Organizational Culture refers to the environment that encloses you at the workplace. Culture is a dominant element that shapes your work satisfaction, relationships, and processes. However, even though culture isn’t something that is tangible you can experience its physical manifestations throughout the workplace.

Through the works of Ken Thompson and Fred Luthans, professors and researchers at DePaul University and the University of Nebraska, respectively, we explore the following three characteristics of culture.

Behavior

Culture describes sets of behaviors that characterize the universal operating norms present in your environment. Culture is not necessarily classified as good or bad but can either promote or inhibit your success. A pattern of remarkable customer service will sell products and engage employees. Enduring poor performance or demonstrating a lack of discipline to sustain established processes will hinder your success.

People

People shape culture. Factors such as the personalities and the experiences of employees produce the culture of the organization.  For instance, if the majority of the people in a company are outgoing, the culture will tend to be sociable and open. People will tend to value their culture and history if many relics depicting the organization’s values and are visible throughout the organization.

Change is Tricky

Culture change demands people to change their behaviors. This is often challenging, as it is difficult for people to unlearn old way of doing things, and to switch to performing new behaviors consistently. Perseverance, discipline, employee engagement, and training can aid your team to change a culture.