Free Essays on Corporate Culture

Corporate Culture Edgar H. Schein:The Corporate Culture Survival Guide In â€Å"The Corporate Culture Survival Guide, â€Å" Edgar Echein presents a concise analysis of the concept of corporate culture; what it is; how it operates; why it matters; and how to improve it. The book is organized around the questions that mangers ask – What is corporate culture? How can I assess it? How can I change it? The book then provides clear guidance for evaluating an organization’s current culture and determining if it supports or undermines the organization’s goals. Chapter One answers the question, â€Å"Why Does Corporate Culture Matter?†. â€Å"Culture matters because decisions made without awareness of the operative cultural forces may have unanticipated and undesirable consequences.† The author provides examples of situations where a company has an engineering culture and then brings in a CEO from sales and marketing background. This mismatch of cultures created a situation where the new CEO was unable to be effective because he was unable to understand the culture’s impact on the organization. A successful mid-life organization might not continue to prosper if they do not evolve and adapt elements of their culture. The organization clings to whatever made it a success. I have a client that was very successful in the eighties and early nineties by being self contained and developing investment products that were unique. They continue to believe that unique products are the way to success even though the market is looking for products that have easily processed and comparable features. This company is reluctant to look outside for expertise in a very competitive market and the firm has seen their market share drop, as their products do not fit easily into today’s trading parameters. The author goes on to define culture and make it clear that culture is a complex concept that is deeply embedded in an organiz... Free Essays on Corporate Culture Free Essays on Corporate Culture Corporate Culture Edgar H. Schein:The Corporate Culture Survival Guide In â€Å"The Corporate Culture Survival Guide, â€Å" Edgar Echein presents a concise analysis of the concept of corporate culture; what it is; how it operates; why it matters; and how to improve it. The book is organized around the questions that mangers ask – What is corporate culture? How can I assess it? How can I change it? The book then provides clear guidance for evaluating an organization’s current culture and determining if it supports or undermines the organization’s goals. Chapter One answers the question, â€Å"Why Does Corporate Culture Matter?†. â€Å"Culture matters because decisions made without awareness of the operative cultural forces may have unanticipated and undesirable consequences.† The author provides examples of situations where a company has an engineering culture and then brings in a CEO from sales and marketing background. This mismatch of cultures created a situation where the new CEO was unable to be effective because he was unable to understand the culture’s impact on the organization. A successful mid-life organization might not continue to prosper if they do not evolve and adapt elements of their culture. The organization clings to whatever made it a success. I have a client that was very successful in the eighties and early nineties by being self contained and developing investment products that were unique. They continue to believe that unique products are the way to success even though the market is looking for products that have easily processed and comparable features. This company is reluctant to look outside for expertise in a very competitive market and the firm has seen their market share drop, as their products do not fit easily into today’s trading parameters. The author goes on to define culture and make it clear that culture is a complex concept that is deeply embedded in an organiz... Free Essays on Corporate Culture Article ~ New York Times ~ â€Å"Speaking the Language of Success† In 1999, the Nissan Motor Company, controlled by French automaker Renault, hired Carlos Ghosn as President and Chief Operating Officer. Ghosen is â€Å"Brazilian-born, French-educated and American-experienced†. This article chronicles Ghosn’s efforts to save Nissan from bankruptcy, and the response of Nissan’s Board of Directors, Workers, and the Japanese public to a foreign manager with a different management style. Carlos Ghosn joined Nissan when the company was at the brink of bankruptcy and was able to, â€Å"boost profits, and decrease debt in a very quick fashion†. The methods and approach used to accomplish this financial revival have included:  § Changing Japanese attitudes about foreign managers and corporate culture  § Cutting Costs and Jobs by closing plants, making it necessary for employees to accept transfers to stay with the company  § Changing supplier relationships, eliminating â€Å"unwinding the traditional keiretsu system of interdependency with suppliers† who could not meet quality and cost cutting demands  § Management overhauling, replacing senior managers with younger types  § Linking pay to performance – â€Å"replacing seniority with a merit based system of cash bonuses and stock options† Hofstede’s value dimensions say, â€Å"the core of the Japanese enterprise is the permanent worker group†, they show a small power distance, a high acceptance to strong uncertainty avoidance, an acceptance of collectivism, and high goal orientation. The article confirms Hofstede value dimensions by identifying Japan as a, â€Å"land of lifetime employment and resistance to foreign control†. The results of Ghosn’s tenure at Nissan seem to contradict Hofstede. Ghosn is a foreigner, has top level meetings in English, has rewarded success through a merit system, reduced the number of parts and service suppliers based on quality, cut the workfo...