solved Question:Â For this discussion board answer the following two questions:

Question: 
For this discussion board answer the following two questions:

Organizational culture can be an instructive but also an elusive concept. Think about an organization you know well: perhaps a university environment, or even this course as an organization. How would you describe its culture to an outsider? Compare that organization with another: how do the two differ on such dimensions as physical space, language use, and underlying assumptions and values? Which culture type best describes these organizations.
Do you think that organizational culture can be changed? Why or why not?

To receive credit for the discussion board, you must meet the following criteria: 

“Provide a robust (equivalent to at least one double spaced page) answer in essay format.  ”
Your answer should be posted by Wednesday at 11:59pm (CT).
You must respond to, at least, two (2) other students in class in their discussion boards as well as any questions and comments from the professor or other students.
Run the Organizational Design Simulation: Evolving Structures included in the coursepack (there are a total of three rounds if you don’t get fired!).  Review your results for each round and answer the following questions: 

Do you feel you were successful?  Why or why not?
Which of your results most surprised you?
Did you see a specific connection between your structural decisions and the KPIs?

REPLY TO: 
Brittany,

The first organization I will use is the Base Honor Guard team I was a part of several years ago. It had a very rich culture and legacy since the team’s entire purpose was to honor the fallen and represent the service. This culture relied heavily on tradition, symbols, rituals and routines, and stories. Every morning the team would sit together for breakfast and either ready from our instruction manual on how to perform certain details, or tell stories from previous details that served as a bonding and teaching moment. We practiced together, performing the same motions over and over until we had them committed to muscle memory. Symbolism is huge in an honor guard team, the most prominent being the U.S flag. Everyone took special care to handle it with pride and there were certain rules we followed in regarding to carrying, displaying, and folding it. The power structure within the group was not a rigid top-down structure. The team valued skill and experience for their leaders, rather than rank or position. Those that were best equipped to lead the funeral or color service would be the detail leads, whether they outranked other members.

I am now a part of a completely different team and career field, and while both organizations fell under the umbrella organization of the military, they are very different. My current job is Air Traffic Control and while the team concept is strong and we rely on each other, the rich history and legacy that was found in Honor Guard is missing here. Most controllers have type-a personalities, are very competitive, and tend to lean towards the arrogant side. We don’t like to be wrong, especially when being wrong could mean the different between a disaster or a safe recovery for airplanes. Most of our “traditions” included hazing and belittling of those that were in training, so they have begun to disappear with the new push for politically correct culture and respecting each other. Our only other major tradition is to wait to pin on our occupational badge (which other career fields get to wear upon completion of their technical training) until we have earned a full facility rating at whatever base we are at and are no longer considered to be in training. The badge ceremony typically involves the metal badge being pinned to our chest and other controllers taking turns “tacking” it on. In other words, punching it into your chest.
On a surface level the two differ in terms of work environment, symbolism, and purpose. The espoused values are also different, while one organization is concerned with preserving a legacy and honoring those that have served, the other is concerned with the safe and efficient controlling of airplanes. Lastly, the basic assumptions and beliefs between the two environments cultures are different. Honor Guard focuses on the team mentality and is only as strong as its weakest member, while Controllers tend to try and one up each other and be the “strongest” controller. I believe clan culture would best describe Honor Guard, while hierarchy culture would best describe Air Traffic.

I do believe organizational culture can be changes, and I have witnessed it change with new leaders and new requirements. The military is constantly evolving and is influenced heavily by politics and what is most correct at the time. Things that were acceptable in the past and considered part of the experience, such as the hazing and mistreatment of trainees, are no longer acceptable and can land the culprit in serious trouble if they are caught behaving this way. Because of this, the step from trainee to rated controller isn’t quite as prestigious as it used to be, because it is no longer an escape from the mistreatment.

Here is the second one.
Tammy,
A few years ago, I worked for a State Personnel agency that assists agencies with quality employee training and professional development. Classes in trust, clarification of purpose, and superior customer service are used to develop talent. Within workforce development, vision and values are an essential part of the day-to-day operation. However, the shared purpose of providing quality professional development for an employee for the State is the constant theme throughout the division. When I came into the organization as Director of Administrative Support Programs, one of the first things I noticed, was the organization’s culture. Employees had “servant” attitudes. Therefore, each employee is willing the go the extra mile to serve the participants. This “servant” attitude began with our Director of Workforce Development. She is always supportive and wants us to go the extra mile to supply a quality training experience. Her vision is clearly stated to provide quality training on the cuff of industry-standard, and her values and vision are an intricate part of the department. Therefore, it was an intricate part of our culture.
A few years ago, I worked for a technical college that believed in money first and the customer last. And because of this culture, I constantly conflicted with upper management about the direction of our company. I felt that I could do my job effectively and put the customer first. At first, I became discouraged by the lack of effort by others to do the right thing. I was often told that in the “business world,” I shouldn’t be naïve. Our company was in the business to make money, and if we had to distort the truth occasionally, it was OK. My manager would say, “business is business.” I felt defeated. However, I started to look at my situation differently. I could move along with the crowd, do my job and keep my head down, or I could take a stand by my actions. It was a challenging decision. I didn’t want to lose my job, but I could no longer remain silent and do nothing. So from that day forward, I became a shadow leader. I tried to make a difference no matter my position in the company. When unethical issues arose, I disagreed with them and said, “no.” Nevertheless, the outcome at first was not in my favor. I began to receive opposition from management, and I later resigned. Overall, the culture of this organization was fear, dishonesty, and intimidation.
The two organizations I have discussed had two entirely different cultures. One organization had a culture of fear, dishonesty, and intimidation which led to abuses or situations where employees were not comfortable. However, the other organization had a culture that made employees feel safe and welcome, never excluded or uncomfortable.
2.) Do you think that organizational culture can be changed? Why or why not?
A cold and unattached organizational culture makes it challenging to hire and welcome employees different from the dominant culture. This could be a significant disadvantage to the organization if the newcomer withdraws or quits; they could be a wonderful asset to the company. However, with time, commitment, planning, and proper execution, an organization can change its culture to support key business goals and needed outcomes (etc., happy employees, satisfied customers, significant profits). “Communication, employee involvement, and a willingness to learn and adapt are keys to keeping organizational change on track.” (Susan M. Heathfield, 2020)
I found this simulation to be challenging but very eye opening in how one decision can have a domino effect on the entire company. I played through the simulation a few times to get a better understanding of the impacts my decisions made, and I made it to round 3 a few times, as well as got fired a few times.

I felt I was moderately successful in the rounds that I did not get fired, however my end result was still that I was in a functional structure and not a divisional structure. The company maintained its profitability and it moderately increased its relationships with stakeholders, however employee satisfaction began to decline.
I was surprised during rounds where I tried to split departments which caused confusion and a decrease in performance, but then when I tried to keep things the same my results said that the company was growing too fast to remain the same. It seemed that I wasn’t making the right decisions at the right time, which had a big impact of the overall company.
I did notice specific connections between my structural decisions and my KPI’s. While I was hoping to increase collaboration and employee satisfaction with my decisions, the choices I made regarding span of control and training seemed to negatively affect their overall job satisfaction. But it did positively affect the percentage of goals reached and bottom line.

I am curious to see the solutions guide and everyone’s results, I am curious how turning into a divisional structure will impact employee satisfaction, which I’ll admit was a main concern of mine. In hindsight I may have needed to focus more in other areas rather than just making sure they were happy.