An Analysis of Unilever's Organisational Behaviour and Culture

This report provides an in-depth analysis of Unilever's organizational behavior, focusing on its culture, employee motivation, and overall efficiency. The executive summary highlights the importance of organizational culture in assessing company effectiveness, emphasizing the role of employee engagement and its impact on creativity and success. The report delves into Unilever's organizational structure, communication strategies, and the application of Hofstede's cultural dimensions theory to understand its cultural distinctions. It examines how culture increases organizational efficiency through improved communication and employee relations, as well as the role of culture in employee motivation, referencing Maslow's hierarchy of needs. The report concludes by exploring how Unilever utilizes its culture to enhance its growth and success, offering insights into the company's practices and their implications. The analysis underscores the importance of a positive working environment and effective communication in fostering employee satisfaction and achieving organizational objectives.

Organisational
Behaviour

EXECUTIVE SUMARY
Organisational culture is very important in assessing the effectiveness of the organisation. It
is the working environment that is generated by the engagement of the employees of the
company. The organisational culture can be taught in a group setting and can inspire members of
the organisation to engage in creative actions. It is a member's mix of Intelligence ideology, craft
moral and behaviours that leads a company to success. It is critical to the organisation's success
in fostering a positive atmosphere among employees and providing them with the framework so
that we get motivated. At most, the company is a critical factor in increasing the motivation
within the employees. This results in the company's success and growth.

Table of Contents
EXECUTIVE SUMARY.................................................................................................................2
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................4
MAIN BODY..................................................................................................................................4
Culture.........................................................................................................................................4
How culture increases the efficiency of an organisation.............................................................6
Role of culture on motivation of employee.................................................................................7
Usefulness of organisations culture to enhance its success.........................................................9
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................10
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................11

INTRODUCTION
Organisational behaviour is mainly categorised as a collection of various different actions
and the nature of employees within a company when conducting various tasks. It also helps in
defining the nature of workers when employed on a specific job within the company. It is a vital
aspect of the organisation because the effect of behaviour will have an effect on the organisations
performance and competitiveness (Verma and Mohapatra, 2020). To complete this present report
the organisation chosen is Unilever. It is a multinational corporation that offers a variety of
businesses in various different areas. All the areas that this company serves are cosmetics, food
products and others. The aim of this report is to study the culture of the organisation and its
behaviour. It also aims at studying the ways in which culture can be improved so that it raises the
effectiveness of the organisation while focusing mainly on communication. The report also
studies the role of culture on the motivation of employees and how the companies use the culture
to enhance its growth and success.
MAIN BODY
Culture
The culture of the organisation basically is characterised as a collection of all the
collective norms and values that help in seeking in Governance of the members of the
relationships that exist between the individuals of the organisation and also with those
individuals that are outside the organisation but are indirectly involved in the business. The
human capital is the most important part of the company and it is made up of all the employees
working for the organisation. As a result the relationships among various people within the
organisation have an impact upon the success of the organisation and its effectiveness in
achieving the objective of the organisation (McKellar and Hanson, 2019). These relationships are
exemplified and led by the community of the organisation. The organisational culture in
particular is a set of shared principles and values that help in determining how people handle
their managers, clients, shareholders, subordinates and other people who are directly or indirectly
connected with the company.
Hofstede cultural dimensions theory
This is the theoretical model which is used for understanding the cultural distinction that
exists between countries and distinguishing how businesses are conducted in various different

communities. Under this theory of culture there are six categories that help in defining a culture
of the company in a better and systematic manner. The 5 categories are discussed below with
reference to the company Unilever.
● Power distance index: this helps in measuring how much discrimination and power are
accepted in a culture (Yusuf, 2018). In Unilever the organisation structure is in the shape
of a pyramid. There is a distribution of powers where the top managers of the company
are mostly involved in designing the strategies to achieve the objective of the company
and assign work to the managers who again regulate the activities of the employees.
● Collectivism vs. individualism: it helps in examining how cultures are integrated into
communities as well as their assumed responsibility and Reliance on various groups.
With reference to Unilever the company is installed in collectivism as they believe in
giving responsibilities to the group so as to reach the goal and achieve the set target. This
culture of the company helps in their growth.
● Uncertainty avoidance index: which considers how much doubt and uncertainty are
accepted in the company. These factors look at how people cope with unknown
circumstances and unforeseen occurrences. In the Unilever Company most of the
employees have very less and weak loyalty towards the company. Therefore the company
has to employ new employees almost every year through their recruitment process.
● Femininity vs. masculinity: this factor takes into account society's desire for success
attitude about sexuality behaviour and so on. With reference to Unilever the company
does not have any cultural difference between male or female. They promote gender
equality in the company and there is a mixed balance of gender within the company's
management system and staff.
● Short term vs. long term orientation: this factor discusses how culture approaches its
time frame. In reference to Unilever the company majorly focuses upon long-term
orientation so as to achieve a goal that gives benefit to the company for long-term. The
decisions made by the company are generally done keeping in mind the long-term
success and growth of the company.
The Hofstede cultural dimension theory helps the company in determining organisational
culture of a business (Rajan and Bhaduri, 2020). This is the tool in which the company can
measure the impact of culture of the company upon the life and work of the employees.

How culture increases the efficiency of an organisation
The culture of the organisation is defined by ideologies, behaviour, policies and laws. The
organisational culture is influenced by how workers communicate with each other and with the
people that are associated with the organisation. Culture is simply the product of interaction with
workers that have spent a significant amount of time in the company. Conflicts and disputes in
the atmosphere and propagating negativity in the office was stronger employee relations. Foster a
healthy communication between every individual who is working in the company creating a
healthy community (Siakas, Georgiadou and Siakas, 2020). A healthy working culture is
necessary for effective contact. To better understand the work of an organisation there must exist
better bonding between the individuals along with transparency while making communication at
all levels of the organisation. Communication is crucial in growing employee comfort and as a
result it creates a positive working atmosphere for them.
● For a better work atmosphere and good contact and relationship between the top
management and the employees is very essential for a company. Management of the
company must properly communicate the relevant knowledge to all the workers so that
they understand what they are expected to do at work. The employees of Unilever must
also have a good understanding of the primary responsibilities full stop the company
Unilever must assign roles and tasks in accordance to the specialisation.
● The employees of the company should be able to freely Express their thoughts and
concepts in an open environment in order to arrive at a creative approach that benefits all
therefore Unilever must before introducing any new proposal it is important for them to
make a discussion so that employees of the company feel free to express their ideologies
● All the consistent performance of the company needs to have a voice regarding policy
growth. Such practices help companies to motivate the workers and Foster an atmosphere
in which employees stay with the company for a long time (Arti, 2021). This will help
Unilever in retaining their employees for a long duration.
● To conduct meetings every day is very essential to have effective communication. It
helps in discussing all the daily agenda in which all the parties are involved. By involving
this method Unilever can make their employees feel welcome and they would not feel
any ignorance or exclusion on the part of the company.

● To stop losing important topics workers should cultivate the practice of using planners
and organiser. This will help Unilever Company to make effective communication with
the worker so that there is no confusion or misunderstanding between them and the work
is not impacted.
● The top management of the superiors of the company must be always accessible to all the
employees of the company. They must always listen sympathetically to their concerns
and look to their matters. This will help Unilever Company to make effective
communication with the employees, removing the barrier of superior and inferior and
letting employees know that the company is looking out for them.
This culture of the organisation helps in employee productivity which is significantly
boosted. This all is the result of effective communication that is used by the companies to
remove the barrier of misunderstandings and miscommunication between the employees and top
management of the company (Maher, 2020). Effective communication in the company is the
most important culture that a company or an organisation must practice.
Role of culture on motivation of employee
Motivation basically is an aspect of an organisation that is responsible for controlling the
conduct of the employees in an organisation. Motivation basically is characterized as an inner
Desire of an individual to work effectively on a specific job so as to accomplish the goals of the
jobs and its objective by meeting the needs.
Maslow hierarchy of needs motivational theory
This is a motivational theory is a psychological comparison of the models of five tyre of
human Desire. Professor Maslow lends forth this idea of the motivational theory. According to
him there are five categories of the need in the life of a person that must be met in order to boost
motivation in the employees in an organisation. These requirements are discussed below.
 Psychological needs: these are the needs that are part of a person's essential needs which
generally includes housing, food and a variety of other minor items that must be made in
order for an individual to survive (ELISABETH, 2017). Unilever will meet that needs by
paying its worker fair wages which would enable them to meet their psychological needs.
The workers must not be paid below the average wages that are expected to be paid by
the company.

 Safety needs: there are various fundamental human needs that emerge after the
psychological needs have been met. It requires a person's protection and security
requirements. Unilever their company may meet business needs by including permanent
employees as well as temporary Employees with appropriate Healthcare and other safety
related benefits. The company must provide all the safety measures which are required
and that comes under the industrial act of the company. This is the very important
condition a company must comply with so as to fulfil the needs of safety to their
employees.
 Belongingness and love needs: these are the needs that are more when the other two
above mentioned needs have been met. This need includes family relationship and
friendship and other person relationship in order for an individual's intimacy, affection
and other to be met (Muriithi, Kyalo and Kinyanjui, 2019). The company Unilever can
help with this by including structured and informal groups and departments within the
company that people can establish personal and professional relationships.
 Esteem needs: this is the need which includes a person's need for Prestige and also a
sense of achievement. After achieving a certain level in an organisation where an
employee is working they may fulfil these needs. Unilever can meet these demands and
needs of the employee by providing them with a variety of services and allowing them to
serve the organisation by taking on demanding tasks. Providing Employees with
challenging work often motivates them and enhances their skills.
 Self-actualization: the daily needs of the employee that involves realising one's full
potential and engaging in artistic experiences throughout the life. Unilever can meet these
needs by assigning proper accountability within the organisation to an employee which
will be the final step in the theory of Maslow's hierarchy that relates to the need of the
employee and their motivation.
It is very important for a company to motivate its employees and for this particular culture of
the organisation plays a very important and crucial role. Employees are generally motivated in an
organisation when the culture of the company is fruitful and in favour of the employees. The
culture of the organisation is depressing and not suitable for the employees, so they are intensely
quitting their job and switching to some other company. Motivation is key to success for every
company as all the employees are considered to be an asset of the company which they must

retain so that they can achieve long-term growth and success. Employee motivation is not only
important for the employees but also is very essential for the growth of the company.
Usefulness of organisations culture to enhance its success
It is very important for a business to be solidly unified and have a culture that provides
benefits to all the employees from inside and out. Effective culture of an organisation enhances
the chances of organisation succeeding and growing in a positive direction. Employees want to
work for all the organisations and companies that have a solid culture ethics and a collection of
core values within their organisation. Alliance will also want to do business with all those
organisations that have a strong goal and a very supportive work environment. The following are
some additional advantages that a company can gain from emphasizing company's culture:
 Increased job retention: companies that have a strong reputation for having a great
working environment and culture end up retaining prospective employees. This form of
organisation often attracts better talent and new hires are more likely to stick with the
company. By adopting a great cultural environment at Unilever it will be able to retain
more of the employees and will create more employment and attract more employees to
the company.
 Better image of the company: the culture of the company has an influence on brand
image also. Customers of the company will be affected once the loan that the
organisation has a dangerous work climate. This will result in decreasing sales and the
company will be in loss. To have a better image of the company Unilever must have a
good culture environment for all its employees and customers so that they can make or
retain a better brand image of the company.
 Increased efficiency: if the working environment and the culture of the company is great
for the employees then it reflects upon the success of all the employees of the company
(Urasadettan, Glemain and Amintas, 2018). They get motivated and this results in the
growth and success of the company. This will help Unilever to increase their efficiency if
the culture and the environment of the company is made pleasant for the employees.
 Improve teamwork: the culture in an organisation is positive and pleasant for the
employees. It leads to improved quality of work of the employees and thus provides the
company with better results. Therefore it is important for Unilever to improve upon their

culture so that the employees are satisfied and the quality of the work is improved so that
better results can be attained. Further this will provide enhancement of the growth and
Company.
CONCLUSION
It is concluded from the above report that the culture of the organisation plays a very
important role in the growth and success of the company. There are various theories which a
company can apply so as to know the needs of the employee working in that company. Applying
Maslow's hierarchy need theory will help companies to know the needs and then fulfilling them
so as to retain the employees. All the employees working in an organisation are considered to be
an asset of the company without which the company cannot function. Therefore it is very
important that effective communication is made with the employees and they must be felt
welcome in the company so that they don't feel excluded. This can be done by the organisation
by involving them in decision making. This will motivate employees which will increase in
productivity and furthermore it will increase the success chances of the company and its growth.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Arti, M., 2021. IMPACT OF ORGANISATIONAL CULTURE ON WORK-LIFE BALANCE A
BIBLIOMETRIC ANALYSIS AND GROWTH IN RESEARCH. European Journal of
Molecular & Clinical Medicine, 7(8), pp.5308-5319.
ELISABETH, E.H.X., 2017. A STUDY ON HOW ORGANISATIONAL CULTURE
INFLUENCES WORKER-YOUTH RELATIONSHIPS IN THE GUIDANCE
PROGRAMME.
Maher, C., 2020. Career Needs and Career Values: the Mediating Role of Organisational
Culture. In Recent Advances in the Roles of Cultural and Personal Values in
Organizational Behavior (pp. 240-260). IGI Global.
McKellar, D. and Hanson, J., 2019. Codesigned framework for organisational culture reform in
South Australian older persons’ mental health services after the Oakden
Report. Australian Health Review, 44(6), pp.862-866.
Muriithi, R.W., Kyalo, T. and Kinyanjui, J., 2019. Entrepreneurial Orientation, Organisational
Culture Adaptability And Performance Of Christian Faith-Based Hotels In
Kenya. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Knowledge, 7(1), pp.31-45.
Rajan, M. and Bhaduri, N., 2020. Role of Human Resources in Building Ethical Organisational
Culture. NHRD Network Journal, 13(2), pp.213-219.
Siakas, K., Georgiadou, E. and Siakas, D., 2020. The influence of national and organisational
culture on knowledge sharing in distributed teams. In Information Diffusion Management
and Knowledge Sharing: Breakthroughs in Research and Practice (pp. 533-555). IGI
Global.
Urasadettan, J., Glemain, P. and Amintas, A., 2018. Links between organisational culture and
type of cooperation. The case of Emmaüs International. HAL.
Verma, P. and Mohapatra, S., 2020. Strong Identification, Weak Ideology, Organisational
Culture or All: Unethical Pro-organisational Behaviour in India. In War, Peace and
Organizational Ethics. Emerald Publishing Limited.
Yusuf, N.A., 2018. The structural relationships between customer based corporate reputation,
organisation public relationships, corporate social responsibility, perceived
organisational culture and transparent communication (Doctoral dissertation, Universiti
Utara Malaysia).