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Economist: Organisation Culture
Like new, never read
- GenresBusiness
273 pages, Paperback
First published September 20, 2011
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85 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
March 5, 2017
A good (readable and not oversimplified) guide to the subject. The series it's part of is great as a whole, actually.
March 25, 2016
Do organisations 'have' a culture or is culture what the organisation 'is'? In this book Stanford explores this question starting with an analogy of climate (long-term) and weather (short-term) to explain the over-used, abused, and therefore much maligned term 'culture'.
Stanford's underlying premise is that culture matters. "The only thing of real importance that leaders do is to create and manage culture" (Edgar Schein of MIT)
Stanford argues that culture is critical to business success. "Cultures are 'right' if they enable people to do high quality work in conditions that mean something and make sense to them, and where the work is engaging and ethical." (p150)
She also explores what interventions can be made to help drive a desired culture. Aiming to create, change or protect the culture is challenging and takes time.' (p187) Culture changes as an outcome of changing the way work is done and changing what people experience on a day-to-day basis.
Along the way, Stanford challenges many organisations' practice of turning to outsiders to change performance. People joining an organisation or moving into a new role have to learn the culture in order to operate successfully. People coming from outside are at a disadvantage when it comes to quick and effective performance; they have more to learn. 95% of firings are the result of failing to fit into a company's culture (p191-2)
Ultimately, Lou Gerstener captures why this is an interesting book to read:
"Culture isn't just one aspect of the game; it is the game".
Stanford's underlying premise is that culture matters. "The only thing of real importance that leaders do is to create and manage culture" (Edgar Schein of MIT)
Stanford argues that culture is critical to business success. "Cultures are 'right' if they enable people to do high quality work in conditions that mean something and make sense to them, and where the work is engaging and ethical." (p150)
She also explores what interventions can be made to help drive a desired culture. Aiming to create, change or protect the culture is challenging and takes time.' (p187) Culture changes as an outcome of changing the way work is done and changing what people experience on a day-to-day basis.
Along the way, Stanford challenges many organisations' practice of turning to outsiders to change performance. People joining an organisation or moving into a new role have to learn the culture in order to operate successfully. People coming from outside are at a disadvantage when it comes to quick and effective performance; they have more to learn. 95% of firings are the result of failing to fit into a company's culture (p191-2)
Ultimately, Lou Gerstener captures why this is an interesting book to read:
"Culture isn't just one aspect of the game; it is the game".
February 16, 2012
One of the best business books, I've ever read. It's a shame that it is not widely available in the US. It's an excellent reference for anyone who is trying to build a strong culture at a new business, change a culture at an exisiting business, or adapt to a culture at a new employer. It's written without all of the wishy washy consultant-speak that is usually prevalent in business books. Ms. Stamford surveyed real managers to get their suggestions for the book and their quotes and contributions are what make it so effective. Literally 20-30 solid take-aways in here that I will be putting to work in my office. Very highly recommended.
September 6, 2013
This book on corporate culture is intended for managers and business people who are struggling to:
a) Understand the culture of their organization
b) Get a grip on why it matters
c) Get their culture right for their business strategy
d) Avoid the common mistakes of "culture change"
e) Keep their culture from getting stuck
This book provides a very common-sense, practical, realistic and pragmatic approach towards understanding and working with organization culture. An excellent and enlightening read. Highly recommend it as "the first book one should read about Organization Culture" !
Read more about this book @ http://www.rgopinath.com/2013/09/06/b...
a) Understand the culture of their organization
b) Get a grip on why it matters
c) Get their culture right for their business strategy
d) Avoid the common mistakes of "culture change"
e) Keep their culture from getting stuck
This book provides a very common-sense, practical, realistic and pragmatic approach towards understanding and working with organization culture. An excellent and enlightening read. Highly recommend it as "the first book one should read about Organization Culture" !
Read more about this book @ http://www.rgopinath.com/2013/09/06/b...
May 31, 2012
If you're looking for a book on Organization Culture, this is a great resource. It's the best business book I've ever read on culture (mind you - it's the only one). I would recommend it, if you're interested in the subject. It's an easy read, and very clear about what it's trying to get it, and very informative.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews