Leadership is the technique of motivating a group of
people to work together in order to achieve a common goal. History is evident
that all through centuries of civilizations, wars and conflicts, mankind has wanted
to perfect this attribute. However, most significantly, leadership differentiates
between success and failure. In leadership in action simulation exercise, some
problems are encountered. The recognized methods of control and recommended
restructuring strategies and effective management practices vary from one
organization to the other (Yukl, 2006).
Organizational culture is a principal
constituent of purposeful decision making in universities. For administrators
of the university, faculty, and staff to efficiently synchronize a
well-organized educational surrounding for health education, progressing
cultural appraisal and alteration are necessary. In normal circumstances,
it is not possible to separate structure of leadership and culture. While
organizations attempt to organize an organizational structure that states the
positions to be taken by members of the company, culture cannot be ruled out (Robbins & Judge, 2007).
Culture
defines the roles that match with those positions and the individuals who fill
them. The culture of an organization is the division of labour and the patterns
of harmonization, communication, flow of actions and prescribed power that direct
the performance of the organizational. Accordingly, it is the organizational
structure that basically forms the hierarchy in an organization. The organizational
structure can be a functional structure that puts together employees according
to the functions of particular jobs within the organization (Robbins & Judge, 2007).
The
course content should be used in recommending a restructuring strategy that
would ultimately develop the culture and empower employees. In the last ten
years or so, studies have examined the concept of culture in various settings
in order to make more reliability and productivity in the workplace. Even
though culture can be understood in various different ways, in the academic
setting, culture can be defined as certain values that leaders try to integrate
in their organizations. According to studies, a more conclusive understanding
of cultural factors in organizations is essential to interpret what goes on in
them. It is also important as it identifies what may be the main concern issues
for leaders and the leadership of the organization.
For
a management practice to be effective, the organization management should
somehow incorporate the employees in decision making. Experts assert that this
is an effective motivational tool that has been utilized by world leading top
managers. Managerial cultures are produced in part by leaders, and one of the
most important functions of leadership is the formation, organization, and from
time to time even annihilation of culture .Furthermore, the Organizational
Culture Assessment Instrument (OCAI) is an examination utilized by many managers
to create a general organizational culture profile. This tool evaluates six proportions
of organizational culture, which are based on a hypothetical structure of how
organizations work and the kinds of values upon which their cultures are based.
The instrument looks for both the present organizational culture and the ideal,
expected organizational culture (Cameron & Quinn, 1999).
The
framework also serves as a means of diagnosing and initiating change in the
culture those organizations that they builds up as they advance through their
life cycles as they survive the pressures from the external environmental.
Every organizational culture profile depicts the fundamental attributes such as
the style of management, climate, and system of reward, strategic plans
leadership, and fundamental principles of the organization. Change of culture consequently
needs these various elements to be identified and customized. The detection and
modification procedures are major drawbacks encountered by individuals concerned
in initiating culture change (Cameron & Quinn, 1999).
Administering
the OCAI to university students in different departments and organizational
leaders in this area can find out and reflect on the opinions, approaches, and
perceptions of the student population regarding the present and preferred
future departmental or the university culture. This, sequentially, can act as a
basis for constructive organizational alteration and future growth and
productivity.
Some organizations
have a mechanical structure of leadership. The characteristic of this structure
is the high level of formalization and centralization in the leadership. The
mechanical structure is also characterized by many regulations and procedures.
The decision making levels is low but limited in the organization. In addition,
there is a vertical communication instead of a horizontal one. The actions are properly
defined and are changed only when accepted by the person at the uppermost
level. This kind of structure works well in steady environments as they rely on
proficient and routine behavior (Yukl, 2006).
Other
organizations use organic structure where, as opposed to the mechanics,
decisions are made in a decentralized manner and there is little formality. On
top of that, the tasks have fluidity and match to the original situations and requirements
of the organization. This kind of structure rewards understanding and appreciates
that the information can be anywhere in the organization and not only concentrated
in superior management. Consequently, communication is made in all directions
without giving significance to a formal hierarchy (Mintzberg, Lampel, Quinn, &
Ghoshal, 2004).
At
the university level, culture is referred to as the principles and values of
university stakeholders which include administrators, faculty, students, board
members and support staff. Principles and values are considered to greatly
influence decision making processes at universities and most definitely form personality
and organizational behaviors. Principles based on fundamental assumptions and
beliefs are passed through narratives, special language and institutional norms.
University culture is also considered as the individuality of an organization. By thorough observation of architecture
of the buildings in the campus, facility maintenance, student relations and their
dressing, one is able to tell a lot about the university culture. University administration
is progressively becoming aware of the theory of culture and its important role
in university transformation and growth. Additionally, universities have unique
characteristics, which associate strongly with their respective cultures. Contrasting
from most business organizations, universities frequently have goals that are indistinct
and hard to determine. However, the internal and external players are varied
and play surprising roles (Mintzberg, Lampel, Quinn, & Ghoshal, 2004).
To
be specific, internal stakeholders or main players vary from domestic and
foreign undergraduates to graduate, professional, and continuing education
students. Further, external players comprise of those in the neighbouring
community, the political authority, granting and accrediting agencies, unions
and the press. In this case, the university can be seen as a complex web, where
the responsibility of administrators is to connect components of the web together.
When considered as a web, the university can be seen as interweave and incessant,
making it possible for communication to take place among individuals who share accountability
and power to make decisions (Bartell, 2003).
Higher
Education Report asserted that culture leads to flourishing governance through
trust that is built between managers and employees. An effectual university
culture teaches and show suitable behaviours, motivates people, and regulates
information processing. These are the machinery of culture that can shape
internal associations and values. On the other hand, strong values give rise to
values about favoured modes of behaviour and enviable objectives. Additionally,
as stated earlier, culture is seen as a powerful structure for those making decision.
Studies suggests that to be successful, leaders must have an entire understanding
of the customs and traditions, both historical and philosophical development, both
official and informal political frameworks, myths and language that defines a
particular organization. This needs a wide knowledge of the assumptions, principles,
norms, and signs that can be seen among members of faculty, staff, and
administrators (Olson, 2007).
An
investigation conducted on various universities revealed that their culture was
a great tapestry, where the values and practices of trustees, superior
administrators, faculty members, campus community members, competitors, and
society combine to essentially define the efficiency of the university. A good
and profound understanding of tradition and history is essential for an
academic social system to blossom. Cameron (1991) looked into the connection
among three dimensions of culture of the organizational including strength, congruence
and type and organizational efficiency. The results showed that the type of
culture was a superior determining factor of an organizational efficiency than
either congruence or strength.
The
new size and structure achieved through restructuring could affect the
organization, individuals, groups, teams, and the future of the organization. Studies
have established some significant traits of a successful organization.
According to the report, culture leads to a successful authority when trust
between managers and employees exists. Any change in the organization
especially that affects the established culture affects the performance of the
organization. The report insisted that an effectual culture is supposed to
teach and depict appropriate behaviour. It is also supposed to motivate
individuals, and rule over the processing of information (Olson, 2007).
References
Bartell, M. (2003). Internationalization of universities: a
university culture-based framework. Higher Education , 45, 43-70.
Cameron, K. S., & Quinn, R. E. (1999). Diagnosing and
Changing Organizational Culture Based on the Competing Values Framework.
New York: Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, Inc.
Mintzberg, H., Lampel, J., Quinn, J. B., & Ghoshal, M.
(2004). The strategy process: Concepts, contexts, cases (4th ed.). Upper
Saddle River: NJ: Prentice Hall.
Olson, V. (2007). Organizational Culture At The University
Level: A Study Using The OCAI Instrument. Journal of College Teaching &
Learning , 78-98.
Robbins, S. P., & Judge, T. A. (2007). Organizational
behavior (12th ed.). Upper Saddle River: NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall.
Yukl, G. A. (2006). Leadership in organizations (6th ed.).
Upper Saddle River: NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall.
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