UNIT 2 CORPORATE CULTURE

Basic notions: Etiquette is the set of rules that oblige us to behave appropriately in a social group. Business etiquette is vitally important for people who often have to make new contacts and build relationship in their work. Decent upbringing and education can also help to improve the working environment for people in the same office. In some situations we have to be formal, which means we have to follow the rules strictly, in other circumstances we may be more informal.

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Think if there are some such rules in the college you study. In wikilist 2 http://corporate-culture-unit-2.wikispaces.com/College+Rules, please, name some of the rules (2-3).

Then in forum 2 post your opinion if you generally approve or disapprove of those rules and why (30-40 words).

“Corporate culture is values, beliefs and traditions in a company, which influence the behaviour of its staff.”

Please, think how corporate culture might differ in different types of companies?

· in a multinational;

· in a family-size company;

· in a dotcom.

You should consider:

· The relationship between staff and management (authoritative, distant, friendly, on the first-name basis etc);

· The relationship between colleagues;

· Company traditions (what might they be);

· Dress code (there is or there isn’t);

· Office space organization (separate rooms, one large room etc).

Task 1: choose a type of a company or a company you know well or have heard of and write about its possible culture (considering the points above) in 60-80 words (see an example in your WB) in blog 1.

Ellen J. Wallach
Organizational development consultant, speaker, writer, & filmmaker

For the past 33 years, Ellen J. Wallach has worked with public, private, and non-profit organizational clients to find ways to keep employees happy and productive. She designs systems and programs to develop and retain the best employees.

Ellen is a graduate of Adelphi University in New York with a graduate degree from the University of Maryland.

According to Ellen Wallach, "Organization culture is hard to define, but you know it when you see it."

How many times have you seen people looking for a position with the perfect experience, but they turn sour because of corporate culture and internal politics? It is the responsibility of recruitment agencies to help their clients appraise the corporate culture as much as the job description, salary and social benefits. It’s really important to acknowledge that understanding the culture of an organization before working there is a challenge, so they have to learn these tips for uncovering it.

A potential employee ought to keep the corporate culture in mind while networking and interviewing. Listening for informal comments and being very observant may prevent taking a job in a toxic environment. Candidates should try to assess support for professional growth, rate of turnover, leadership styles, employee morale, style of dress, length of the work day, support for life-work balance, and the ease and frequency of internal communication.

Besides looking and listening, job seekers should also look at the public relations material and the company's web site. Does the information seem rather direct or indirect? Are people in the organization important? Are the values and goals declared by the organization ones that they can support? Candidates need to trust their impressions.

Asking for a tour of the facilities including the cafeteria and staff room can be worth more than information on the web site or public relations materials.

It’s common knowledge that corporate culture should not be confused with the corporate mission. Those who look for a new post have to check out the philosophy and leadership style of the CEO. They will be much better indications of corporate culture than the mission of the company. Job seekers should find out everything they can about the CEO. They have to conduct (do) an internet search for any information about him/her as the CEO's beliefs and values will dominate the organization.

Finding the right organizational culture is very important to the candidate's future. The progress in an organization will depend a great deal on their compatibility with it. They will be rewarded for "fitting in" as much as for what they do.

Some of the terms, you’ve come across in the text, may not be absolutely clear to you:

· professional growth

· rate of turnover – the percentage of people that leave the company every year;

· leadership styles – the way the top management of a company deal with their subordinates (authoritative or democratic);

· employee morale - the amount of enthusiasm that a person or group of people feel about their situation at a particular time;

· style of dress

· length of the work day

· life-work balance – correct relationship between time you spend at work and your private time;

· internal communication – the way people deal with each other inside the company;

· corporate mission - an aim that is very important to organization;

· CEO – Chief Executive Officer/Top-top manager.

1. People with perfect experience may change their behaviour because of corporate culture and internal politics.

1. get excited; 2. change their behaviour; 3. become upset or disappointed

2. It is the responsibility of recruitment agencies to help their clients highly estimate or evaluate the corporate culture as much as the job description, salary and social benefits.

1. highly estimate or evaluate; 2. think critically, have one’ own opinion;

3. obey without thinking

3. It’s really important know smth very well that understanding the culture of an organization before working there is a challenge, so they have to learn these tips for uncovering it.

1. know smth very well 2. say that smth is really true; 3. read & learn much

4. A potential employee ought to keep the corporate culture in mind while working at the office and interviewing.

1. working on the computer; 2. working at the office; 3. meeting people in order to receive information

5. Candidates should try to think very carefully support for professional growth.

1. think very carefully; 2. hope; 3. forget about

6. Asking for a tour of the smth you can eat for lunch including the cafeteria and staff room can be worth more than information on the web site or public relations materials.

1. smth that is given for people to use; 2. smth you can eat for lunch;

3. smth you might like

7. Asking for a tour of the facilities including the cafeteria and staff room can be unnecessary more than information on the web site or public relations materials.

1. be very important and valuable; 2. be unnecessary; 3. be very funny

8. It’s common knowledge that corporate culture should not be confused with the smth very important for a company, its aim.

1. the brand of s company 2. goods or services a company produces

3. smth very important for a company, its aim

9. They will be much better smth that shows and of corporate culture than the mission of the company.

1. smth that shows and explains 2. smth that is traditional or usual

3. smth that shines and has colour

10. The CEO's beliefs and values will . controls because it has much power the organization.

1. controls because it has much power; 2. plays table games; 3. destroys

11. The progress in an organization will depend a great deal on their when various people or things work at one place

with it.

1. when various people or things match together well;

2. when various people or things may be compared;

3. when various people or things work at one place

12. They will be given many valuable things such as friendly environment or good relationships, social benefits etc.

… for "fitting in" as much as for what they do.

1. dealt in a cruel way; 2. quickly promoted;

3. given many valuable things such as friendly environment or good relationships, social benefits etc.

Fill in the gaps with the most appropriate word:

leadership politics morale network assess appraise life-work balance web site values CEO goals rewarded corporate culture job description facilities

Many people do not think much about corporate culture when they look for a job. They believe that right qualifications and _ values _ are the only important things they need to consider. The recruitment agencies should help their clients to _________ internal _________ of a company as well as the job ___________.

When you go to a job interview or _ CEO _ with company employees you have to remember about many things. You should try to ___________ possibilities for professional growth, ____________ styles, support for ____________ ___________ and employee ___________ .

It is also quite essential to surf the company ______ _______ where you can appraise _________ and _________ the company says it supports and learn some valuable information about its _____ . Another thing not to be forgotten is a tour of _______________ which can a cafeteria or a staff room. Finally, the candidate should find out about the leadership _ politics _ the company has. A job seeker that is attentive and careful will be _ life-work _ for these when start working.

In the workbook, put the positions in YOUR right order: important, less important, unimportant, vital, essential, crucial, critical, really valuable, and invaluable (there may be more than one in a category).

Impressions of Corporate Culture

Then, please, comment on that/those you’ve rated as vital or most essential in forum 3 (30-40 words)

Date: 2015-01-29; view: 4563