Culture Change: Issues, Challenges and Opportunities Culture Change: Issues, Challenges and Opportunities Culture Change: Issues, Challenges and Opportunities

CULTURE CHANGE:

ISSUES, CHALLENGES and OPPORTUNITIES

BY

OGBEIBU SAMUEL

M1005382

MBA

ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOUR

(OB)

INTAKE 8

SEPTEMBER 2011

1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This work reveals and demonstrates a systematic understanding and critical awareness of the current challenges, issues and opportunities relevant to Tesco Plc. as it relates to culture change.

It also shows the application of academic knowledge such as culture change management and development and research skills which are relevant to Organisational Behaviour context and are evidenced within the body of this report.

More to this is that, detailed examples and relevant theories have also been used to critically assess the concept and role of strategy, leadership and structure relationship with culture change and factors facilitating culture change within the organisation and its environment.

However, the few related processes of Tesco Plc. as discussed in the body of this work were based on assumptions.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 2

2. INTRODUCTION 4

3. FACTORS INFLUENCING CULTURE CHANGE 5

4. SECTION ONE

i. CULTURE CHANGE BENEFITS 7

ii. NEW CULTURE INTRODUCTION ISSUES AND CHALLENGES 7

iii. HOW TO ACHIEVE A SUCCESSFUL CULTURE CHANGE INTRODUCTION 8

iv. ACHIEVING A SUCCESSFUL CULTURE CHANGE

IMPLEMENTATION 9

v. ACHIEVING A SUCCESSFUL CULTURE CHANGE

MANAGEMENT 9

5. SECTION TWO

i. ORGANISATIONAL STRATEGY AND ITS ROLE TO

CULTURE CHANGE 11

ii. ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE AND ITS ROLE TO

CULTURE CHANGE 12

iii. CONCEPT OF LEADERSHIP AND ITS ROLE TO

CULTURE CHANGE 13

6. RECOMMENDATION 16

7. CONCLUSION 16

8. REFERENCES 17

2. INTRODUCTION

UNDERSTANDING ORGANISATIONAL CULTURE

The shared phenomenon known as culture is a change element which in the organisational sphere reveals the various differences and relationships, attributes and qualities of every individual and activities within and outside the organisational environment. Hence the phrase, 'Organisational Culture' which to my understanding is the integrated phenomenon which relates the goals, various perceptions and philosophies, structure patterns, belief systems, norms and ethics, type of working environment and climate, policies, values, rules and regulations, that is endemic and prevalent within any organisation and its employees and acts as a determining factor to organisational success or failure, regarding its growth, tasks, roles and objectives, power culture, entire structure and the organisational control systems and measures at large.

Organisational culture is "a pattern of shared basic assumptions that was learned by a group as it solved its problems of external adaptation and internal integration that has worked well enough to be considered valid and, therefore, to be taught to new members as the correct way you perceive, think, and feel in relation to those problems". (Schien, 2004)

Thus, Schein (2004) opined that the two main reasons as to the emergence of cultural development in organizations are as a result of external adaptation and internal integration. The external adaptation reflects an evolving or emerging approach to organizational culture and therefore develops and persists because it helps the organization (Tesco Plc.) to survive and flourish. More to this is that, if the culture is strong and valuable, then it retains to a high degree the characteristics, capabilities (through a motivated workforce) and potential to generate sustained competitive advantages.

3. FACTORS INFLUENCING CULTURE CHANGE

Thus Johnson (1998) identified a number of culture change elements with which and by which organisational culture can be influenced. This would aid Tesco Plc. to expose its cultural assumptions and processes, while setting work situations and elements to align adequately with one another and this is with respect to company's new change strategies, hence the cultural web.

The cultural web.

Source: (Local Goverment Improvement and Developement, 2010)

The Paradigm

It consists of six elements which relate the sets of assumptions about the organisation. It reveals what the organisation is about, what are its major activities, its mission and its values.

Control Systems

This has to do with the specific processes and measures which are put in place to monitor organisation activities. Examples of such control processes could be quality and performance systems, financial systems and even rewards