ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE AND ETHICS
Larry J. Fontana
Organizational culture is the personality of an organization. It is comprised of assumptions, values, norms and the member behaviors. Defining culture is difficult to express, since the culture of a large corporation is different than a hospital or a university. Business Ethics is laced with myths, benefits, guidelines, codes, roles, responsibilities, policies and procedures.
The field of business ethics has traditionally been the domain of philosophers, academics and social critics; and as a consequence, many ethical-resources have been designed with them in mind. Consequently, business leaders and managers often struggle to make use of the available resources in practical ways (McNamara.)
Understanding the types of cultures is very important to leaders and employees alike. They include: Academy Culture – skilled employees tend to stay, and the organization provides a stable environment. Baseball Team Culture – employees are “free agents” who have highly prized skills. Club Culture – employees will fit into the group, and the organization promotes from within. Fortress Culture – employees fear layoffs and organizations often undergo reorganization ( McNamara. ) This can be very valuable information for a potential-employee to reflect on, in particular, to notice if the type of culture matches their work style and preferences.
As I reflect on my past cultural experiences, I have succeeded best in Academy cultures and Baseball team cultures. There was one company, in particular, that included elements of both. The interesting thing is we never spoke directly about culture at the time. It was an organic process that was more like magic than management.
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In conclusion, it is obvious to me that organizational culture and ethical behavior are paramount and foundational to sound-business success. Experts widely consider that organizational-culture may be the most determinant factor influencing behavior in organizations and to improve performance and efficiency.
References
McNamara,, C. (n.d.). Complete Guide to Ethics Management: An Ethics Toolkit for Managers. (n.d.). Retrieved April 12, 2020, from https://managementhelp.org/businessethics/ethics-guide.htm
