By: Shawn Cox
Submitted: 2010-04-21 09:44:26 | Word Count: 442
Organizations are looking for ways to improve processes and products. To be successful in accomplishing quality improvement initiatives the organization must invest in skilled project manger that understand the influence of organizational behavior and culture. Organizational culture can influence the overall success of a project. Sometime a project manager might find it very difficult to align himself into the culture of the organization. Some organizations can take years to adapt to new culture and this can be disadvantageous to the organizations' project development process.
In some organizational cultures (culture rather than structure), sharing of resources is not permitted which can impede the growth of the organization. Organizational culture can definitely impair one's ability to deliver projects. For instance, if marketing is in the middle of a project and regulatory needs a resources from marketing, it might be very difficult to get the marketing employee to render his/her expertise if the culture does not support sharing of information. Such a culture would cause a delay in the progress of the project. The culture of an organization or lack of support from key functional areas can inhibit the ability of the project managers from been successful. Culture of an organization plays a key role in the success of a project manager, the actual project, and ultimately organizational performance.
Part A - Influence of Organizational Culture
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The culture of an organization is made up of the beliefs, values, attitudes, and assumptions of the collective employees and leadership of the organization. These beliefs and attitudes are then translated into the day-to-day actions that govern the way business is conducted. The corporate actions become the behavioral norms that govern the way decisions are made, resources are allocated, and people work together. (McShane & Von Glinow, 2005, p.482)
Gerry Johnson describes some of the different components that make up a corporate culture. These include the purpose and direction of the company as expressed through the organizational mission, vision, and value statements. Statements of expected ethical standards also shape culture not only because of what they say, but more strongly by whether they are adhered to or not. The culture is also influenced by the power or decision-making structure, the hierarchy and lines of reporting as well as the symbols and icons, the routines and rituals, and the organizational 'stories'. (Johnson, 1988)
Ideally, projects are selected because of a compelling linkage with the strategic direction of an organization. This direction is determined by the purpose, goals and outcomes set for the company. For instance, even though financial stability may be an organizational goal for a hospital, the mission of providing care regardless of ability to pay.
