An adaptive culture is the ability to change smoothly and swiftly with the changing conditions. In the business sector, a firm is said to have an adaptive culture if it can manage to keep up with the ever-present transitions in the sector. Such a firm is always ready to shift in whichever direction the prevailing forces in the market may compel it to.
For a firm to be in such a stable situation, it must have established a set of mechanisms. This essay will look at the various ways in which an organization can nurture an adaptive culture. It will also go ahead to look at the benefits that accrue to a firm or organization that operates under an adaptive culture as opposed to one which is rigid and inflexible.
First and foremost, an organization will stay up to date with the current changes in the market if its workers’ knowledge and skills match those that are on high demand. The demands of customers are always changing with trends and fashion. Old employees who have only mastered old skills and have got a mere grasp of the old knowledge will cost the firm such trendy customers.
For such a firm to foster an adaptive culture, it may be obliged to shed off its old-fashioned workers and recruit new people that are conversant with the current needs of the customers. Another alternative measure will be to take the employees for further training.
However, this will inconvenience the firm as it will spend a lot of revenue on the training program which will cut down on its profits. Moreover, training may lead to temporary understaffing which will reduce the efficiency of the organization. The first option is therefore most recommended.
Today’s world is sophisticated by the use of technology in virtually every area of life. A lot of machines have been introduced in a bid to make day to day operations easier. According to Basalla (57), the business sector, including all industries, has experienced and still experiences a major boost in technology.
Technology has cut down on the cost of production and promoted the efficiency of firms and industries. A job that was done by a hundred people a decade ago can now be sufficiently handled by a single machine. Because technology is ever changing, there is a need to keep track with the latest machines.
Failure to do this will leave the firm with obsolete machines that will render it incapable of keeping up with the trends and the competition in the market. A firm that desires to operate on an adaptive culture must be ready to update its technology as soon as possible. It must also be ready to further train its personnel how to use every machine.
An organization that wishes to foster an adaptive culture must also have an effective system of communication. This will ensure that the firm learns of changes and trends in the market as soon as they happen. This will further facilitate fast and smooth transition in order to adapt with the changes.
It is recommended that the organization equips every department with computers connected to the internet (Abbate 48). With such a connection, the departments will be in a position to get updated firsthand on the expected necessary changes. The organization can also make early arrangements for the change if they anticipate or learn about the coming changes earlier. The firm can also attempt to advertise its products in order to keep up with the competition (Dyer 34).
In conclusion, an organization that looks forward to maintaining an adaptive culture has a lot to put in place and look out for. First and foremost, the organization should be in a position to upgrade the skills of its workers or hire tech-savvy ones. Second, the firm should be able to replace its equipment with the changing technology.
Finally, the firm is supposed to maintain a consistent flow of communication and a connection to the internet that will create early awareness of changes. All in all, all this adjustments are necessary if the firm desires to stage up a good fight against its competitors.
Works Cited
Abbate, Janet. Inventing the Internet. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1999. Print.
Basalla, George. The Evolution of Technology. New York: Oxford University Press, 1988. Print.
Dyer, Gillian. Advertising as Communication. London: Methuen, 1982. Print.