Discussion 1: Organizational Culture

Organizational culture is often an implicit yet extremely powerful variable in human behavior within organizational settings. People are the constant in every organization. The diversity of individuals and the culture within which they work have a significant effect on organizations around the globe because organizational culture affects employee performance. According to Brown (2011), “Culture influences how managers and employees approach problems, serve customers, react to competitors, and carry out activities.” It is essential to understand that as certain organizational culture influencers change, the needs or circumstances of employees, clients, and stakeholders also change.

To prepare:

Review the case study,“OD Application: How Trilogy’s University Helps Build Its Culture” located in Chapter 3 of the course text. (attached)

Consider the many elements of organizational culture.

Find interrelationships between these elements and employee behavior and performance.

Look for ways to assess organizational culture, both in terms of how it manifests in employee performance and impacts organizational results.