Organizational Culture's Impact on Operations

BBA 2026, Organizational Communication 1
Course Learning Outcomes for Unit II
Upon completion of this unit, students should be able to:
3. Distinguish between the responsibilities of communicators at
different levels of an organization.
3.1 Classify message directions within organizations.
7. Discuss the impact that organizational culture has on
employees, processes, and functions within an
organization.
7.1 Identify factors that adhere to various approaches for
studying organizational communication.
7.2 Categorize factors associated with major organizational
theories.
7.3 Evaluate the organizational culture within an organization.
Reading Assignment
Chapter 2:
Perspectives for Organizational Communication
Chapter 3:
Communication Implications of Major Organizational Theories

Click here to access the Chapter 2 Presentation.
Click here to access a PDF version of the Chapter 2
Presentation.
Click here to access the Chapter 3 Presentation.
Click here to access a PDF version of the Chapter 3
Presentation.
Unit Lesson
Would you rather swim with sharks or whales? The answer to
this question may seem straightforward, but
within businesses and other organizations such a metaphor can
be formed to describe the culture of an
organization. Observing organizational culture is just one way
to critically evaluate the structure and function
of an organization and the effectiveness of the communication
processes within. According to Daniela (2013),
“Knowledge of organizational behavior helps to better
understand oneself and other people” (p.1555).
Employing perspectives including functional tradition, the
Meaning-Centered approach, and emerging
perspectives can provide a way to focus questions for studying
organizations and their communication
implications (Shockley-Zalabak, 2015). In addition, there are
also theories to consider that can help
conceptualize the phenomenon of organizational operations
from various viewpoints such as scientific
management, human behavior, postmodern, critical, and
feminist perspectives (Shockley-Zalabak, 2015).
Each of these perspectives can enhance the study of
organizational communication from various viewpoints
and provide one with tools to study individuals and groups

within these organizations.
The key focus in this unit will be on the influence that
organizational culture, also known as corporate culture,
has on overall operations and communication practices. Using
this perspective, one can observe how
organizational culture influences operations, members, and
leadership within an organization. Additionally,
one can see how these elements interact to create and preserve a
vibrant, efficient, and effective culture for
the well-being of the organization (including employees,
external stakeholders, and the overall success and
longevity of an organization).
UNIT II STUDY GUIDE
The Impact of Organizational Culture
on Operations and Processes
https://online.columbiasouthern.edu/CSU_Content/Courses/Busi
ness/BBA/BBA2026/14H/Chapter2_Presentation.ppsx
ness/BBA/BBA2026/14H/Chapter2_Presentation.pdf
ness/BBA/BBA2026/14H/Chapter3_Presentation.ppsx
ness/BBA/BBA2026/14H/Chapter3_Presentation.pdf
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Organizational Culture
To begin, it is important to understand what organizational
culture means. Shockley-Zalabak (2015) defines
organizational culture as a sense that organizations create
through specific ways of accomplishing tasks and
communicating internally and externally. Organizational culture
“reflects the shared realities and shared
practices in the organization and how they create and shape
organizational events” (Shockley-Zalabak, 2015,
p. 46). Additionally, Jones (2010) defines organizational culture
as the “set of shared values and norms that
control organizational members’ interactions with each other
and with suppliers, customers, and other people
outside the organization” (p. 179). Culture can help or hinder
organizational effectiveness because
organizational culture can influence the way members make
decisions, interpret and manage the
environment, decide what is done with information, and
determine how members behave (Jones, 2010).
Hence, organizational culture can have a profound effect on a
company’s competitive position in the market
as well as on the members within the organization. Doina,
Mirela, and Constantin (2008) explain that
“companies have ‘cultures’ as people have ‘personalities’” (p.
560). The culture of a company is composed of
its collection of beliefs and reactions that are almost
“instinctive, of heroes and negative characters, of
realizations, interdictions and commandments” (Doina et al.,
2008, p. 560). The idea of heroes and negative
characters is very interesting, for such characters can represent
members or leaders within an organization.

Organizational Culture as a Metaphor: Sharks or Whales
There are many ways to describe an organization’s culture.
Referring back to the metaphor of sharks and
whales, a culture that is made up of whales can be described as
cooperative and supportive. A culture that is
composed of sharks can be described as ultra-competitive and
ruthless. Both organizational cultures can be
observed in companies present in the market place, institutions,
and non-profit arenas, but what is important
is not to mix these two varying ideologies by placing a shark
leader in a culture of whales or dropping a whale
type employee in shark infested waters.
An organization’s culture can be a powerful influence on day-
to-day operations. “Cultural inclinations are well
entrenched. But it’s possible to draw on the positive aspects of
culture, turning them to your advantage, and
offset some of the negative aspects as you go” (Katzenback,
Steffen, & Kronley, 2012, p. 111). For example,
in an organization it is important to recognize creative
employees and enhance the culture by taking
advantage of the skill sets and innovative ideas the employees
want to share by reinforcing a cooperative
environment where information sharing is rewarded. “One of
the greatest challenges of guiding cultural
change, development, or stability, is influencing the
organization to follow the same guiding principles, to
understand the values and priorities, and to make choices
consistent with how we want the culture to operate”
(Nicol, 2014, p. 34). Maintaining a culture of whales can be a
challenge, and using the values that epitomize
the organization’s missions can help this endeavor succeed.
Organizational Culture: Morale and Cooperativeness

Organizational culture can affect the level of cooperativeness
found within an organization. Workplace culture
can affect employee satisfaction levels for the job or contribute
to employee burn-out (Watts, Robertson,
Winter, & Leeson, 2013). Grant (2013) purports that a
significant predictor of group or cultural effectiveness is
the amount of help that employees and team members give one
another. Grant (2013) contends that in an
organization that invests “extensive time and energy in
coaching, teaching, and consulting with their
colleagues,” the productivity and effectiveness of an
organization improves (p. 8). The organization in a
whale-type culture must establish “an environment in which
customers and suppliers feel that their needs are
the organization's top priority” (Grant, 2013, para. 10). Grant
refers to this type as an organizational culture of
givers.
Conversely, Grant (2013) explains how company culture can
also stack employees against each other for the
control of resources, which makes it ineffective for them to
provide help to others unless they can expect a
reciprocal investment. In this type of culture, employees who
pour out to others unselfishly and freely provide
information and resources soon find out the negatives of this
type of cooperative behavior, for the “takers
exploit them by monopolizing their time or even stealing their
ideas. Over time, employees anticipate taking-
behavior and protect themselves by operating like takers or by
becoming matchers, who expect and seek
reciprocity whenever they give help” (Grant, 2013, para. 15).
The culture of an organization and how the
culture can be positively or negatively affected by supporting
and condoning either value system. Grant
(2013) posits that an ineffective organization can be turned
around to a more cooperative style by

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employing three practices: facilitate help-seeking, recognize
and reward givers, and screen out takers. Thus,
a whale-type culture that supports a spirit of cooperation can
maintain or improve an organizational culture.
Organizational Culture: Overcoming Conflict
An organization’s culture can influence how members involved
in that culture make decisions and view
conflict. “The more talented an individual, the greater the risk
that they’ll leave” if the employee feels
disrespected and unsupported in the organizational culture
(Meshanko, 2013, p. 8). This would be an
example of a whale member swimming with the sharks, so it is
important to get the right fit. When employees
are on board with the culture and direction of the company,
leaders can continue to inspire positive changes
to the culture through clear communication of values, providing
rewards and public acknowledgments for
employee contributions and innovate ideas, and removing fear
of retribution for making mistakes (Davis,
2010).
Davis (2010) offers an example of changing a component of

corporate culture by using the blame game as an
example. The author contends that when endeavoring to resolve
conflicts and establishing processes to solve
problems, and leaders perpetuate a culture of blaming other
departments or individuals, this component of the
culture will not change. The leaders on top instill this behavior
by reemploying and reinforcing its use. To
overcome this negative component of organizational culture and
others there are two methods Davis (2010)
suggests employing. First, leaders must create “inspiring
customs that enable employees and managers to
creatively work together without sabotage or blame” (Davis,
2010, pp. 10-11). Next, leaders must
communicate the “destructive power of negative thoughts to
sabotage desired outcomes” (Davis, 2010, p.
11). In using the blame game example, one way to overcome
this would be to incorporate new practices to
resolve conflict at every level using “curiosity rather than
blame” (Davis, 2010, p. 11). The example of the
blame game is a tendency for employees in organizations with
shark-type leaders in place to begin using as a
means to demonstrate each individuals own effectiveness in the
company. However, this is counterproductive
to productivity and morale. A whale-type leader can instill a
sense of safety and reinforce a spirit of
cooperation among employees to enhance the culture and
increase productivity.
An organization can be positively or negatively influenced by
how members communicate with one another.
Pirjol and Maxim (2012) found that organizational culture
guides employees to meet certain expectations.
Members of an organization can “create misunderstandings,
quarrels, frustration and all this leads to a drastic
decrease in performance. Usually employees are frustrated not
by their work, but by the working environment,

by colleagues, by managers, by the fact that they are not
appreciated” (Pirjol & Maxim, 2012, p. 374). Thus,
the influence of organizational culture is significant. An
example of a successful company culture made up of
whales is the company Federal Express. Doyle (2013) reveals
that the practice of leaders fostering a culture
of people first, then profit helps the company stay competitive.
According to Doyle (2013), “FedEx’s People
Service Profit (P-S-P) corporate philosophy takes care of the
people who deliver impeccable service to the
company” (p. 37). When the company culture to cultivate and
nurture its employees is a primary focus, then
the employees will take care of the customers.
Organizational Culture: Leadership
The way in which a high-level leader chooses to fill his or her
position can affect the company culture.
Valentine (2012) explains that “cultural leadership indicates the
degree to which cultural ideologies and
expressive behaviors are affected by leadership” (p. 130). There
is much research in the field that supports
this supposition. A leader in a high position of authority and
influence can directly affect a company’s culture
and thus improve it or diminish it. Drawing on the initial
analogy of culture as sharks and whales—if an
organization places a shark-type leader in a key leadership
position within an organization made up of
whales, the results could be disastrous and many casualties
would be a result (including a decrease in
productivity and buy-in to the new company mission and values,
lowered morale, and increased turnover
rate). On the other hand, if a whale were placed over a company
composed of sharks, then the whale would
not long be in the position but be eaten alive by the aggressive
culture. Some organizations foster a company

culture that reinforces shark behavior, whereas others foster a
culture that is conducive to a whale-type
mentality. It is important to place the right person in the
position that fits the best. The focus of this discussion
will be on ways to reinforce a whale-type culture by placing a
whale-type leader in a leadership position.
Organizational culture can be influenced positively or
negatively based on communication techniques. Paul
and Berry (2013) conducted a study using questionnaires to
determine the significance that executive leaders
had on organizational culture in a post-merged organizational
environment. The findings suggest that leaders
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in authoritative positions had a profound impact on maintaining
or changing organizational culture. Some
specific areas that leaders can engage employees in include
exemplifying the values of the organization as a
leader and communicating to employees the “mission, vision,
and strategy” of the organization (Paul & Berry,
2013, p. 9).
Rogers (2013) supplies an example of leadership positively
affecting a company culture that was causing the
company to falter in the market. The new leader changed the

culture to one of accountability and began to
communicate the business plan and expectations of the company
mission, vision, and values to employees
and external stakeholders (Rogers, 2013). The turnaround of the
company was evidenced as productivity
increased, and the company repositioned itself as a competitive
player in the market once again (Roberts,
2013). One way to describe a healthy company culture is one
that is flexible, transparent, and responsive
(Battley, 2013). However, it also must be clearly aligned with
the organization’s strategic objectives and
priorities.
Organizational Culture: Decision Making
The systems in an organization can have a significant effect
upon the culture of a group and influence how
decisions are made. Shockley-Zalabak (2015) reveals that an
open system within an organization continually
takes in new information; whereas, a closed system “lacks input
communication, making it difficult to make
good decisions and stay current” (p. 30) with the needs of the
members/employees. For example, if a leader
is not accessible or distances him or herself from employees,
the impact on the culture could be negative.
The trust in the leader can favorably influence the cohesion of
the group (Doina et al., 2008). The influence
the closed or open system has on a culture can positively or
negatively influence the productivity of its
employees. Organizational culture is a topic that can affect
anyone who works with a group of people in
various arenas.
In order to influence organizational culture positively, there are
certain skills that leaders in positions of
authority and influence should employ. Schoemaker, Krupp, and

Howland (2013) reveal that the ability to
“anticipate, challenge, interpret, decide, align, and learn” (p.
131) are all important techniques for effective
leaders to employ. If a leader believes and exemplifies the value
system of the organizational culture, then
employing these six techniques to instill the values and norms
in every decision and operating procedure can
be a useful strategy for maintaining and improving the culture.
This effective management style is confirmed
in McClean, Burris, and Detert’s (2013) findings that state if a
leader is responsive to employees’ suggestions
for change and improvement and supports a culture of
cooperation and openness, then employees will
respond. However, if the leader is not open to enhancing the
operations and culture, then many good
employees will leave the company. The tendency is to replace
the employees that buy in to the values of the
company with those who buy in to the values of the new
leadership that may at times be against the original
culture.
To be an effective leader and positively influence
organizational culture, research suggests that leaders
should balance warmth and strength rather than heavy
handedness (Cuddy, Kohut, & Neffinger, 2013). The
researchers found that leaders who are personable and well-
liked have a greater chance of success than
those who are disliked (Cuddy et al., 2013). Leaders who
emphasize their credentials, competence, and
operate using fear tactics are found to be less effective. Hence,
employees are less comfortable swimming in
a sea surrounded by sharks. Cuddy et al. (2013) explain that
“fear can undermine cognitive potential,
creativity, and problem solving, and cause employees to get
stuck and even disengage” (p. 56). That is why it
is important to place the right leader in the right position. If the

culture that needs to be maintained or fostered
is one of cooperation, then a whale-type leader that supports
these values should be put in place. When
coming into a new leadership position, “begin with warmth”
rather than leading with an iron fist (Cuddy et al.,
2013, p. 56). Cuddy et al. (2013) continue that “warmth is the
conduit of influence: It facilitates trust and the
communication and absorption of ideas” (p. 56). This is in stark
contrast to some leaders who attempt to
change a company culture through tyrannical leadership
techniques, or shark antics. Cuddy et al. (2013)
purport that the most effective way to lead and influence
company culture is to balance their competence with
qualities of warmth and strength.
Conclusion
Organizational culture is a real and vibrant component of
organizational operations. As evidenced through
various publications in the field, organizational culture can be
positively or negatively influenced by leaders
and members within an organization. In order to maintain and
even enhance an organization’s culture, it is
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imperative to position people that will uphold the same values

and beliefs of the culture. This will ensure that
leaders and members will support the culture and exemplify the
behaviors needed to reinforce the established
culture rather than tear it down. An effective culture will
support the mission and vision of the institute and set
members up for success. As research has shown, leaders can
influence the culture or an organization in
positive or negative ways. It is important for leaders and
members within an organization to be cognizant of
the phenomenon known as organizational culture and work to
support the mission and value system that
he/she is put in place to support. Would you rather swim with
sharks or whales? It depends on whether you
are a shark or a whale.
References
Battley, S. (2013). Leader sustainability. Leadership
Excellence, 30(3), 16.
Cuddy, A. C., Kohut, M., & Neffinger, J. (2013). Connect, then
lead. Harvard Business Review, 91(7), 54-61.
Daniela, P. (2013). The interdependence between management,
communication, organizational behavior,
and performance. Annals Of The University Of Oradea,
Economic Science Series, 22(1), 1554-1562.
Davis, R. (2010). Positive culture. Leadership Excellence,
27(8), 10-11.
Doina, R., Mirela, S., & Constantin, R. (2008). The
organizational culture and the factors of its formation.

Annals of the University of Oradea, Economic Science Series,
17(4), 559-562.
Doyle, R. (2013). Your company culture. LP/Gas, 73(5), 37.
Grant, A. (2013). Givers take all: The hidden dimension of
corporate culture. Mckinsey Quarterly, (2), 52-65.
Jones, G. (2010). Organizational theory, design, and change
(6th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Katzenback, J. R., Steffen, I., & Kronley, C. (2012). Cultural
change that sticks: Start with what’s already
working. Harvard Business Review, 90(7/8), 110-117.
McClean, E. J., Burris, E. R., & Detert, J. R. (2013). When does
voice lead to exits? It depends on leadership.
Academy Of Management Journal, 56(2), 525-548.
Meshanko, P. (2013). R-E-S-P-E-C-T. Smart Business
Columbus, 22(1), 8.
Nicol, A. (2014). More mission, less statement. Product Design
& Development, 69(3), 34.
Paul, G. W., & Berry, D. M. (2013). The importance of
executive leadership in creating a post-merged
organizational culture conducive to effective performance
management. South African Journal Of
Human Resource Management, 11(1), 1-15.

Pirjol, F., & Maxim, R. (2012). Organizational culture and its
way of expression within the organization. Annals
of The University Of Oradea, Economic Science Series, 21(2),
371-376.
Rogers, B. (2013). Saving Hartford: Turnaround lessons from
chairman and CEO Liam McGee. Forbes.Com,
23.
Schoemaker, P. H., Krupp, S., & Howland, S. (2013). Strategic
leadership: The essential skills. Harvard
Business Review, 91(1), 131-134.
Shockley-Zalabak, P. S. (2015). Fundamentals of organizational
communication: Knowledge, sensitivity,
skills, values (9th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
Valentine, D. (2012). Maintaining organization culture through
leadership succession planning. Franklin
Business & Law Journal, 2012(3), 130-135.
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Watts, J., Robertson, N., Winter, R., & Leeson, D. (2013).
Evaluation of organizational culture and nurse
burnout. Nursing Management - UK, 26(6), 24-29.
Suggested Reading
In order to access the resources below, you must first log into
the myCSU Student Portal and access the
Business Source Complete database within the CSU Online
Library.
Koopman, M. (2014). The importance of a reading-focused
culture. Leadership Excellence, 31(4), 23-25.
Meshanko, P. (2013). R-E-S-P-E-C-T. Smart Business
Columbus, 22(1), 8.
Nicol, A. (2014). More mission, less statement. Product Design
& Development, 69(3), 34.

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