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Organizational Development Research Paper – Part 1

Name

American Public University

MGMT603: Organizational Development

Professor

Date

Organizational Development

Introduction

Over the last several years, the importance of a company's culture in fostering a successful and productive workplace has risen dramatically. Organizational culture describes a company's workers’ shared values, beliefs, and assumptions surrounding how things should be done in the workplace (Lubis & Hanum, 2020). (Lubis & Hanum, 2020). It's a significant factor in determining how invested workers are, how productive they are, and how happy they are at work. Therefore, businesses must recognize and value cultivating a robust and constructive culture. In this article, we'll look at how Walmart Inc.'s corporate culture affects its productivity and how the corporation may enhance its cultural norms to boost its efficiency and effectiveness. Retail giant Walmart is the highest-grossing publicly-traded company in the world. Their shops are known for low prices and wide selections. As such, the company’s culture has a wide-reaching influence on its workers and customers, as well as the communities in which it works.

II. The Organization

Walmart Inc. maintains a network of inexpensive department shops and warehouse stores, making it the most prominent public company in the world in terms of sales. Walmart, which has been in business since 1962, is the biggest private employer in the world thanks to its presence in 28 countries and workforce of more than 2.2 million people (Neebe, 2020). One of Walmart's primary missions is to help consumers get by on less money via the store's cheap pricing and excellent customer service. Walmart has a long history of success, partially ascribed to its strong corporate culture.

Organizational culture refers to a company's workers' shared values, beliefs, and assumptions about how things should be done in the workplace (Lubis & Hanum, 2020). (Lubis & Hanum, 2020). Walmart's corporate culture's fundamental principles are respect, service, excellence, and innovation. The foundation of the company's culture is its dedication to delivering exceptional customer service and building lasting partnerships with its clientele. In addition, Walmart stresses the value of honesty, tolerance, and teamwork among its employees. At Walmart, employees are encouraged to think outside the box and work together to solve problems.

Walmart uses several different organizational development tactics to establish a robust company culture. Job design, training, and performance management are all examples of formal techniques, whereas team-building exercises and internal communications are examples of informal approaches (Haveman & Wetts, 2019). In addition, Walmart employs SWOT analysis, a method for analyzing a company's positive attributes and its potential drawbacks, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (David, Creek, & David, 2019). By doing such an analysis, Walmart can better pinpoint problem areas and devise solutions.

The success and efficiency of Walmart may be directly attributed to the company's culture. Walmart has maintained its competitiveness and profitability due to the company's emphasis on a culture of respect, service, quality, and innovation. Also, Walmart has improved by addressing problems head-on thanks to its organizational development efforts. Finally, Walmart's culture has boosted morale and productivity by encouraging workers to take pride in their work.

III. Literature Review

A. Theoretical foundations of organizational culture

i. History

Background In today's competitive business world, it's more crucial than ever for firms to foster a positive and productive culture in the workplace. The ideas, beliefs, and assumptions that workers of a firm have in common concerning how things should be done at work make up the organization's culture (Lubis & Hanum, 2020). It's a significant factor in determining how invested workers are, how productive they are, and how happy they are at work. As a result, businesses need to realize and value the significance of cultivating a robust and optimistic culture.

Since the early 20th century, people have been curious about how cultures within organizations evolve through time. One of the first thinkers to examine the notion of organizational culture was Max Weber, who contended that organizations were composed of cultures and that the organization's structure and experiences were founded on the beliefs and values of its members (Haveman & Wetts, 2019). Weber argues that ideas, aims, and experiences form its culture, an unseen force that influences the behavior and actions of the company's employees.

ii. Components

Values, beliefs, conventions, symbols, and artefacts are part of an organization's culture. Beliefs are the assumed facts or foundations upon which an organization is built, while values are the guiding concepts and principles by which its members’ act (Haveman & Wetts, 2019). The term "organizational norms" describes an organisation's generally accepted patterns of conduct. Artefacts are tangible manifestations of a company's culture, such as a mission statement, logo, or uniform. In contrast, symbols are items, phrases, or gestures that embody the values and beliefs of the organization.

An organisation’s culture may have profound effects on its effectiveness and efficiency. Employees who feel valued and appreciated are likelier to put in the extra effort, boosting the company's performance and output (Najeemdeen, 2018). Organizations that foster an environment conducive to innovation, creativity, and teamwork are better able to weather market fluctuations and maintain their competitive edge. Customers are more likely to be satisfied and remain loyal to a business if they feel connected to the company and its employees.

B. Organizational culture in large businesses

i. Types of cultures

A company's culture may need to be stronger or better. When an organization's core values, beliefs, and conventions are firmly ingrained in and broadly embraced by its people, we say that culture is strong (Najeemdeen, 2018). Because of the positive effects it may have on employee engagement, productivity, and morale; this culture is typically seen as a boon by employers. A solid culture may ensure that all workers adhere to the same core principles.

On the other hand, a weak culture is one in which just a minority of employees hold the same values and adhere to the same standards as the majority. The lack of motivation, low morale, and subpar performance that may result from this kind of culture is why it can harm a business. It may also be hard for a company with a shaky culture to maintain unified core principles.

ii. Impact on organizational success

A company's success in reaching its objectives is heavily influenced by its culture. Najeemdeen (2018) shows how a positive company culture may boost workplace morale, productivity, and efficiency. A solid company culture may inspire workers to go above and beyond, as they feel more connected to the organization's mission and values. Strong cultures also encourage people to work together and think beyond the box.

However, the opposite is true; a dysfunctional culture may hinder an organization's progress. An unsupportive culture might cause employees to be uninspired, disheartened, and under-perform. An unproductive culture is one in which employees need help expressing their ideas and opinions in a shared way. When workers need help to connect with the organization's beliefs and objectives, it may lead to a lack of dedication and devotion. There has to be an appreciation for the role that culture plays in a company's overall success. Building and sustaining a positive company culture effectively motivates workers and boosts morale, productivity, and efficiency.

C. Tools for assessing and developing organizational culture

i. Surveys

Since it profoundly affects employee involvement, productivity, and morale, organizational culture is essential to a company's success (Lubis & Hanum, 2020). Walmart Inc. is the most significant public company in the world by sales, and the company's culture revolves around the principles of respect, service, quality, and innovation (Neebe, 2020). Walmart's mission is to provide exceptional customer service, create trust with its clientele, and foster an environment that rewards employee initiative, originality, and cooperation. Walmart uses several different organizational development tactics to establish a robust company culture.

One of the most prevalent methods for gauging and shaping company culture is via surveys (David, Creek, & David, 2019). Organizational culture may be assessed with the use of surveys. They are helpful in gauging things like company culture, employee satisfaction, and productivity (Najeemdeen, 2018). Similarly, surveys may be used to collect data on the experiences of both individual workers and the company as a whole. These data can be used to guide strategic and cultural choices.

ii. Interviews

Interviews are often used to evaluate and improve company culture (Haveman & Wetts, 2019). Conducting interviews is a great way to learn about the culture of a company or group by hearing directly from its members about their personal experiences and the company's history. Employees and customers might be interviewed to learn more about the company's culture and identify development opportunities. Organizational development interviews may also be used to inquire about how a company's culture influences performance and productivity.

Organizational culture may be evaluated and improved using survey data and in-depth interviews. Both approaches may be used to learn more about an organisation’s culture by exploring its members' attitudes, conventions, and shared experiences. Based on the results, steps may be taken to enhance the company's culture and productivity. These techniques may also measure organizational development tactics, including job design, training and development, and performance management. Thus, surveys and interviews are priceless resources for businesses aiming to improve their efficiency and effectiveness.

VI. References

David, F. R., Creek, S. A., & David, F. R. (2019). What is the key to practical SWOT analysis, including AQCD factors.  SAM Advanced Management Journal,  84(1), 25-35. https://search.proquest.com/openview/4c789215c77a8b288b1288e6a92710c5/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=40946

Haveman, H. A., & Wetts, R. (2019). Organizational theory: From classical sociology to the 1970s.  Sociology Compass,  13(3), e12627. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/soc4.12627

Lubis, F. R., & Hanum, F. (2020, December). Organizational culture. In  2nd Yogyakarta International Conference on Educational Management/Administration and Pedagogy (YICEMAP 2019) (pp. 88-91). Atlantis Press. https://www.atlantis-press.com/proceedings/yicemap-19/125949878

Neebe, K. (2020). Sustainability at Walmart: Success over the long haul.  Journal of Applied Corporate Finance,  32(2), 64-71. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/jacf.12405

Najeemdeen, I. S. (2018). Perceived organizational culture and perceived organizational support on work engagement. In  Perceived organizational culture and perceived organizational support on work engagement: Najeemdeen, Iliyasu Shiyanbade. http://zbw.eu/econis-archiv/bitstream/11159/2510/1/1037068858.pdf

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