THE EXTENT TO WHICH ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE SHAPES EMPLOYEES’

ATTITUDE AND BEHAVIOUR DURING ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE

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MANAGING STRATEGIC CHANGE

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FIRST ASSESSMENT POINT

JULY 2021
INTRODUCTION
Organizational culture, which emerges from its nature and refers to the philosophies,

attitudes, beliefs, behaviours, and practices that define an organization, has a significant

impact on organization and management (Smith et al, 2012). The establishment of this

culture (a set of values, expectations, and practices that all team members use to guide and

inform their actions), which is created and developed by the organization's leaders, consists

of shared beliefs and values, which are then communicated and strengthened, resulting in the

shaping of employee perceptions, behaviours, and understanding. The context for everything

an organization does is established by its culture (Schein, 2010).

Organizational culture as a system of assumptions, values, norms, and attitudes

manifested through symbols which the members of an organization have developed and

adopted through mutual experience and which help them determine the meaning of the world

around them and how to behave in it (Kropp, 2000). Assumptions, values, norms, and

attitudes that the members of an organization share significantly shape their interpretative

schemes (Kreitner & Cassidy 2011). these interacts with the formal structures to produce

behavioural norms that influence employees’ degree of job satisfaction and the level and

quality of their performance. (Smith et al., 2012).

The essay examined: organizational culture; organizational change; the role of

organizational culture in shaping employees’ attitudes and behaviour; organizational culture

and its impacts on employees’ attitudes and behaviour; and factors influencing employees’

attitudes and behaviour toward organizational change; employees’ commitment and the

relationship between employees’ commitment and employee attitude towards organizational

change; and how organizational culture can influence these attitudes in a rapidly changing

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environment and thus, the extent to which organizational culture shapes employees’ attitudes

and behaviours during organizational change.

Organizational Culture

Understanding the culture of an organisation, gives an understanding of the underlying values

and assumptions of the organization and what motivates and drives the behaviour of those

within the organisation (Kamudin, 2006). Schein (1990), put organizational culture as a

pattern of basic assumptions, invented, discovered, or developed by a given group as it learns

to cope with its problems of external adaptation and internal integration, that has worked

well enough to be considered valid, and therefore, is to be taught to new members as the

correct way to perceive, think, and feel in relation to those problems”. Schein (1990)

proposed the basic model that is most widely used in shaping organizational culture. In the

component of the frames are:

Organizational Artefacts
Organizational culture is considered to transcend itself in observable ways. These can be

auditory, visual, or even olfactory (Schein, 2009). These include both physical and non-

physical aspects such as: Procedures for making decisions; Dress codes (either formal or

informal); Hours of work; Conflict resolution and management; Etiquette in meetings;

Relationships at work; Work Life balance; Communications (internal/external); The products

and services offered; Formal communications and policies and procedures; The stated vision

and mission of the organization; Leadership style and Informal subcultures.

Organisation Values and Beliefs

Values shared by organizational members tend to endure over time and are more resistant to

change. One of the main reasons that organizational culture has such a strong influence on

employees is that it is an inherent part of employees' values and beliefs systems, rather than

an explicit part (Schein, 2009). In a large organization, these are usually set by the founder or

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the high management team. other values are converted into employee behaviour in the

organization as enacted values (Schein, 2009) all encompasses viability and growth of the

organization.

The role of organisational culture in shaping employees’ attitudes and behaviour

Organisational culture influences employees’ attitudes and behaviour within the

process of organisational change by providing a reservoir of organisational meanings against

which the results, experience, and performance data are interpreted and inquiries about

changes in procedures and program technologies can proceed (Mahler, 1997). A number of

studies have found a link between employee attitudes and company culture. Managers can

boost employee satisfaction, according to research, by cultivating cultures that value

collegiality and collaboration (XinMa and MacMillan, 1999). Organizational culture has an

impact on newcomer satisfaction and commitment, according to Meglino et al (1989) in

reaping their contribution to the organization performances. Employees who are more

satisfied with their jobs are more willing to participate in an organizational change process

than employees who are dissatisfied with their jobs (Alvesson,2013). Employees who thought

their organization's culture was stronger were more willing to help implement organizational

changes and were happier with their jobs and managers. Employees with a strong corporate

culture report higher job satisfaction and loyalty to the organization.

Organizational culture can have a positive or negative impact on change

implementation. Vadi (2000) compared various organizational culture studies and identified

common criteria for characterizing organizational culture using positive-negative and strong-

weak orientations. The degree to which all members are willing to support the achievement

of common goals is reflected in the positive-negative orientation of organizational culture. A

sense of belonging is indicated by the strong-weak orientation of organizational culture. In

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this regard, the two scales differ: positive-negative reveals relationships with management

activities and organizational goals, whereas strong-weak reveals interpersonal relationships.

As a result, we can emphasize the relationship between the two dimensions – task and

relationship orientation – and organizational culture (Vadi, 2000).

Culture can have a positive or negative impact on industry outcomes in many ways.

For example, cultures that are asynchronous with corporate systems can lead to lower

employee loyalty, motivation, and turnover. while healthy cultures, result in higher job

satisfaction, increased productivity, and increased collaboration on company strategies. it is

most commonly seen as an enabler of technique and efficiency by high-performing

companies, and they want to create a culture that will help and enable employees to achieve

those goals (Taylor, 2014).

Organizational Change
Change is a pervasive influence. It is an inescapable influence that forms part of both social

and organizational life that is subject to continual change of one form or the other (Mullins,

2007). Organizational change can be difficult and expensive. However, it is necessary for an

organization's long-term viability and advancement.

The main forces for change are: Insufficient natural resources, Political interests, information

and communication technology and new technology advancement, Uncertainty in economic

conditions, Globalization and world competition

Change is resisted by people for a variety of reasons. Employees may actively oppose a

change initiative because they believe they have no stake in the process, do not want to take

on the additional work that the change entails, are concerned about their lack of needed skills

to thrive in the organization after the change, or are afraid of losing their jobs (Kanter 2012).

Change entails the abolition of the status quo, resulting in the loss of power in an

organization for individuals and groups. To keep their power, these employees will work

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against change. Change, for the most part, breeds uncertainty, and people organize their lives

to maximize their day-to-day consistency. Life can be seen as "orderly, predictable, familiar,

and safe" when there is a lot of congruence (Bailey and Raelin 2010). Change makes life

appear less secure and orderly, making those who are undergoing it feel threatened. The

success of an organizational change project is heavily influenced by the attitudes and

behaviour of those within the organization. A strong fit between employees and the

organization can lead to "stronger commitment" and higher retention of employees during

change as shown by Meyer et al., 2010. The commitment depends on its been Affective,

linked to an employee's perception of how beneficial the change will be to them, in most

cases or Normative, associated with positive attitudes toward change, meaning an

organization with high normative commitment is much more likely to experience successful

change (Shin, et al 2012). The foundation of normative commitment comes from the "sense

of obligation" an employee has to the organization.

An organizational leader and change agent are able to foster higher levels of normative

commitment and a better fit between employees and the organization through organizational

culture. Change in an organization creates uncertainty in an organization. This uncertainty

creates fear among those in the organization making change management very difficult.

Therefore, building change on and around the core values of the company’s culture makes

implementing the change less uncertain and unpredictable thereby making the employees less

stressed and fearful (Vakola, 2005). Meanwhile, emphasizing the values of an organization,

in particular how the change will improve these values, strikes people at the very heart of

their work and makes them more open to change and accept it. Organizations as societies

have their own values which dictate conduct and standards which allow members to

understand reality (Morgan 1997). overcoming resistance to change employees’ education

and communication, training and development, facilitation through coaching, Consultation

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and negotiation with trade union, Empathy and support: Understanding how employees are

feeling about change is helpful are emphatical.

Factors influencing employees' attitudes and behaviour toward organizational change

Change is unavoidable and will continue to happen, even in businesses and organizations

(Singh and Gupta, 2016). Organizational change is difficult because it involves many parties

and considerations. Employee attitudes toward organizational change are one factor to

consider when undergoing organizational change (Amit, 2018; Rebeka and Indradevi, 2015;

Singh and Gupta, 2016). Understanding change as process of adjusting to changing

circumstances in order to improve organizational performance, organization's success and

survival (Al-Haddad and Kotnour, 2015). Organizations that refuse to change or adapt to the

situation will lag in its purpose or tend to perish (Rebeka and Indradevi, 2015). Encourage

structured, constructive change, minimize resistance to change, and overcoming the

consequences of the changes made, organizations need effective methods (Al-Haddad and

Kotnour, 2015) to achieve its goals. The main factors for organizational change, according to

Singh and Gupta (2016), are organizational factors (external factors, perceived social support,

organizational support, leadership style (transformational and transactional), manager

engagement, change involvement, perceived organizational support, and information quality

(Serpa, 2016).) and individual factors (internal factors; The intrinsic and extrinsic factors that

influence employees' attitudes toward organizational change, Work-related values, self-

efficacy, threat appraisal, stress perception, job-related attitudes (organizational commitment

and job satisfaction), job-related characteristics (skill variants, task identity, task significant

feedback, autonomy, and goal clarity), skill development, employee trust, and fear of change

(Serpa, 2016).).

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 The efficiency of an organization is directly or indirectly influenced by its culture and

the overall mood and happiness it creates among its staff (Gregory et al. 2009) this influences

its goal achievement. The external environment, history, and day-to-day operations of the

organization all influence organizational culture. The culture is shaped and moulded by the

interactions between the organization and its members, as well as the organization's

longevity, the richness of its shared history, how well the culture is taught to new members,

and the founders' values and beliefs. Organization’s culture will be weak if it lacks a long

history, strong founding values, or dedicated employees (Schein 1990). Cultural values are

the bedrock of organizational culture, and they are at their most powerful when they have

stood the test of time.

Employee attitudes in the organisational change process

Employee attitudes are thought to be a good predictor of an organization's future

success (Hurst 1995). Cooper (1984) claims that a person's attitudes influence them to act in

one way rather than another. In contrast, attitudes toward change—as well as the benefits of

the change and managers' ability to implement it—become crucial. Theorists have considered

participation as the best method for achieving employee commitment to change (Coch and

French, 1948). Because change necessitates the acquisition of new skills, behaviours, and

attitudes, therefore, necessitates efforts on the part of employees to attain goals. Commitment

and satisfaction are two constructs that have been used to determine whether people are

effectively connected to an institution or are likely to leave (Holton and Russell 1999; Meyer

and Allen 1997; Randall et al. 1990). Commitment attitudes may influence commitment

behaviour, which in turn may influence commitment attitudes (Reichers 1985) indicating

person's level of commitment to change if they develop sufficient positive attitudes or a sense

of goal congruence.

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Conclusion

Employees’ attitudes and behaviour toward organizational change are influenced by

organizational culture. Positive changes in attitudes are influenced by a strong organizational

culture (Alas and Vadi, 2006). Healthy cultures, on the other hand, result in higher job

satisfaction, increased productivity, and increased collaboration on company strategies and it

is always seen as an enabler of technique and efficiency by high-performing companies

(Taylor, 2014).

Organizational culture and change are both complex and difficult to grasp.

Organizational culture can both advance and impede, help and hinder, bringing uncertainty

and with uncertainty resistance. These two can work together, however, to help implement

change. Resistance can be overcome, at least in part, through the use of organizational

culture. If the change strengthens the underlying values of a culture, then members of the

culture are more likely to accept the change.

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