Culture
The organizational culture is influenced significantly
by the attitude of senior management
toward people. The culture, consisting of
the values and beliefs of individuals about
important issues such as quality, productivity,
and the work ethic, can play a major role in the
effort to execute strategy effectively. The attitude
of executives is reflected in how they
communicate with employees, implement decisions
and policies, and share information;
their values and beliefs set the tone for all
others in the organization. Dynamic, innovative
senior managers with strong interpersonal
skills can create a motivational environmentand foster multidirectional communication.
They create a people-centered culture where
people who are treated well are more likely to
provide better patient care.
The employee selection process has a positive
impact upon the organizational culture if
applicants whose attitudes and beliefs are
consistent with those necessary to implement
strategy are hired. Managers seeking to execute
a low-cost-producer strategy should select
people with a high work ethic who value
productivity and quality of work. In addition,
the selection process should screen out those
who would not be a good fit with the desired
culture. Recruits who have enjoyed working in
organizations with restrictive work practices
and narrowly defined jobs where employees
are rewarded as individuals may not be a good
fit for a team-oriented work system where jobs
are defined broadly, employees have to be
cross-trained to perform a variety of functions
on the team, and rewards are based upon
group performance.