Text 1. Organisation as Cultural Product

Organisations are not merely physical, they are social and technological systems which must adopt to environmental changers in order to survive. Organisations are changing in line with new technical possibilities.

Both organisations, private and public are crowded with people. Employees bring to organisations a complex mix of fundamental and spiritual needs such as the need for shelter and health care or the need for self-actualisation, esteem and recognition. To attract and keep people and to encourage innovative performance organisations have to take into account individual needs and motivation of people and to satisfy them. That is why organisations create a system of different rewards which can be powerful incentives for efficient work. Pay, promotion, recognition and other rewards are distributed by managerial staff, while social rewards appear in the process of work. Managers should take into account that dull routine can generate lack of interest.

There are two basic groups in any organisation - formal and informal. Formal groups such as departments and committees are identified and selected by organisational leaders, while informal groups are not created by managers but involved out of the rich social environment Though people in those groups get together to share common interests, their activities may have a profound impact on the work of the organisation.

Organisations are not only places of work, they are cultural and meaningful systems. As the concept of culture is difficult to define, comparing similar public organisations in different countries one can see that their culture is different. Despite similar work and procedures, police departments of Germany and Russia differ greatly. Thus, offering a small gift may be considered corruption in one nation and quite an ordinary thing in another. Organisations are not just places of work and production. They differ in symbols and culture. The symbolic and cultural dimensions of organisations are essential to understanding their role in the society.

Answer the Questions:

1. What type of systems are organisations?

2. What type of needs do employees bring to organisations?

3. Why do organisations have to take into account personal needs of their workers?

4. What do organisations have to create to motivate people?

5. Why do managers have to grant social rewards for good work?

6. What can dull routine can generate?

7. What basic groups of any organisation can you name?

8. Why is it difficult to define the concept of culture?

9. How does the work of police departments in Germany and Russia differ?

10. What helps to understand better the role of organisations in the society?