Organisational cultures - will you fit in?
Organisational culture within a particular organisation refers to the pattern of beliefs, attitudes and behaviours which influence how people work together. In many respects then, culture is one of the most important factors you need to consider in choosing an employer. Culture is a very powerful force at work inside organisations, something deliberately cultivated and passed on to incoming employees. A great deal of the selection process is intended to ensure you will fit in with and maintain the existing culture.
Your task is to cut through the rhetoric and the gloss to find out the true nature of the organisation you are thinking of joining. It is worth finding out as much as you can about culture. Many graduates end up very disappointed and unhappy in their first jobs. In many cases, there is a clear clash between their personal values and approach to work and those of the company they have joined.
Organisational climate is how existing employees feel about the culture that has been created in their department or unit. It has been defined as a relatively persistent set of perceptions held by organisation members concerning the characteristics and quality of an organisational culture. Such perceptions can be measured for example by opinion surveys. The concept of climate invites you to ask questions about the prevailing atmosphere surrounding an organisation, to the level of morale, the strength of feelings, care and goodwill among members. Characteristics of a healthy organisational climate.
