DETERMINANTS OF ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE

The forces which play a particularly important part in sustaining a culture

identified and explained by Robbins are as given below:

Selection practices of the Management

Actions of Top Management

Socialization Methods

Selection practices of the Management -The explicit goal of the

selection process is to identify and hire individuals who have the knowledge,
skills, and abilities to perform the jobs within the organization successfully.
Generally, more than one candidate is identified who meets any given jobs
requirement. When that point is reached, it would be nave to ignore that
the final decision as to who is hired will be significantly influenced by the
decision makers judgment of how well the candidates will fit into the
organization. This attempt to ensure a proper match, whether purposely or
inadvertently, results in the hiring of people who have values essentially
consistent with those of the organization, or at least a good portion of those
values (Schneider). Selection process also provides information to applicants
about the organization so that candidates can decide whether to be
associated with the organization or not. Therefore, selection process
sustains an organizations culture by selecting out those individuals who
might attack or undermine its core values.
Actions of Top Management -A major impact of actions of top
management can also be seen on organizational culture (Hambrick and
Mason). Through what they say and how they behave, senior executives
establish norms that filter down through the organization as to whether risk
taking is desirable; how much freedom managers should give their
subordinates; what is appropriate dress; what actions will pay off in terms
of pay raises, promotions, and other rewards; and the like.
Socialization -It is observed that new employees are not fully in
coordination with the organizations culture. As they are unfamiliar with the
organizations culture, they are likely to disturb the beliefs and customs
that are in place. Therefore, the organizations want to help their employees
adapt to its culture and the process that adapts employees to the
organizations culture is known as socialization (Allen and Meyer).
Organizational socialization is a process of work adjustment that affects how
long an individual remains employed with the organization. It describes how
people learn to fit into a new organization or job. It is a process by which an
individual learns appropriate attitudes, behaviors and knowledge associated
with a particular role in an organization (Chao, OLeary-Kelly, Wolf, Klein,
and Gardner). The general theory asserts that people who are well
socialized into an organization are more likely to stay and develop their
careers with that organization. Building a competent workforce, one where
people believe they fit in well with their organizations, is often viewed as a
competitive edge in todays business.
For organizations, a competent and committed workforce minimizes costly
turnover and selection expenses. Moreover, individual employee attributes
associated with successful organizational socialization can accumulate
across the organization to positively effect organizational performance and
effectiveness. Organizational socialization is a primary process to facilitate
work adjustment for new employees or for employees taking on new roles.
For individuals, a good fit within the organization can lead to several
positive benefits. People who are well socialized are more committed to
their organizations, more satisfied with their jobs, and earn more than
people who dont learn to fit in with their organizations. Furthermore,
people who are well socialized are less likely to quit their jobs and more
likely to build successful careers within the organization. The extent to
which both organizational and individual socialization processes support a
good person-organization fit will define the extent to which that individual
has been successfully socialized. According to Mannen and Schien the
process of socialization can be conceptualized as a process made up of three
stages:

Prearrival Stage -The period of learning in the socialization

process that occurs before a new employee joins the organization.

Encounter Stage -The stage in the socialization process in which a

new employee sees what the organization is really like and confronts the
possibility that expectations and reality may diverge.

Metamorphosis Stage -The stage in the socialization process in

which a new employee adjusts to his or her work groups values and
norms.