Critical Thinking Organizational Culture/Socialization

Application Question #2 (5 points)

Using your own words, fully describe the meaning of ” organizational culture” and discuss why organizational culture is important to the success of an organization.  In your response, also list and fully describe the four levels of Organizational Culture.  Conclude your response by defining the process of organizational socialization and suggesting at least one strategy for promoting effective organizational socialization of new employees.  Please include justification/support explaining the rationale for your response.  Your response should be original, reflecting critical thought and should not simply restate information from the textbook or other outside sources.

Current Class course textbook used:

Griffin, R. W., Phillips, J. M., & Gully, S. M.  (2019).  Organizational Behavior: Managing People and Organizations (13th edition).  Boston, MA: Cengage

 Application Questions grading Criteria

The following criteria will be utilized in assigning grades to the Application Question responses:

1. Response received/posted by the deadline
2. The response reflects a clear understanding of the question.  This includes specifically addressing each element of the question and also providing justification/support for assertions made throughout the response.  A minimum of one outside/academic source (i.e., journal article) should be used as support/justification and should be cited in the response.
3. The response reflects critical thinking and original ideas, not answers directly out of the textbook or another outside source.  Again, responses should also include justification/support.
4. The response has an appropriate length (a minimum of 350 words) (see sample Application Question response which is located in the “Discussions” tab of the Canvas course shell for an example of what I am looking for with regard to content, format, etc. with Application Question responses).
5. The response is well written, reflecting clarity of thought, as well as correct grammar, punctuation, and spelling
6. The response appropriately cites (i.e., using APA guidelines) any outside sources, including the course text, that were used in formulating the response

Application Questions example format:

Sample Application Question Response for MSM 6610-Theories of Organizational Behavior

The following example is intended to provide you with some insight regarding my expectations and the types of things I am looking for related to your responses to Application Questions in the course.

Sample Question:

Use your own words to describe Organizational Learning.  Also, please suggest three to five strategies that organizations/leaders might use to improve Organizational Learning in a particular company. Please justify your response by stating the “why” or rationale behind your response.  Your response should be original, reflecting critical thought and should not simply restate information from the textbook or other outside sources.

Sample Response:

Organizational learning describes the ways that organizations obtain knowledge and information, as well as use that knowledge and information to operate, adapt, and function on an ongoing basis.  An important component of organizational learning is the collective knowledge that exists amongst all employees in an organization (Schermerhorn, Hunt, & Osborn, 2003).  There is tremendous value in the knowledge and experiences of employees that can be helpful in guiding organizational decisions.  There are several ways that organizations/leaders might be able to improve overall learning in an organization.  Three specific examples are listed below:

1. Leaders could create a “best practices” web site or portal where employees could post information or knowledge related to a newly discovered, novel or best way to do a particular process.  Justification:  A website would promote more timely access to the information by other employees throughout the company, which is becoming more important in our increasingly global workplace.
2. Organizations could provide ongoing professional/personal development opportunities for employees to attend training sessions/seminars that would expose them to information, knowledge, and expertise related to their organization.  Justification:  Providing training and personal development sends a strong message to employees that they are valued by the organization.  Further, it is likely that employees receiving this training would be exposed to new ideas and insights that will help them be more productive/proficient in their respective jobs.
3. Organizations could provide some type of incentive or reward system for employees that gain new knowledge, skills, and certifications.  Justification:  By providing some type of incentive or reward, organizations are reinforcing the value of continual learning and growth.  While monetary incentives might be quite effective, there are other types of non-monetary incentives that might also be useful.  For example, an organization might have an annual awards ceremony to publicly recognize employees who have attended training, learned new skills, or obtained new certifications.  This, in turn, will likely embed the value of learning within the culture of the organization.

Reference:

Schermerhorn, J. R., Hunt, J. G., & Osborn, R. N.  (2003).  Organizational Behavior (8^th Ed.).  Hoboken, N. J.; John Wiley & Sons.