglect. The cultural web is a tool designed to
help managers with the challenge that comes with cultural change. Originated by Kärreman and
Alvesson (2004), the tool is applied by many companies including, KPMG, Shell and Castrol.
According to Kärreman and Alvesson (2004), effective leaders are those who are able to
communicate with a vision of the expectation of the organization. A leader is able to gain
information from various people as well as support from the audience. Kärreman and Alvesson
(2004), goes on by adding that a good leader persists on the set rules and regulations to cater for
the completion of staling projects. Culture creation is an important characteristic of leaders. A
leader ensures that the organization's culture is followed, while the manager ensures the set
culture is practiced by its subordinates. A good leader is judged by the use of various theories,
including the trait theory, where the leader’s traits such as alertness, activeness’, patience,
kindness and positive criticisms, form a good leader. The theory of behaviour is also applicable
in determining a good leader. A leader may be job oriented or employee oriented. Depending on
the nature of the business, a leader with either behaviour will be applicable for leading the
organization. The contingency theory is also applicable in determining whether a leader is good
or bad. The decisions of effective leaders are a contingency to the situation. The transactional
theory is the last one where leaders provide what the followers want. Transactional leaders look
into the needs of the followers and deploy the ones that are reasonable sound
Each country is composed of culture and subculture. In line with this, Ogbonna and
Wilkinson (2003) defined culture is “a set of norms, beliefs, principles and behaviour that gives
the organization a unique character”. On the other hand, sub-culture is referring to a group of
people within a given culture that has a distinct characteristic which makes them different from
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