Impact of Culture in Human Resource Management
IntroductionCulture in General: The term 'culture' is understood as Belief, Habits, Norm, Values, Attitude, Behavior etc. When an individual is honest, well behaved, value driven, people say that the individual concerned is a 'cultured personality' Upbringing of an individual with the good behavior and right attitude earns much respect from the society or from a work place.Culture in Organization Specific: In a similar manner like the 'cultured personality' we call an organization as a 'cultured organization':1. Where in the organization creates a climate for people to blossom with creativity.2. Where an organization gives room for individual to grow.3. Where people 'meritocracy' is given importance.4. Where an organization supports individuals in their endeavor to excel and thereby bringing the wealth of human capital to the organization.5. Where people work without fear and feel secured.6. Where people get fair treatment with dignity and respect.7. Where in an organization people look at things including performance assessment and development objectively.8. Where an organization creates a positive organization climate and work environment and9. Where people feel comfortable, happy and proud to work and be a part of the organization.The 'culture fit' is a critical factor and every individual should fit well or gel well with the organization philosophy, principles and programs. A cultured organization is a learning organization where individuals are engaged to be on constant mode of learning and upgrading their knowledge and competencies. This helps the organization to have business linked strategy and to satisfy the external customers and stakeholders through proactive business strategy. This brings customer delight and customer satisfaction.Impact of CultureThe organization in order to tap the human potential should evolve Bottom up Culture wherein the top management supports initiatives, respects, values the ideas of people from below or from the people in the lower hierarchy. This approach has immense benefit to the top management when implemented in the right earnest.The translation of organizational long term, intermediate term, short term plans and strategy into lower operational level for implementation depends on the effectiveness of implementation of such organizational corporate strategy.Organization objectives must reach effectively to the lowest rank of the organizational structure. The peoples' skill, competency and knowledge at all levels do very much matter to develop people cutting edge by the organization to neutralize threats of external competition and to retain the customers. Constantly top human resource managers in the organization should connect internal competency, skill and knowledge with world class bench marked standards, to have the competitive edge through Constant Innovation and best practices in the industry.There should be free flow of information across the organization. On the current business need, expectations from the customers, suppliers and other stake holders are possible only by the enlightened management with strong organizational culture initiatives.Hence for the organization to tap the human potential from below in the hierarchy, the bottom up approach culture initiatives is recommended and must be part of Human Resource Management process or strategy.The Impact of Bottom up approach culture on the organization1. Contributes Micro Leaders Developing people in the lower levels creates sense of ownership in them, makes them responsible for their actions and may blossom into future leaders in the organization.2. Good organizational culture all pervasive in the bottom creates good vibration and positive experiences in the organization.3. Makes hierarchy less hierarchy By creation of a good culture wherein people have an easy access to the higher levels of management through open culture the organization may appear as hierarchy less hierarchy.