Organizational culture is a set of shared assumptions that describes the common interests, beliefs and attitude of an organization that guides it through defining appropriate behavior and values. Defining of organizational culture involves three levels, which include behavior pattern, shared values, and the basic beliefs and assumptions of members. The idea behind organizational culture always revolves around the realization by the employees about the collective responsibility toward the larger good of the company.
Consequently, it is an expectation from the employees that behavior is in a common way hence each employee knows the work output required from him or her. The advantage of organizational culture is that it helps in establishing the required guidelines, output capacity of the organization and organization rules that will help catapult the company toward achieving its goals (Jex & Britt, 2008).
Organizational culture on organizational development and change at Southwest Airlines
Southwest Airlines is an organization that deals with provision of air travel services. The organizational culture of Southwest Airlines focuses on the development, improving, refining the originality, identity, and personality of a people.
Southwest Airlines has an organizational culture that devotes its services to the community that use their services through offering friendlier and affordable air services. The organizational culture that Southwest Airline nurtures considers voluntary offers that range from monetary to in-kind donations (Southwest Airlines, 2011).
Effects organizational culture at Southwest Airlines
Organizational culture develops within a sustained period because it helps an organization in adapting to the competitive environment. Because of this, organizations need to change on their cultures to survive for the longest time possible.
Organizational culture affects organizational development because culture change mostly affects the top management team of an organization. The effects of organizational culture differ, depending on the cultures that the organization nurtures, which can either, be strong or weak cultures (Jex & Britt, 2008).
First, possessing a strong organizational culture in place attracts talents to the organization. A strong culture attracts high-level talents because they believe that the organizations will offer them opportunities for advancement of their careers and be able to show off their talents. Another effect of a strong organizational culture is that it withholds the top-level talents to the organization. Having a top-notch culture retains the existing talents whereas still attracting new ones.
Third, a strong organizational culture helps in motivating the employees because they will believe to be valued and be able to express themselves with ease. Southwest Airlines practices the spirit of having a servant’s heart. This they achieve through treating one another with respect and the employees putting others first, before themselves (Southwest Airlines, 2011).
The other effect is that organizational culture should be able to change how employees perceive their work. If the workers love what they do, their job output will increase. Southwest Airlines have this positive attitude of having fun in what they do, celebrating success, and working as a passionate team player.
Last, strong organizational culture assists the organization in nurturing employees into efficient workers willing to be successful in what they do. Southwest Airlines has a culture of a spirit of a warrior whereby they value hard work, desire for being the best, perseverance, and being innovative (Southwest Airlines, 2011).
Effects of change on the organization
Change in an organization has varied effects. Some of the effects include loss of self-confidence. Change in an organization makes employees think that they are powerless and incompetent in their work. Another effect that change can bring to the organization is confusion.
When change takes place in an organization, there is alteration in the regular routine of doing work in an organization. Last, change brings about conflict through creating a situation in which there is complete difference in meaning and purpose. Explanation to this is through the lack of will by the employees to let go the old ways of carrying out tasks (Jex & Britt, 2008).
Conclusion
Conclusion is arguably right that an organization that nurtures strong and positive organizational cultures has a good market niche in the business that they do. Organizations should have values that represent what they want to be associated with because it will attract new employees and retain the already existing crop of talents at their disposal. It is a good practice for organizations to nurture good cultures because it is the building block to strong competitive nature in the future (Jex & Britt, 2008).
References
Jex, S. M., & Britt, T. W. (2008). Organizational Psychology: A scientist-Practitioner Approach. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Southwest Airlines, (2011). About us: Our Culture. Retrieved from https://careers.southwestair.com/