The organizational culture quiz is one of the activities that provide a better understanding of self and the topic studied, which to me is one of the main purposes of learning. In general, such assignments make my attitude towards a learning experience more positive. In addition, I had an opportunity to reflect on my own perception of organizational culture at my current workplace. During the quiz, some questions referred directly to the various features of organizations, and some referred to my own experience as a government employee in a management position. Hence, as the result, I received a cohesive response to the question of what is my preferred organizational culture – it is dependable culture.
Personally, the ideal culture for me is based on the strict hierarchy and clarity in its operations. Unlike flexible organizations, where employees have to speak to different executives for various tasks, in strict hierarchical organizations, it is much simpler for workers to perform their duties and for managers to build effective communications. Communication with one boss about different working tasks simplifies the process, but demands more from the manager. Hence, as a person who seeks a career as a top executive, I understand the importance of delegation and professionalism required in this position. However, flexible organizational culture may be more applicable for uncertain environments and for rapid change. It empowers employees and managers of all levels to take the initiative and be autonomous. Therefore, in cases of emergency, they have the experience and capabilities in decision-making, which is crucial for efficient crisis management or change.
In particular, continuous improvement ensures an organization is able to plan, organize, manage, control, as well as supervise the production process. Effective operations management encapsulates various aspects, and Lean Six Sigma is one of the most important. Six Sigma, in this case, is defined as an approach employed by an organization to improve operations management quality by eradicating errors, lessening costs of production, and saving time, which are crucial determiners of operational efficiency (Fontalvo-Herrera et al., 2021). The main objective of Six Sigma is to streamline quality control in business operations, ensuring that there is no variance. The merger of Lean and Six Sigma leads to combination of mindset and culture, process and methodology, and tools and techniques to enhance operations.
Governments can apply continuous improvement and Lean Six Sigma to enhance its effectiveness. One of the examples of governments that utilize this concept is the Bahamas. In general, the country is not much innovative in its political process (Bethel et al., 2021). Yet, it managed to develop democratic institutions that are up to date with all the political trends in the world. Hence, it can be considered an example of a successful continuous improvement.
The application of Six Sigma in governmental procedures entails that there are structures that ensure the elimination of destructive processes such as corruption and bureaucracy. In the area of corruption eradication, Six Sigma provides an effective controlling framework. Furthermore, applying technological advancement and digitalization decreases the likelihood of corruption by eliminating red-tape operations. By developing digital services, the Bahamian government is able to contribute to the long-term continuous improvement objectives. Since a continuous improvement strategy focuses on using the available resource of an organization efficiently, so it ameliorates the overall productivity. Thus, Six Sigma is a framework of constant search for imperfections in the systems and ways of fixing them.
References
Bethel, B. J., Buravleva, Y., & Tang, D. (2021). Blue economy and blue activities: Opportunities, challenges, and recommendations for The Bahamas. Water, 13(10), 1399.
Fontalvo-Herrera, T., Delahoz-Dominguez, E., & Gonzalez, Y. (2021). A Six Sigma approach to measure service quality in key dependencies of a government ministry. International Journal of Technology, Policy and Management, 21(4), 317-332.