Culture and personal behavior

Culture is an observable, powerful force in any organization made up of its employee’s shared values, beliefs, and behaviors. Culture guides individual decisions and actions at the unconscious level—resulting in potent effects on a company’s well-being and success.

The most visible level of culture is behavior. Behaviors are shaped by personal philosophies, vision and values, as well as the shared “common sense” norms and practices of the organization. These “norms” prevent people from questioning their culture’s assumed structure — the leadership types, communication, and group dynamics within the organization. The employees perceive the culture as quality of work life — which directs their degree of motivation. These perceptions drive their final performance behavior, individual satisfaction, and personal growth. Over time, these habitual behaviors are fed back to influence the overall organizational culture.

Questions to Ponder:

1. How do you think your community influences your personal behavior?

2. What is culture? How does it define moral behavior?