Question

This chapter discussed the role of values and beliefs in forming an organization's culture. The topic of organizational culture is big business on the Internet. Many companies use their Web pages to describe their mission, vision, and corporate values and beliefs. There also are many consulting firms that advertise how they help organizations to change their culture. The purpose of this exercise is for you to obtain information pertaining to the organizational culture for two different companies. You can go about this task by very simply searching on the key words "organizational culture" or "corporate vision and values." This search will identify numerous companies for you to use to answer the following questions. You may want to select companies that you would like to work for in the future.

a. What are the espoused values and beliefs of the companies?
b. Use the worksheet in Figure 3.6 to assess the Web page. What does the Web page reveal about the culture of this organization? Would this culture be conducive to effective project management?

Answer 1

Analyzing a company's online presence provides insights into its organizational culture, highlighting its espoused values and beliefs. Observable artifacts on websites reflect the culture, indicating if it supports effective project management. Organizational fit is key, even if it's not the optimal one initially sought.

Step-by-step explanation:

Understanding the organizational culture of a company involves examining the espoused values and beliefs that it professes, often found on a company's webpages or in their mission and vision statements. Assessing how a company presents its culture online can provide insights into its underlying values, norms, and assumptions, which are integral to its operational environment and can influence the effectiveness of project management within that organization.

Observable artifacts such as symbols, language, narratives, and practices on a company's website can provide tangible examples of a company's culture. These artifacts, combined with the explicitly stated values and beliefs, offer a representation of the corporate culture. For instance, if a company explicitly values innovation and teamwork, you may find evidence of these through stories of collaboration and breakthroughs prominently featured on their website.

When evaluating whether a culture is conducive to effective project management, it's important to consider whether aligning with that culture can foster your success within the organization - even if it's not your traditional 'optimal fit.' Companies with clear, positively regarded cultural elements may provide environments where project management can thrive due to shared understanding and practices among employees.