Final answer:
The most obvious aspect of organizational culture is the observable artifacts, including symbols and language, which are the tangible expressions of a company's values and norms. While less visible, espoused values and basic assumptions are also crucial components that shape an organization's culture. Understanding of both the obvious and underlying aspects of culture is essential for success in the workplace.
Step-by-step explanation:
The most obvious aspect of organizational culture is its observable artifacts. These artifacts, which include symbols, language, narratives, and practices, are tangible expressions of a company's underlying cultural assumptions. They are the most visible forms of workplace culture that employees and outsiders can see and experience directly.
Observable artifacts help in understanding employers' expectations which is essential to workplace success. On the other hand, underlying an organization's culture are espoused values and basic assumptions, which influence how decisions are made and how the organization operates, albeit these are less obvious because they are often unspoken or taken-for-granted beliefs and norms.
Everyday interactions, societal arrangements like legislation and the institutional structure, and the shared practices, values, and beliefs of a group are all influenced by the prevailing culture of the society in which the organization operates.
Additionally, it is crucial to recognize that organizational culture can also encourage negative behaviors, such as a culture of harassment, and therefore most organizations adopt policies against such behaviors, with sexual harassment policy being an example.
Ultimately, culture encompasses many facets, including the society's values, beliefs, norms, language, symbols, arts, and collective identities. For someone joining an organization, it is essential to not only understand and adapt to its artifacts but also its espoused values and basic assumptions to thrive within it.