Citation
Youngblood, M.D. (2000), "How does your company culture compare?", Strategy & Leadership, Vol. 28 No. 6. https://doi.org/10.1108/sl.2000.26128fab.003
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2000, MCB UP Limited
How does your company culture compare?
How does your company culture compare?
Mark D. Youngblood
The lead article in this issue described several characteristics of winning cultures for the new economy. If you would like to see how your company measures up against the best, complete the abbreviated assessment below, which is based on the quantum organization concepts. Your answers will give you a snapshot of the degree to which your culture positions your company to compete in the twenty-first century economy.
Organization type descriptions
Level 1: Industrial – government, "sweat shop" manufacturing, small owner-dominated companies. These companies are designed for efficiency, stability, uniformity and predictability. The company is hierarchical, departmentalized and political. The role of management is control and exploitation. Employees are company expenses, who give a day's work for a day's pay. In general, these companies perform poorly in today's business environment.
Level 2: Managerial – most companies fit here. These companies are a "kinder, gentler" version of industrial organizations that temper their controlling approach through paternalistic benefits and HR programs. They may perform well after "heroic" efforts to improve performance, but the results tend to be unsustainable over the long term and fall well short of the leading-edge companies.
Level 3: Agile – large leading-edge companies, high-growth companies. Agile companies are very successful in today's marketplace. They are change-adaptive, creative and full of vitality. They have an inspiring vision and make the effort to gain ownership and commitment to it throughout the organization. Employees are trusted with the freedom to do their work and are expected to constantly challenge the status quo, experiment, learn and innovate. They are committed to renewing themselves, even if it means making some of their current businesses obsolete.
Level 4: Dynamic – dot-coms, start-ups, smaller leading-edge companies, self-managing teams. These organizations consistently deliver high performance in even the most chaotic conditions. There is little bureaucracy and authority derives more from know-how than "rank." Risk-taking, experimentation and innovation are the norm. Responses to marketplace changes occur almost immediately. Employees tend to be excited, energized, and totally committed to creating something that they care about.