Organizational Srtucture Shapes Corporate Culture and Influences Essay

Organizational Srtucture Shapes Corporate Culture and Influences Organizational Change - Essay Example For example, formal, even bureaucratic as opposed to liberal or lenient relations. Structure also includes the allocation of power in an organisation, whether concentrated in the hands of a few people or there is sharing of power and decision making at all levels. Organisational culture can be understood as a â€Å"the shared set of assumptions, beliefs, values and behavioural patterns of a group, that guide that group’s perceptions, judgments, and actions† (Levin 2000, p.83). Its significance is related to its ability to influence the activities of members and the functioning of the organization without particular control measures (Awal, Rongione, Klinger et al 2006). Poole and Van de Ven (2004, p.xi) define organizational change as a â€Å"difference in form, quality, or state over time in an organizational entity† which may differ from an individual’s job, a work group, an organisational subunit, or the overall organisation. Change may be planned, unpla nned, incremental, radical, recurrent, or unprecedented. Thesis Statement: The purpose of this paper is to critically discuss the extent to which an organisation’s structure shapes its culture, and impacts its ability to transform itself. Different Management Styles: Effects on Organisational Performance Over recent years, the role of present-day managers has become increasingly empowered, with a more networking, consensus-seeking approach (Reigle 2001). Different management styles have their distinctive effects on organisational performance, and the effectiveness of organisations. Management style pertains to â€Å"how the leader approaches opportunities, what he or she chooses to emphasize, to defer and to delegate to others† (Krause 2007, p.19), based on managers’ traits. Research evidence indicates transformational style as the most beneficial for driving safety and for creating a high performance culture. According to Early and Davenport (2010, p.59), †Å"transformational leadership and transactional leadership are very different styles of leadership, but they are not mutually exclusive and can be complementary if employed correctly†. Additionally, an individual can have and develop skills required to be both a transactional and transformational leader. Transformational managers invoke colleagues and followers to view their work from new perspectives; they generate awareness of the mission or vision of the team and organization; managers guide employees to achieve their highest levels of potential; motivate colleagues to work for the larger interest of the group and the organization. This leadership style attempts to engage the employees’ creativity and loyalty, thus achieving a higher level of commitment and effort from employees. Tranformational behaviors include idealized influence, intellectual stimulation, individualized consideration, and inspirational motivation. Idealized influence is the leaders’ sharin g of vision and sense of mission with employees, and the proposal of radical, innovative solutions to critical problems (Early & Davenport 2010). Transactional leadership occurs when a leader â€Å"rewards or disciplines a follower depending on the adequacy of the follower’s performance† (Early & Davenport 2010, p.59). Transactional leadership is closely associated with traditional models and strategies employed in leadership theory. In