What does corporate culture mean? Corporate culture of the organization: formation, development and management

Since the late 90s, the concept of "corporate culture" has firmly entered the lexicon of domestic business. The works of M. Porter, R. Kaplan, D. Norton and others, which have already become classics, prompted many Russian companies to hold sessions on formulating the Strategy and elements of corporate philosophy. Somewhere this happened consciously: analysis, formulation and translation were carried out, supporting projects. And somewhere it ended with setting a task for the marketing department or hr. And the location in a conspicuous place in the office or corporate website.

In this article we will talk about our view on the phenomenon of "corporate culture":

What is corporate culture?
The difference between the concepts of "corporate culture" and "corporate philosophy"
Communication Strategy and corporate philosophy.
Levels and main elements of corporate philosophy.
The role of corporate culture and its impact on company performance.

Corporate culture of the company

Corporate culture company is an expression of the values, attitudes and behaviors of all its members (shareholders, management and employees), formed in the process of adaptation to the external environment and internal integration.

It was not for nothing that we chose as an illustration a picture with a monkey looking in a mirror. Thus, we wanted to show: everything that makes up the behavior of people in an organization or is a manifestation of their view of the world and themselves, and is a corporate culture. The corporate culture of a company is a reflection of the culture of those who work in it.

Strategy and corporate culture

The main goal of any organization is longevity and/or financial efficiency. But each company determines the ways of its existence and behavior in the market. This is the Strategy - the goal and ways of existence.

Goals and ways to achieve them are determined by shareholders and top management. And it is in the Strategy that the values and competences of the company's top officials are reflected. And this, as we understand it, is a large (but not the main) share of the corporate culture.

For example, a company chooses a growth strategy in the market through the intensification of sales and active behavior in relation to competitors and customers. This requires all employees to have a high focus on results, competitiveness in the internal environment. Without the company's management understanding that such internal competition can be beneficial, the implementation of such a strategy will be impossible: attempts to remove inefficient employees will meet with resistance ("it is not customary for us to part or demote employees").

Thus, the corporate philosophy and culture are part of the company's strategy. Or interpenetrating and interdependent elements of a single whole. Like Yin and Yang.

Elements of corporate culture

Corporate culture includes a lot of elements. In fact, this is everything that makes up the company and how it lives:

the structure of the company itself and the methods of communication associated with its peculiarity;
welcome communication style (formal-informal);
consistency and regularity of management;
system of remuneration and incentives;
declared values;
myths, legends;
regulatory documents;
availability and ways of implementing corporate events, etc.

Corporate Philosophy and Corporate Culture

In our opinion, these concepts are not identical. As can be seen from the definition above, corporate culture is a broad and comprehensive concept.

Corporate Philosophy- this is a statement of business norms and moral and ethical principles that guide the company in its activities - a more formalized one. Most often, this is what is declared and “brought to the surface”, which can be seen on the company’s website and materials: Vision, Mission, Values, policies, etc.

Levels of corporate culture

The concept of corporate culture levels was introduced by Edgar Schein in 1981. This model quite fully describes the genesis and manifestation of CC. There are 3 levels:

superficial ( external facts) — patterns of behavior, emotional atmosphere and style of communication, technologies, clothing style and solutions in the graphic representation of the brand, organization of workplaces and areas of interaction with customers, symbols, rituals, etc.;
interior(value orientations and prescriptions) - moral beliefs and ethical rules, code of conduct, values, corporate philosophy;
deep(basic personal assumptions - what forms a person's personality) - beliefs and attitudes, national mentality, attitude towards the world, man and activity.

The deep level, for certain reasons, can be called decisive. Because it is "core" for everyone who is part of the organization. This is especially important in relation to the founders and shareholders of any company. After all, it is they who, expressing their life values, form the company, select employees, determine the style of management.

“The fish rots from the head” – such an expression can often be heard from employees of companies where there are problems at the level of communications, management, and business efficiency. And often the employees are right. After all, it is the owners and the management hired by them that bring a seemingly successful and well-known company to collapse. Isn't this an example of how the personality of the founders affects the atmosphere of the company and even its fate?

Factors affecting corporate culture

The main factors that influence corporate culture are the following:

the personalities of the people who organized the company (which is why we pay great attention to working with the owners of the businesses we advise);
personalities of top managers and key employees;
employees;
external environment (market and customers, state regulation and organs.

Each of these factors can be of decisive importance for the formation or development of the corporate culture of a particular organization.

The role of corporate culture

The role of corporate culture in the success of any company is determined by the functions that it is assigned to - broadcasting welcome behaviors, maintaining balance in the internal environment, creating motivation for action. Sort of "spiritual bonds".

metaphor example

Let's take a single-celled organism. It lives in the external environment (in which there may be other unicellular organisms similar to it), has internal structures (all sorts of ribosomes, mitochondria and other vacuoles). If the internal structures do not maintain homeostasis - a stable state aimed at the optimal functioning of all body systems in its presence in the external environment - our unicellular will die. Even if it has a hyperfunction of capturing and converting energy (production) or a super efficient cell membrane that attracts the right or repels unwanted particles (sales department).

This unicellular organism interacts in its own ways with the environment and other unicellular organisms. Depending on the effectiveness of all actions is the duration and realizability of the potential of this organism.

Main the role of corporate culture- reproduction of itself (at all levels and components of the company), broadcasting, "education" of newly arrived employees. Everyone noticed on themselves, plunging into a new team, that some ways of interacting or business techniques may seem alien. But over time we change. And, with a good combination of circumstances, after a while we perceive them as our own. If the corporate culture of the company is not replicated in employees (changing slightly over time under the influence of the external environment or the employees themselves), then the organization will not be unified and effective.

At the same time, if there is no “absorption” of effective ways of behavior from new employees, the company may lose its “mobility”, and the corporate culture will gradually stiffen, lose its relevance. In this case, we can observe the ritualization of corporate culture. In it arises a lot from religion - a large number of beautiful, but useless (in terms of communication with God). And in gradual change without losing the original meaning is the second function of corporate culture.

From this perspective, it is interesting to follow the dynamics of changes in corporate culture in the process of changing the composition of the company. We have accompanied companies more than once, in which the estimate of the management team took place. If this process proceeded smoothly and in an organized manner, then even old employees changed. If the process happened quickly (for example, the change of the entire “top”) or unsystematic, then a collapse occurred to some extent.

For example, the appearance in the management structure of a security agency of a person in a key position with a “Western” management culture led to a certain clash of values and approaches: the focus on efficiency and administration caused confrontation in a system focused on hierarchy and ritualism.

Taking into account the above, we can say that the role of corporate culture in the formation of an order to the HR departments of the company responsible for the selection and adaptation of employees.

The third function is to maintain motivation for activity. In any strong corporate culture, there are always myths and legends that illustrate examples of employee success, rewards for welcome behavior. It can be material incentives or promotion to the rank of heroes.

Not the least important function of corporate culture is the creation of a sense of community and the possibility of identification. Professional slang, rituals, legends and myths of the company play an important role here. For example, about the moment of creation of the company. Or joint singing of the anthem at corporate events (it happens).

Textbook example-joke about the origin of the company nameMicrosoft. We don't know how reliable this is. But such myths allow employees to have a little more in common. Going beyond functional communication.

Another task of corporate culture (and here the role of elements of corporate philosophy, as well as visible artifacts of corporate culture) is to translate a certain image of the company outside. Positioning in the external environment for customers and partners is one of the foundations of business success. Without a holistic brand (meaning not only the logo and color solutions, but the impression that the company creates) it is hardly possible to speak about the possibility of effectively achieving goals. In some cases, this broadcast of corporate ideology is changing the world.

A prime example is the companyZappos. Moreover, Tony Shay describing the corporate cultureZappos solved several problems: systematization and description of experience, translation of corporate culture and brand promotion.

A very classic example isApple, which has formed several markets with its products and changed the culture (loudly said, but true) of modern man. We are not adherents of the "apple", but it cannot be denied that without productsApple man's world would be different.

Summarizing this part, let us return to the thesis about the role of corporate culture, depending on the place that is assigned to it. If the corporate culture is something unconscious and unmanageable, then its impact on the business can be minimal or negative.

The influence of corporate culture on the effectiveness of the organization. Example

In business, there are many examples of a strong corporate culture (penetrating all levels of the company) aimed at achieving goals and helping to achieve these goals. Moreover, it is noticeable that the corporate culture in such companies is purposefully formed. Sometimes long and hard. Carrying out point changes depending on the realities of the surrounding world.

A Russian example is the Izbenka/Vkusvill company (our consultants have participated in some of the corporate culture translation projects). The corporate culture of "Izbenka" at one time was aimed at increasing the main indicator of business - the loyalty and satisfaction of the visitor to the outlet "Izbenka". The task for which the corporate culture worked in this case was the formation of a stable number of consumers and popularization of the brand in a competitive environment (customers were asked whether they were ready to recommend Izbenka shops to their relatives and friends). So the company practically did not spend money on advertising, but actively expanded.

At the same time, a culture of food consumption was being formed - an audience of customers who were ready to buy Izbenka products was brought up. This made it possible to soon get out of the “small shop near the metro” format, offering customers large spaces and a wider product line.

All this would not have been possible without purposeful and systematic work with all levels of the organization. From line managers to salespeople outlets. Understanding and acting in accordance with corporate values has allowed the company to shape the market and succeed.

There are also negative examples of the influence of corporate culture on the effectiveness of the organization. We often parse them into.

Development or formation of corporate culture

In conclusion, we will briefly outline (in detail - in a separate article) the possibilities for the formation and transmission of corporate culture.

First, you need to take into account that the corporate culture is always there. It, like the mental life of a person, permeates the whole existence. And therefore our main message to managers and owners is awareness and management. Awareness at the level of one's own values and how one wants to see the company.
Secondly, strict adherence to the chosen principles. promotion of these principles. At the employee level. At the level of clients and partners. It will be easier for all people and groups interested in you to choose among people like you. The right people will stick to you.
Thirdly, maintaining the corporate culture in the internal environment of the company. Through storytelling, adaptation and training of employees, periodic organizational sessions with managers.

It is not necessary to spend big budgets on corporate culture management. It is important that this work be regular and purposeful. only in this case can results be expected.

At the end - advice. At the next corporate holiday, tell your employees how the company started or what you had to go through before the first success. It would be even better in this story to mention one of the employees present.

"Human Resources Department commercial organization", 2014, N 3

CORPORATE CULTURE

Our country is a multinational state. Each nation has its own traditions and customs - an important component of national culture. So it is with organizations: each has its own system of values, its own rules and norms, formed over the years, determined by accumulated experience. They make up the corporate (organizational) culture of the company, making it unique.

Definition, purpose and typology

The concept of "culture" in itself is ambiguous. This term comes from the Latin verb "colere" - cultivation, education. However, both of these meanings can be applied to the culture of an organization. Let's imagine the formation of a corporate culture as the sowing of views, beliefs (including management philosophy) in a newly created team and education in the process of further activities.

This phenomenon was observed back in the 19th century, initially among the military. It is believed that in Russia they began to deal with corporate culture recently, but this is not entirely true. A certain cultural work went on at each large enterprise Soviet time. Remember at least the stands with photographs of distinguished workers, the universal party affiliation ...

Corporate culture is a system of interaction between people in an organization according to the initially laid down principles, established procedures and historically developed rules. At the stage of its inception, the culture of the organization is able to determine its future: the structure, commercial activity, development, system of motivation. The meaning of corporate culture is the coincidence of the beliefs of employees and the "rules of the game". Its goal is the management of human resources, which are the main value of any organization. In an era of intense market activity and fierce competition, it is no longer enough to control people's behavior, it is important to understand the mood and opinion of society and be able to respond in time.

Corporate culture (according to K. Cameron and R. Quinn) is represented by the following types:

1. Clan culture, or family type culture. This type characteristic of organizations in which friendly, almost family relationships based on loyalty to tradition and mutual devotion. Leaders for their employees become educators, teachers, parents. The leaders of such companies are of the "colleague" or mentor type. The former manage by involving workers in the process of solving problems, seeking mutual consent. The latter take care of their "kids" and actively help some of them. In the clan culture, an important role is played by the psychological attitude, the unity of workers, and their participation in business.

2. Adhocracy culture. Companies with this type of culture are characterized by risk, flexibility, quick response and creativity to doing business. Their leaders are progressive and desperate people. This type of culture exists in companies engaged in projects, technological developments, and innovative activities. Their rule is to be ready for anything and dedicated to experimentation and innovation.

3. Hierarchical (bureaucratic) culture. This is the culture of organizations where all processes are formal and structured. Their leaders are organizers and rational coordinators, people of instructions and rules. Such companies are characterized by internal support in relation to personnel, orderliness, high level control, stability, the diligence of employees is important. Basically, the hierarchical type is represented by state structures and cultural institutions, which are focused on internal comfort, maintaining a smooth course of activity.

4. market culture. In organizations with a market corporate culture, the priorities are the fulfillment of the task, the desire to win, to achieve success. Leaders are firm, stern and demanding leaders. Companies with a market corporate culture are aimed at the external environment: to penetrate the market, to be leaders, to have access to new technologies.

Governance and Significance

Norms and values change and evolve over time. They are influenced by events taking place both in the country and within the organization. Organizational culture depends on the goals, models of actions to achieve them, the economic condition of the company and helps it to solve certain problems.

Management of corporate culture means its development and dissemination in the team. The management structure consists of:

Corporate culture is a set of beliefs, norms of behavior and attitudes common to all employees, an unwritten "code of honor". The importance of corporate culture for the team is indicated by the following:

	it unites the team, strengthens the spirit of cooperation and helps to achieve the goal together, to complete the task;
	if an employee accepts the culture of the organization and corresponds to it, his personal responsibility for the result increases, self-awareness is stimulated;
	corporate culture helps the employee to quickly adapt to the new team, to become his own, instills a sense of security and trust in the company;
	employees understand the importance of the activities carried out in the organization;
	corporate culture increases the labor potential of employees;
	The corporate culture of an organization influences public opinion about her, raising her authority;
	with a good corporate culture, the employee is proud to be part of the company.

If the core values are supported and shared by the majority of employees, the corporate culture has a strong influence on them. Its effectiveness can be determined by the coherence of work and the success of the interaction of employees, their job satisfaction and pride in its results, dedication to the company, readiness for change, despite existing or possible obstacles and difficulties, compliance with the stated standards and high demands on the quality of work.

Functions of corporate culture

The culture of the organization serves to form a general idea of employees about the organization and performs a number of other functions:

	cognitive - when getting acquainted with the culture of the organization, the beginner accepts the "conditions of the game", that is, the established norms, traditions of the local team;
	regulating - indicates and fixes the rules of conduct, requirements for the organization of the workplace;
	cumulative - forms and stores in the "memory" of the company certain beliefs, ethical ideals, significant dates, events;
	intracommunicative - employees communicate better with each other thanks to generally accepted methods and forms of communication;
	external communicative - provides a system of relations with the public, business partners, forms a positive reputation, a special image of the organization;
	motivational - helps to reveal the potential of the employee (objects are created intellectual property, own developments and research are carried out);
	security - a fixed and valid system of values can prevent adverse events;
	educational - culture involves the improvement of corporate norms, which means the constant development of its carriers and the fruitfulness of their activities.

Corporate culture not only regulates and consolidates relationships within the company. Part of the culture is visual design, stories that are passed on in the team by word of mouth. What elements and objects can be distinguished?

Symbols and slogans - memorable images, logos, mottos, slogans. Sentences that succinctly articulate the core values of the corporate culture and design elements for buildings, offices, or branded clothing can communicate the company's philosophy to people, indicate its material capabilities, and ultimately stimulate teamwork. So, a symbol of well-being is corporate transport, vouchers for employees.

Ceremonies, rituals, ceremonies. Most often, these are planned actions for the public awarding of those who have distinguished themselves - with solemn speech, awarding an award ... You can often hear about the rite of "initiation" - a small performance or a comic test, after which a newcomer is accepted into the team.

Corporate events. They are necessary for establishing relations between employees, getting closer to colleagues from non-resident branches of the company, getting to know management, etc. As a rule, these are field trips or feasts with entertainment program. The day of foundation of the company, New Year, etc. can be celebrated. In a word, corporate parties familiar to everyone.

Narratives and stories are narratives based on real-life precedents. Various developments may reinforce existing norms or lead to their revision. Conclusions from such situations, as a rule, are formulated as mandatory actions.

Myths and legends. Their heroes are employees who have accomplished feats in the course of their work or achieved incredible results. Stories about the heroes of the company set an example for other employees (in such a story, events can be partially fictional, embellished).

Dress code (from the English dress code - "clothing code"). These are the requirements for appearance and clothing both for working in the company's office and for attending certain events. This term originated in the UK, but is accepted and valid throughout the world. For organizations where employees are "in plain sight", a dress code is often indicated as a prerequisite in employment contract, rules internal regulations or other regulatory document. There are companies that provide relief, for example, on Fridays. And for firms, let's say, hidden from society, such a condition is not at all necessary.

The language of communication. Communication through professional terms, abbreviations. As a rule, it occurs within departments, thereby uniting employees and emphasizing their belonging to a single whole.

There are several criteria for determining the presence of internal culture, proposed by S. P. Robbins:

	personal initiative - the degree to which employees are empowered with freedom, independence and responsibility;
	degree of risk - willingness of employees to take risks;
	direction of action - the establishment of clear goals by the organization and the expectation of their achievement;
	coordination of actions of employees;
	managerial support - assistance of management to subordinates;
	control - a list of rules for monitoring the behavior of personnel;
	identity - the degree of identification of each employee with the organization;
	reward system - incentives based on the work performed;
	conflict - the willingness of an employee to openly express his opinion if it does not coincide with the opinion of the majority;
	degree of interaction within the organization.

Finally

So, corporate culture is the result of the organization's path, the history of the problems solved and the guide to the future. A well-organized, effective company culture prevents negative changes in it and promotes retention. positive aspects. And of course, the head of the company should pay great attention to this issue.

corporate culture economy

Over the past few decades, many researchers and scientists have turned their attention to the concept of "culture", which predetermines the social context of people's existence, describes their life, prescribes various behaviors that people follow. Studies of the cultural context, conducted in various fields of knowledge, have led to the emergence of a new term and concept in management, which “left” the field of corporate governance and took a separate place in modern theory organizations; namely: the concept of "corporate culture".

Since this concept belongs to the class of such concepts of management disciplines that do not have a single correct interpretation, it is advisable to present the definitions that were given within the framework of various concepts. Consider the definitions of corporate culture, which are presented in the studies of Russian and foreign authors.

V.V. Tomilov defines corporate culture as “a set of thinking that determines the internal life of an organization; way of thinking, acting and being”. Also, according to this scientist, corporate culture can be considered as “an expression of core values in the organizational structure, management system, personnel policy, influencing them” .

V.A. Spivak understands corporate culture as “a system of material and spiritual values, manifestations that interact with each other, inherent in a given corporation, reflecting its individuality and perception of itself and others in the social and material environment, manifested in behavior, interaction, perception of oneself and the environment.” In another study by V.A. Spivak presents corporate culture as a set of the most important provisions adopted by the members of the organization and expressed in the values declared by the organization that set people guidelines for their behavior and actions.

V.V. Kozlov defines corporate culture as a system of formal and informal rules and norms of activity, customs and traditions, individual and group interests, behavioral characteristics of employees of a given organizational structure, leadership style, indicators of employee satisfaction with working conditions, the level of mutual cooperation, identification of employees with the enterprise and its prospects. development .

A.N. Zankovsky by corporate culture means “acquired semantic systems transmitted through natural language and other symbolic means that perform representative, directive and affective functions and are capable of creating a cultural space and a special sense of reality” .

T.Yu. Bazarov and B.L. Eremina see corporate culture as a complex set of assumptions accepted by all members of a particular organization without evidence, and setting a general framework for behavior accepted by most of the organization. These authors also note that corporate culture is manifested in the philosophy and ideology of organization management.

P. Montana and B. Charnov say that corporate culture is a set of values, traditions, customs and meanings that make an organization unique. Corporate culture is the character of an organization, as it embodies the vision of the organization's founders.

From the point of view of the essence of the corporate culture itself and its interdependence with the personnel of the organization, it is characterized by the definition given by K. Scholz: “corporate culture is an implicit, invisible and informal consciousness of the organization that controls the behavior of people and, in turn, is itself formed under influence of their behaviour.

In the context of this study, it is advisable to define corporate culture as a set of behaviors acquired by the organization in the process of adaptation to the external environment and internal integration, which have shown their effectiveness and are shared by the majority of members of the organization, which is manifested in the philosophy and ideology of the organization. This set of behaviors consists not only of behavioral standards, but also of opinions, moods, symbols, attitudes and ways of doing business that determine the identity of the company. Corporate culture reflects not only the social unity and cohesion of employees, but also the effectiveness of the organization.

In this version of the definition, integration implies that effective business relations are created between organizational units, working groups, employees of the organization, and the concept of “internal integration” also includes the delegation of authority to employees of the organization, involving them in solving problems of the organization and searching for promising areas of work of the organization.

The carriers of corporate culture are the employees of the organization, as in the case of the culture of the people, the carriers of which are the people themselves.

Researchers argue that corporate culture exists on different levels which also characterize it. Edgar Schein meant the following levels by these levels: artifacts, proclaimed values and basic ideas. It is important to note that initially these levels were defined in relation to organizational culture, but later researchers came to the conclusion that corporate culture also has a similar structure.

Artifacts are defined as visible organizational structures and processes. This level of corporate culture is also called superficial or symbolic. Because artifacts are visible structures, they include dress code, speech patterns, building architecture and layout, symbols (e.g. logo, company calendars, company flag, company anthem, etc.), organization rites and rituals. Also, the symbolic level of corporate culture includes myths, legends, stories that are associated with the creation of the organization, the achievements of its employees and management.

The first level of culture is based on deeper levels, which directly express the values that were established in the organization during its formation, compiled with the help of not only the founders of the organization, but also subsequent leaders and employees. The main problem when considering artifacts is that symbols can be interpreted differently by different observers, so in order to understand this level, it should be considered simultaneously with the next, deeper level of corporate culture.

If artifacts explicitly express the values of the organization, then the proclaimed values imply the statements and actions of the members of the organization that reflect common values, norms and beliefs. This level is also called the “subsurface” level. The proclaimed values are expressed by the management of the organization in the strategy or as part of it, the employees of the organization, as carriers of its corporate culture, can make their choice: accept these values or reject them. Only after seeing the result of applying the proclaimed values in practice, employees can make this choice. In other words, only after a cognitive transformation can values move from a group concept or belief to the rank of a group representation. As a rule, the proclaimed values are consciously fixed in various documents of the organization, for example, in job descriptions or statutes. Some scholars define proclaimed values that have been fixed in normative documents; as supported values. These values include the philosophy and declared principles of work, the goals of the organization, strategies aimed at achieving the set goals.

At this level, values are studied according to how they are expressed in symbols and language. In an organization, the proclaimed values can be tested, so after a certain period of time, managers have the opportunity to analyze whether these values have led to success and the achievement of goals or not. Depending on what was the impact of the proclaimed values on the work of the organization, these values can be changed or go to the next deeper level.

According to M. Sukhorukova, values "are the properties of a social object to satisfy certain needs of an individual or group" . Corporate values are a prerequisite for achieving success in the interaction of employees.

The last, deepest level, which is called the base, consists of basic ideas (assumptions) that are the unconscious basis of the culture of the organization, while the basic ideas are not considered immutable. Since this basis is not realized by employees, it is expressed in actions, making certain decisions, beliefs, judgments and attitudes. They are not expressed in artifacts and cannot be clearly formulated by the employees of the organization and, accordingly, by the direct bearers of the culture. Basic ideas are on the subconscious level of employees, they are taken for granted, while the perception is intuitive. Base views directly influence the success of the organization, thereby determining the behavior of employees, while minimizing differences.

Basic ideas are part of the fundamental aspects of the existence of an organization, which, in addition to them, include: the nature of time and space, the nature of man and human activity, the nature of truth and the ways of acquiring it, the correct relationship between the individual and the group, the relative importance of work, family, self-realization and self-development , finding by men and women their true role and the nature of the family .

It is the acceptance or non-acceptance of basic ideas by employees that determines how successful the interaction between them in the organization will be.

In addition to the above classification of the levels of corporate culture by Edgar Schein, there are other, more detailed studies of the structure of the elements of culture. For example, consider a variant of corporate culture structure. In this case, five components of the corporate culture of the organization are presented: worldview, corporate values, behavior styles, norms and psychological climate.

In the context of this study, we consider it appropriate to consider the above components in more detail, since they do not contradict the components of the corporate culture identified in the work earlier, but, on the contrary, complement them.

The worldview is singled out as the first component of the structure of the corporate culture of an organization within the framework of this concept, the worldview is defined as “a system of views on the world and a person’s place in it, a person’s attitude to the reality around him and to himself, as well as the basic life positions of people due to these views, their ideals, beliefs, principles of cognition of their activities, value orientations”. The worldview within the framework of corporate culture is closely related to the socialization of the individual, his ethnicity, religious beliefs, so it is sometimes a determining factor in the issue of the possibility of successful joint work of employees in the organization.

Corporate values stand out as the next component of the organization's culture. Scholars Myron W. Lustig and Jolene Koester define them as the perceptions of employees in an organization about what is good, bad, desirable, and acceptable. Corporate values play the role of a link in the organization, they connect the culture of the organization with the culture of each of its employees. Corporate values are associated with various myths, legends and stories that exist in the organization, even with a change in personnel and personnel changes, corporate values do not change.

Behavior styles characterize an organization “through” its people. Behavioral styles usually include: rituals, ceremonies, language, as well as symbols that have a special meaning for the employees of the organization. The behavior of employees is often developed through various trainings, as well as control measures that correspond to the general worldview.

Norms are rules that define proper behavior, which also express the expectations of employees regarding the behavior of members of a given group (organization). Norms can be expressed in the form of formal or informal requirements that are imposed on the employees of the organization. These requirements can be universal and particular, aimed at achieving various goals of the organization.

The last component of corporate culture in accordance with the above study is the psychological climate, which can be defined as the atmosphere that determines the relationship of the employees of the organization to each other and the organization itself as a whole.

Worldview, corporate values, behavior styles, norms and psychological climate together represent a holistic corporate culture that cannot be characterized or implemented in the absence of at least one of these components.

A qualitatively different classification from the point of view of production culture is given by A.A. Pogoradze. In his classification, the concept of “labor” or “production” becomes the basis for determining the elements of corporate culture. Corporate culture is expressed in five directions: the culture of working conditions, the culture of means of labor and the labor process, the culture of interpersonal relations in work collective, management culture and employee culture. After analyzing this classification, we can conclude that the cultures of working conditions, means of work and the labor process constitute the superficial level of the corporate culture of the organization, since they describe artifacts that are expressed in the symbolism, architecture and layout of buildings. The culture of interpersonal relations in the work collective and the culture of management are proclaimed values, since they include the philosophy and declared principles of the organization's work. The culture of the employee, in turn, is a reflection of the basic ideas, that is, the internal culture of the organization, which is determined unconsciously.

When considering such a subject of research as corporate culture, it is impossible not to note what characteristics are assigned this concept scientists. Following Fred Lutens, we single out following characteristics corporate culture :

a) Observed regular forms of behavior are an external manifestation of the level of proclaimed values and basic ideas. Employees of the organization behave in a certain way, use similar speech patterns, rituals, etc.;

b) Standards describe acceptable behavior that is welcomed and encouraged in the organization;

c) The presence of dominant values is the third characteristic of corporate culture, the dominant values are the main ones, they are adhered to by all employees of the organization;

d) The presence of an organization's philosophy determines its corporate culture. Philosophy often expresses the requirements for the treatment of employees of the organization with each other, as well as in relation to the clients of the organization;

e) The rules that exist in the organization are spelled out in job descriptions and other documents, they are mandatory to follow;

g) The organizational climate also characterizes the corporate culture of the organization, as it includes such aspects of psychophysiology as: organization of space, communication styles of employees with each other, with clients, partners, etc.

It should be noted that the dominant values mentioned by Fred Lustens are also called “fundamental” in the works of other scientists. In particular, F.A. Kuzin identifies five components of the fundamental values of corporate culture: symbols, legends, heroes, motto and corporate ceremonies. Symbols are defined as an object, word or statement, kind of action or material phenomenon, which vaguely appears as something else and (or) something more in meaning than the object itself. Symbols directly express the most important values of the organization. Lore is a story based on real events that is repeated and known to all employees of the organization. The values of the corporate culture are implicit in the lore. The hero is the personification of deeds, exploits, the most important attributes of corporate culture, all employees of the company strive or should strive for him. The hero can be a real person, or it can be a symbolic character. A motto (or slogan) is a concise statement of the core value of a corporate culture. Corporate ceremonies are special scheduled events that are held for the sake of company employees. Corporate ceremonies reinforce the values of corporate culture in the eyes of employees, they create the necessary common “team” spirit.

The formation of a corporate culture in an organization is based on several principles, which V.V. Tomilov. Eight principles underlie the formation of a system of values and culture of an organization: consistency, complexity, nationalism, historicity, scientific character, value orientation, scenario and efficiency.

The principle of consistency implies that the corporate culture, first of all, is a system consisting of various elements, the change of which will lead to a change in the system itself. At the same time, a change in the system can be carried out only by changing its element or elements.

The principle of complexity indicates that the system of corporate culture is influenced by several factors, such as, for example, psychological, social, economic, legal and others.

The principle of nationalism suggests that when forming a corporate culture in an organization, the specific culture of the country in which the organization exists is taken into account. That is, culture takes into account national characteristics, mentality, customs, as well as the values and norms of the culture of this country.

The principle of historicity necessitates the existence of a corporate culture system in accordance with the values and system of interpersonal relations that are fundamental. At the same time, this correspondence is carried out synchronously, that is, the organization takes into account the dynamics and changes in these factors over time.

The principle of scientificity provides for the use of scientifically based methods in the formation and change of corporate culture. Measurement of the level of corporate culture in the organization should also be carried out scientifically.

The principle of value orientation implies that the system of fundamental values is a determining factor in the organization.

The principle of scenario predetermines the presence in the organization of various instructions and various documents that describe the styles and nature of the behavior of the employees of the organization.

The principle of effectiveness indicates the need to purposefully influence the culture of the organization, and, in particular, its elements and attributes, in order to achieve best level socio-psychological conditions of the activity of the employees of the organization and increase the efficiency of its activities.

According to these principles, V.V. Tomilov defines the stages of corporate culture formation:

a) collecting data that describes the status of key elements of a particular organization;

b) a qualitative analysis of the level of progressiveness of the main elements of corporate culture, establishing their compliance with the criterion of progressiveness;

c) determining the range of activities that contribute to the establishment of a progressive corporate culture;

d) justification and analysis of the elements of specific activities;

g) justification of certain parameters of specific activities, to change elements of the already existing culture of the organization;

g) implementation of the formation of a progressive corporate culture;

i) analysis of the effectiveness of the measures taken and the measures taken.

Modern scientists note the multifunctionality of culture, that is, the multiplicity of cultural functions, among which it is possible to establish the presence of both useful functions and harmful ones that prevent adaptation, both explicit and latent. According to V.A. Spivak, there are the following functions of corporate culture:

a) reproduction of the best elements of the accumulated culture, production of new values and their accumulation;

b) evaluative-normative function (based on a comparison of the real behavior of a person, group, corporation with our norms of cultural behavior, with ideals, we talk about positive and negative actions, humane and inhuman, graceful and rude, progressive and conservative);

c) regulating and regulating the functions of culture, that is, the use of culture as an indicator and regulator of behavior;

d) cognitive function (cognition and assimilation of corporate culture, carried out at the stage of adaptation of the employee, contributes to his inclusion in the life of the team, collective activity, determines its success);

e) sense-forming function: corporate culture influences a person's worldview, often corporate values either turn into the values of the individual and the team, or come into conflict with them;

g) communication function - through the values adopted in the corporation, the norms of behavior and other elements of culture, mutual understanding of employees and their interaction are ensured;

i) the function of public memory, preservation and accumulation of the corporation's experience;

j) recreational function - the restoration of spiritual strength in the process of perceiving the elements of the cultural activities of the corporation is possible only in the case of a high moral potential of the corporate culture and the employee's involvement in it and the sharing of its values.

When considering such a concept as corporate culture, it is necessary to take into account the fact that in modern science there is a concept that, together with the above, is a kind of scientific problem, since researchers have not reached a consensus regarding their definition, the existence of differences between these concepts and the delimitation of management areas that would define them. This concept is “organizational culture”.

Many scientists combine the two concepts and do not distinguish between corporate and organizational culture. In the works of other authors, there is an opposition of two concepts, while various aspects are indicated that predetermine the appearance of this opposition. So, when translating the works of Edgar Schein, the concept “ organizational culture” is often replaced, thus there is some contradiction between the original works and works translated into Russian.

The definition of organizational culture in terms of its role and function in a modern organization from foreign scientists was given in 1985 by Edgar Schein. He defines organizational culture as a set of core drives, self-formed, learned, or developed by a particular group as it learns to solve the problems of adaptation to the external environment and internal integration - which have proved effective enough to be considered valuable, and therefore transferred to new members in the organization. as the correct way of perception, thinking and attitude to specific problems. Edgar Schein also proposed another definition of organizational culture: “one of the ways in which organizational activities are carried out through the use of language, folklore, traditions and other means of conveying core values, beliefs, and ideologies that direct the activities of the enterprise in the right direction.”

A. Huczynski and D.A. Buchanan (D.A. Buchanan) believe that corporate culture is not equivalent to organizational culture. Organizational culture is broader and deeper in its concepts than corporate culture; it is something that "exists" in the organization, not something that the organization "has".

Mats Elvesson in his work says that usually corporate culture considers the ideals, values and meanings that top managers assume and / or promote, and possibly other groups responsible for their disposal. Some authors understand corporate culture as something already generally accepted, and how this “something” should be in the minds of managers.

However, organizational culture deals with a “real”, more selective interest in the cultural pattern of the organization, as P. Anthony notes. The author tries to erase the line of difference between the two concepts, but corporate culture still refers to the problems of business and management in his understanding. Organizational culture is fundamentally different in that it depends on life experience of people.

Having considered different approaches to organizational and corporate cultures, we can conclude that this problem has not been sufficiently studied and, it is obvious that domestic and foreign scientists operate with the same concepts and concepts, defining organizational and corporate cultures. In the context of this study, it is worth noting that we define corporate culture as developing over time, thus developing its own values and behavioral norms. At the same time, organizational culture, in our opinion, is generally focused on the internal environment of the organization, and its main manifestation is the organizational behavior of employees. Organizational behavior includes leader behavior, group behavior and individual behavior. It is easy to see the close relationship between corporate and organizational cultures, since they cannot exist separately from each other, but on the contrary, they complement each other and are interdependent. Corporate culture provides the proper level of adaptability of the organization to the external environment, while organizational culture plays an integrative role in relation to the internal environment of the organization.

Thus, we define corporate culture as a set of behaviors acquired by the organization in the process of adaptation to the external environment and internal integration, which have shown their effectiveness and are shared by the majority of members of the organization, which is manifested in the philosophy and ideology of the organization. The carriers of corporate culture are the employees of the organization. There are three levels of corporate culture that coincide in their content with the levels of organizational culture, namely: the surface level (or artifacts), the subsurface level (or proclaimed values) and the deep level (or basic ideas).

Eight principles underlie the formation of a system of values and culture of an organization: consistency, complexity, nationalism, historicity, scientific character, value orientation, scenario and efficiency. At the same time, there are several approaches to assessing the definition and relationship of corporate and organizational cultures.

In our study, corporate culture is viewed rather as a set of communicative types of management based on more or less similar perceptions of the world, based on common values and ideas of transforming an organization into a successfully functioning enterprise.

The next stage of this study is to determine the models of corporate culture and consider the classifications of types of corporate culture developed by foreign and domestic scientists.

The corporate culture of the organization depends on the main goals. The system consists of a whole complex of rules of conduct, rituals, symbols, traditions, values shared and supported by all members of the team. Being an intangible asset, the integrity of the system affects the success of the company.

From this article you will learn:

How is the corporate culture of the company formed;
What is the basis for the development of the corporate culture of the organization;
What is the impact of corporate culture on the organization.

How is the corporate culture of the company formed?

The corporate culture of the company is formed under the influence of key factors and develops throughout the entire period of the organization. Fundamental standards, values, beliefs, ethnic norms, expectations and beliefs are supported by employees and help set the right guidelines.

The method of uniting the entire team, the coordination of the management level and individual structural divisions makes it possible to make the work more coordinated. This invariably affects the success of the entire enterprise as a whole, predetermines the economic stability and competitiveness of the organization.

On the correct formation The corporate culture of an organization is primarily influenced by the following factors:

business area, individual features of technologies;
the personality of the leader;
norms and requirements of the external environment;
company development stages.

Why corporate culture needs an enterprise code

A corporate culture cannot be formed without creating an enterprise code. The document develops priority areas for development, designates the main mission, strategic prospects. A mandatory step is to maintain the traditions formed throughout the entire period of the organization's work, the designation of symbols. General principles corporate conduct also refers to the internal code that all team members follow.

Corporate culture and interpersonal relations

What is the basis for the development of the corporate culture of the organization

The formation of a corporate culture in an organization is based on the creation and maintenance of basic norms and values in the structure, management system, personnel policy. In the course of the company's activities, the external and internal environment makes it necessary to solve a number of tasks that most directly affect the creation of certain rules.

WHATIS A CORPORATE CULTURE?
Zeltserman K.B.
Office File #77 June 2005

Corporate culture is one of the elements of the management system. It is like the character of a person, the collective soul of the company and, consequently, its influence on all the activities and efficiency of the company is difficult to overestimate. For business managers, understanding the nuances of the corporate culture that has developed in the company can answer many questions: it is often the corporate culture that is the stumbling block that prevents the company from developing. For example, in one company, at the managerial level, they decided that it was necessary to develop new markets and actively engage in product promotion; that is, take an active position in the market and develop personal selling. When implementing these plans, the company encountered significant difficulties, since the company's sales assistants are used to the fact that the client should know what he wants when he arrives, and the employee's function is only to complete the purchase for him. So the transition from a sales-oriented corporate culture to a sales-oriented and customer-oriented corporate culture took much more time and effort than the leaders thought at the beginning of the project.

Corporate culture affects not only the company's image in the eyes of customers and partners, but is also a factor that can affect the turnover or loyalty of the company's employees. Malfunctions in corporate culture can create a conflicting, tense atmosphere that negatively affects the company's business as a whole and its financial indicators in particular.

What is corporate culture?

So what is corporate culture? The most sensible, in our opinion, definition of corporate culture sounds like this:

Corporate culture is a set of values, patterns of behavior and technologies transferred in the company "from generation to generation"

By and large, corporate culture is the order that operates in a particular company and which are formed on the basis of corporate values. Values are what is most important for me, as an employee of the company or my colleagues, these are the principles on which I build my life, this is the basis, foundation and support. Corporate culture is both the relationship between employees and the attitude to work, to customers , to managers and subordinates; environment that prevails in the company. It manifests itself in the way people behave in the workplace: how they dress, talk on the phone, where they have lunch, when they come to work and leave it, and many other nuances of business behavior. . These are answers to the questions of what is accepted and what is not accepted in the company, what is encouraged and what is not, what is scolded for, and what is praised and promoted for. And in each company it is different, since the set and structure of corporate values that underlie any corporate culture is different for each company (in rare cases, the wording may sound the same, but the meaning and manifestations of values in behavior are different). For example, such a value as "respect for human dignity" can be understood in different ways. In some companies this high quality customer service (“spotlight” on the client), and in others, that the employee of the company must, first of all, maintain his dignity (“spotlight” on the employee-owner of the office), in the situation of the client’s claim.

Components of corporate culture

Let's look at what are the components of the corporate culture in order to see this complex and ephemeral phenomenon in the context, put it on the shelves, so that later, if necessary, take what you need from the shelf and understand what to do with it.

The company's mission and values for society its message. The company's values are, so to speak, its "nuclear structure". The values of the founders of a business (which, by definition, are the basis of the corporate values of the company as a whole) explain why and for what this business was created, what it should be like, what message it will carry to the outside world. Agree that the person for whom core values are the family, the preservation of traditions, and the person who values innovation, progress and development will create two completely different businesses with very different corporate cultures. The company's value system is a kind of vector; it runs like a red thread through all manifestations of the company. A clear and identical understanding by all (primarily managers) of corporate values makes it possible to avoid discrepancies in the declared and presented behavior of the company in the market, to form a positive and attractive image of the company. In the corporate culture of a company, values can acquire different forms and manifestations. So values can be represented:

in the mission of the company
in a separate document "Corporate Values Memorandum",
in myths and history, company legends.

In corporate mythology, those stories and actions that are especially significant for the company can be represented. Myths can be formed about individuals and deeds worthy of respect and emulation. An analysis of mythology allows us to understand what the company expects and what it does not expect from employees, what values lie behind these actions and which of them are expressed in legends, and which in anecdotes that “teach” how not to.

Company traditions, rituals. This is a behavior that the company considers important, cares and cherishes, sees its historical value and creates rituals to continue the established tradition. For example, the annual celebration of the company's birthday, the ritual of a new employee entering the position, the tradition of celebrating a successfully completed project, etc. These can be unwritten rules that are not fixed in any documents, but simply existing ones, which are observed by the old-timers of the company. The rituals adopted in the company greatly simplify life: there is no need to re-invent how to do something every time, for example, how to congratulate an employee on his birthday. If the ritual is good (everyone likes it), then its observance has a beneficial effect on the atmosphere in the company and gives rise to a sense of unity and corporate spirit.
Rules and norms of behavior. This is a set of formal and informal requirements that a company imposes on an employee. It's like the rules of the game that you have to accept in order to win. The norms and rules of conduct affect all aspects of the life of the organization, they are adhered to by most employees. The issue of “rationing” activities in different companies occurs in different ways. Somewhere the norms are enshrined in certain documents, somewhere they are passed from mouth to mouth, somewhere it’s not at all clear whether they exist or not, and somewhere they are such that “mom don’t cry!”. For example, in one company it was the norm to promise the client the fulfillment of those deadlines that were “unrealistic” to meet, this was done in order to play on the speed of order execution. A new employee of the company turned to his colleagues with a question: “How much can we complete this order?” to which he received the answer: "Say two weeks." The employee was surprised and asked: “How can we do all this in this time?” and heard: “Listen, this is a completely normal situation, you say two weeks, the client is happy, signs a contract, after two weeks, you call him and say that they say so, it will take two more. He has nowhere to go, we have already begun work, and he paid the money.”
Management culture. The style of management adopted in the company is influenced by many factors, ranging from the organizational structure of the company to individual features managers and the development of their managerial skills .

The leader's behavioral style acquires the character of a standard for employees, employees consciously or unconsciously adopt his behavior, adjust their actions to the rhythm of the leader's work, and the decisions that he makes in frequently recurring situations gradually become the standard for his subordinates to resolve the issue. The manager may be constantly late, fail to fulfill obligations, etc., employees will do the same. Moreover, the leader can stop such behavior only own example, that is, changing his own demeanor .

The nature of management is also influenced by the existing (sometimes historically established) structure of the organization: how clearly the functions are distributed, whether delegation is practiced. Sometimes it happens that leaders do not know how to use delegation as an element of control, and tend to concentrate all power in their hands, afraid to lose control over the situation. Gradually, the staff gets used to the fact that everything is done by the manager, and for every trifle they run to the authorities, overloading it more and more.

Also important are the principles of selection, appointment, promotion and dismissal of employees from the company. For example, a leader may encourage initiative and activity of employees, or give preference to obedience and value diligence more. In the latter case, employees will gradually adapt to the requirements of management and will demonstrate maximum loyalty, which is sometimes brought to the point of absurdity and is expressed in the principle “the authorities know best”, in which employees avoid initiative in every possible way and strive to evade responsibility.

In general, management style, as an element of corporate culture, is expressed in what managers constantly pay attention to, what they often talk about as important, what they praise for, what they deduct from salaries, etc. What is the price for a mistake in the company, what type of criticism does the manager use (encouraging, reproaches, constructive, impersonal or targeted, with irony, hints, remarks, demands, “full dressing”, advice) - all this is reflected in the corporate soul of the company, in mood, and accordingly, professional activity. An important element of the management style from the point of view of corporate culture is the degree of objectivity of the manager when evaluating subordinates: if expressions like “fallen out of favor”, “became another scapegoat”, “he has a new favorite” can be applied to the manager special kind corporate culture, tied to the subjective sympathy of the head. Such a culture can aggravate the atmosphere in the company, provoke intrigues, “setting up”, or it can go sideways to the leader if the informal leader of the company falls into disfavour.

Microclimate, style of formal and informal communication of employees, ways of resolving conflicts and disputes. The presence and nature of horizontal connections (connections between employees of the same level in the job hierarchy) also vividly characterizes the corporate culture of the company. Do employees communicate only on work issues, or does everyone have their own task plan and is it not customary in the company to consult and “distract” other employees? Do conflicts often occur, what causes them, who resolves them, the employees themselves, or do they “live a long life” on the sidelines, and then the manager calls the “disputers” on the carpet and, branding each other, “swear” to make friends again and directly now, in front of the boss, it is important to shake hands.
Image and corporate identity. This concept includes everything that is designed to make the company recognizable in the market. The design of the premises, corporate colors, the presence of elements of the organization’s symbols, slogans, design style (strict “businesslike”, “homely” softness, or “creative mess”), the principle of employee placement, elements of the corporate identity of the company. Due to them, a certain idea is created about the style of the organization and about value orientations inherent in the organization. For example, in Western organizations, open space offices are very common, in which the entire department, including the head, is located in one room. In such offices, a more democratic and more businesslike atmosphere is created, since everything is in sight. In organizations that use the principle of office placement, a large distance is maintained between the leader and subordinates, which often prevents the prompt resolution of issues; numerous tea parties and distractions for extraneous matters are also accepted.

The dress code and the style of self-presentation, accepted or not accepted in the company, are also related to image issues and reflect the characteristics of the company's corporate culture. In one company, a democratic view of how an employee looks like prevailed, but when it came to appointing a PR director, the girl was refused, citing the fact that the bright color of her hair and piercings on her face prevented her from taking this position. Thus, the true culture was manifested, the norm was designated. Now, the girl will decide whether to change herself or change her job, or maybe she is able to influence the norm, form something new in the corporate culture of her company?

Corporate culture exists a priori, it is an integral attribute of any corporate (group) forms of interaction. And the fact that no one is engaged in it does not mean that it does not exist: it only means that it was formed spontaneously (they appeared empirically, historically developed). However, the fact that any company has a particular corporate culture does not mean that this culture, if it interferes with efficiency, should be taken for granted and not influenced in any way. It is possible and necessary to manage corporate culture, but it must be done according to the rules (which are discussed below).

How to manage corporate culture?

The corporate culture is amenable to formation and adjustments, it’s just that this process requires investments and does not happen at a wave magic wand(“Now let's live together and be customer-oriented!” the director said from the podium, and it became so). This is possible only at the very beginning of the formation of the company, when there are few employees in the company, all of them are relatives or like-minded people and are directly managed (and therefore under direct influence) by the founder of the business. And when you deal with medium and large companies, in which each employee comes with their own values and previous experience of "being" in a different environment, the corporate culture begins to demand conscious attitude to itself, thoughtful influence and use professional tools adjustments.

First of all, when forming a corporate culture, it is important to pay attention to the following points:

Formation of corporate culture is a process. It's complex and demanding systems approach work. A big mistake in solving such a problem will be to start with small things. For example, for no reason at all, conduct a “team building” training in the forest, or go down on rafts. The effect will not be long-term, but if they "unsuccessfully descend" it will also be negative. We need to build a system. To understand what in the current culture fits the goals, strategy and values of the company, and what needs to be adjusted. The system needs to start building from the basics, namely from values.
It is also important that how to implement changes in corporate culture. Since the corporate culture concerns everyone and each employee is its bearer and reformer, to change the corporate culture “by order from above” and with “ tomorrow" impossible. Violent influence will only increase the resistance on the part of employees. In order for the change to be successful, it is necessary to involve employees already at the stage of development of these changes: give them the opportunity to ask questions, put forward their proposals, inform them about how changes are needed for what, how development is going on, how innovations will be introduced.

Mechanisms for adjusting corporate culture

Technologically, the adjustment of corporate culture can be built using the following mechanisms:

participation mechanism. Involving employees in solving important tasks for the organization, for example, joint development of the organization's mission.
Symbolic control mechanism. The use of various kinds of rituals, characteristic only for this organization. For example, constantly opened door to the manager's office or handing over an organizer with the company's logo in honor of the successful completion of the project.
Mutual Understanding Mechanism. This mechanism can be built by constantly informing employees about the changes taking place in the organization, spending days feedback when an employee can ask questions to the manager and hear his opinion about the quality of his work. And also, you can and should use meetings, meetings, where you can discuss the ways and means of moving the company. You can use a corporate newspaper to create a common ground for understanding and exchanging views, to inform employees about the achievements of their colleagues and the company as a whole.
Rewards mechanism.What we encourage every day is what we get. Therefore, within the framework of the same corporate events, for example, on the company's birthday, at least diplomas can be issued for achievements and qualities that are important and valuable for the company. Organize special ceremonies and celebrations that reinforce new ways of working. At the same time, the orientation of the needs of employees should be taken into account, if, for example, the opportunity for professional growth is important for an employee, then he can be sent as an encouragement to training or entrusted with a new type of work.

Documents reflecting corporate culture

What is the best way to make an agreement? What documents to fix in order to work?

Development of a position on the philosophy and goals of the company. The document "Philosophy of the company" is formulated in the form of principles of work, a set of its values, commandments that must be followed in order to preserve and maintain the spirit of the organization. Such a document is designed to coordinate the interests of all parties: owners, employees and customers.

For example, the IBM philosophy includes the following blocks: management credo, management principles, quality and services, environmental protection, personnel policy. To develop a philosophy, you can use different forms, such as surveys of employees about how they see the company and its philosophy now (what has developed) and how they would like to see it, as well as direct discussions between all members of the company. The choice of method depends on the size of the company. And success comes from the real desire of management to adjust the corporate culture and the ability to competently build a process of informing about their desire and initiating employees.

Standardization of activities. The standards of activity and behavior of employees, as we said at the beginning of the article, are the basis of the main material expression of the company's corporate culture.

Standardization of business processes is a documented technology. It would seem that the technology of production and implementation of the main business functions is the same everywhere and has nothing to do with the corporate culture of the company. However, this is only true if we are talking about the general technological algorithm. If we consider the details of the organization of the business process at the level of individual operations and approvals, then the uniqueness of the company, both technologically and culturally, will manifest itself here. So in one company, the process of employee adaptation involves weekly tripartite meetings of the HR manager, mentor and newcomer, somewhere only his immediate supervisor is involved in a new employee. Somewhere a question about giving financial assistance an employee who is seriously ill close relative, is solved promptly and delicately, but somewhere an employee must knock on a dozen thresholds and collect a lot of signatures in order to receive “help”. Thus, the standardization of business processes allows you to comply with the inherent values and comply with the business culture that the company has conceived. These documents must be entered into the so-called adaptation folders, which are studied by a new employee of the company so that he quickly merges into a new corporate culture for him. And of course, strictly monitor compliance with standards by all employees of the company.
Quality Service Standards. This is a document that describes the acceptable and prohibited behavior of employees when interacting with customers: the rules for interacting with customers and partners in direct communication, by phone, by correspondence, rules of conduct in difficult and conflict situations etc. You can talk about quality service standards for a long time and a lot, in refraction to the topic of forming a corporate culture, it is important that the standards should enshrine such behavior that supports the corporate values of the company and prohibits behavior that is contrary to corporate values, interferes with the implementation of the stated goals and can negatively reflect on the company's image. Sometimes companies go further and develop code of corporate conduct, which describes the standards of behavior of employees in all areas of working life.

In conclusion, I would like to return once again to the metaphor corporate company, as the nature, temper of the company. As you know, temperament changes only with a strong influence of the environment, and then only if the subject wants to stay in this environment and accept it as important and significant. Therefore, in order to instill in employees the desire to change the “foundations”, it is necessary to keep them informed of the course the company has chosen. First of all, inform them about the conditions the company is in, how it has advanced along its path, in order to give people the opportunity to form their attitude to the situation and consciously embark on the path of change, creating the corporate culture that they want.