Page 123 - MS Year in Review 2020

employees are considered ‘‘second class citizens." Regardless, treatment of people

is a key dimension of corporate culture.

Performance Standards & Accountability. Performance standards include things

like what and how much employees are held accountable for, the level of quality
expected in products, and the expected level of customer satisfaction

Another key aspect of culture is “accountability.” Unfortunately, there are many
examples of companies in which accountability is not explicitly part of the culture.

Commitment to Change and Innovation. The fourth major cultural element is

how a company views and reacts to and manages change, including
innovation. Growing organizations that embrace change as a “way of life” tend to
experience less difficulty in making the required transition. Those, in which change

is viewed as threatening, tend to experience sometimes significant
problems. Innovation is an aspect of change, but it is also important in itself. It
includes not only produce innovation but also innovation in organizational processes

and methods.

Company Process Orientation. The fifth and final major cultural element focuses
on the view that people hold of certain specific aspects regarding how the company
operates. These processes are decision-making, communications, and the planning

process. Some organizations and some national cultures are more process oriented
than others. The particular dimension of culture has great relevance to the
transition from entrepreneurship to professional management that is a stage of

growth for many companies.

122
© Management Systems Consulting Corporation, 2020. All rights reserved