Introduction
Culture, both organizational and national, has a significant impact on the functioning of every firm. In the pursuit of our daily activities and ambitions, it is all too easy to ignore the less rational and practical, more symbolic social fabric that gives ordinary life meaning. In order for individuals to function in a particular context, they must have an ongoing understanding of that context's nature in order to act. As stated previously, culture can be defined as a system of intersubjectively accepted meanings operating for a particular group at a particular moment. This system of terminology, forms, categories, and images translates individuals' circumstances to them. Symbols may be composed of objects that point beyond ourselves.
Thus, a red light indicates that a driver must stop, and it is conceivable to force people to risk their lives under the banner of their national flag. Symbols are more than that, however. In reality, each system, seating arrangement, and visit can be interpreted as symbolic behavior. Each day is a fresh situation, and each encounter is a new setting for dramatic action. In the immense symbolic drama of a successful firm, no events or players are then too small to disregard. According to Jones (2006: 113), "a multicultural society may be an interesting living environment, but when it comes to the workplace, homogeneous cultures are more likely to generate optimal profitability." This remark is accurate since organizations are based on distinct but comparable and homogeneous beliefs, traditions, and strategic goals, and multicultural or multidimensional contexts introduce difficult-to-manage disagreement and contradictory situations.
According to Hofstede, there are similarities and contrasts between culture and personality. Culture and personality might be difficult to discern at times. They interact, and personality tests can sometimes be used to determine cultural features (Hofstede, 1980, p. 26). Some authors argue that companies, like persons, can be described as warm, aggressive, friendly, open, inventive, or conservative. This closely resembles what has historically been referred to as culture. Nevertheless, there are significant differences between personality and culture. At the level of the individual, a person's personality is more integrated than his or her culture (Olson & Torrance 1996). The former is more harder to abandon because it is an integral component of the individual's identity. A person who is calm and attentive, for instance, may have difficulty acting in an animated and agitated manner. On the other side, it is relatively simpler for him or her to violate a cultural norm (Feely & Harzing 2008). Whether or not this may be done easily depends, of course, in part on the characteristics of a particular personality and society. However, more importantly, this does not imply that culture is something that may be discarded at any time, especially if culture is primarily unconscious. Neither is personality modification simple in practice. Assume that a person has held the view that humanity is essentially nice throughout his or her whole life. Such a person cannot simply switch to a more cynical viewpoint asserting that good and evil depend on circumstances (Bhaskaran & Sukumaran 2007).
Jones is correct in stating that a homogeneous culture is preferable for organizational performance because cultures are not individuals; they are integrated wholes whose logic cannot be comprehended using words that describe the dynamics of individual personalities. Intersubjective logic is distinguishable from subjective logic (Feely & Harzing 2007). In organizations, for instance, social and psychological contexts might be separated. Based on the theory that a culture's language reflects its culture, a person would not need to spend more than a few hours in each company to notice the difference (Fish, 2008).
Language and culture are intrinsically linked. It could even be described as a "cultural mirror." Language consists of arbitrary symbols with meanings that, like other cultural manifestations, must be acquired and that, when following specific norms, are capable of communicating complex messages (Sorrentino & Higgins 1986). Language encompasses more than just spoken words; it also includes nonverbal components. Messages are transmitted through the use of words, the manner in which the words are pronounced (for instance, the tone of voice), and nonverbal means such as gestures, body position, and eye contact. It has been estimated that only around 30% of communication between members of the same language community is verbal. Nonverbal parts of language exhibit arbitrariness as well. Therefore, it is not surprising that the same nonverbal cue can have vastly different meanings in different cultures and that multiple nonverbal cues can have the same meaning in different cultures (Senior, 2002).
An essential principle of anthropology is that language and culture are intimately connected. It is generally accepted that it is impossible to fully comprehend a culture and its manifestations without taking its language (which is also a cultural manifestation) into account, and that it is similarly impossible to comprehend a language outside of its cultural context. Language is a unified structure bigger than the sum of its individual participants. Moreover, language is one of the most intimate and significant defining characteristics of humans. People not only speak, but also think in that language. Its categories are what each person has available for conceiving and comprehending the universe; its framework is the ground for everything but the most fundamental and inarticulate thoughts (Vygotsky 1978). What can be stated and thought is heavily influenced by the available language. If there is no vocabulary to express matters and occurrences, they might not even be observed.
People develop into the unique individuals they are because of the language community in which they grow up. The same is, of course, true for the vast majority of cultural patterns: people become a certain type of person, with a particular language, table manners, carriage, sense of humor, food preference, etc., by being formed by one culture and its manifestations rather than another. The culture, like the language that bears it, is initially forced on the individual, but it gradually becomes an integral part of his or her entire self (Hofstede & Bond 1988). The categories of a language are not officially seen as a limitation on a person's ability to think or express themselves; rather, they are the very tools by which a person can think articulately and express themselves. This model or interpretation of linguistic membership argues, therefore, that conventional differences between the individual and society, between the self and a greater total to which it belongs, are not fixed and mutually exclusive. Rather, they pertain to various facets and views of a same reality. Society is not just "outside" the individual, confronting him or her, but also "inside" the individual, being a part of who he or she is. Society consists of all persons in their relationships, including those with the past. Who a person is distinguishes him or her from everyone else and connects him or her to them. And language both demonstrates and facilitates this duality (Bhaskaran & Sukumaran 2007).
These contradictions may be resolved within a society. As a result of people's fundamental need for order and consistency, assumptions become patterned into cultural wholes that connect the fundamental beliefs about humanity, nature, and our actions. "A culture is a set of interrelated assumptions that form a coherent pattern" (Schein, 1984, p. 4), and it may contain beliefs that are incompatible or contradictory. For instance, a group may believe that all good ideas ultimately originate from people, while yet assuming that groups can be held accountable for the results achieved and that individuals should prioritize group loyalty. Culture provides an individual with a point of reference, an identity, a worldview, and norms of conduct. Everything from the material to the spiritual is profoundly influenced by culture. Even the most fundamental biological requirement, food, has been transformed into culturally defined dishes and menus and has gained distinct psychological characteristics that vary between nations. Nonetheless, visible cultural differences remain in all fundamental parts of living, including dress, furnishings, and games. Culture determines what individuals believe to be essential or unimportant (Jackson 1999).
It is essential to recognize that a corporation's culture is represented in the attitudes and beliefs, managerial style, and problem-solving behavior of its employees. It provides employees with a sense of how they should behave, what they should do, and where they should set their priorities when doing their duties; how to bridge the gap between what is formally ordered and what actually occurs. In addition, it embodies the requirements for success in the company's broader social and business environment. One of the most intriguing parts of culture (perhaps the most intriguing for those who study and practice business) is that it cannot be avoided, and that it predominately influences our normative behavior. Systems of societal norms, values, and assumptions (at the level of a nation) can be found in the center, shared by the majority of the population (Reithel, 2007). These are the result of numerous ecological factors. In turn, these cultural standards result in the formation and preservation of several society institutions. By supporting the current systems of norms, values, and assumptions, and vice versa, these institutions will have a powerful normative impact. The systems of norms, values, and assumptions of significant population groupings have a profound normative bearing on the functioning of societal institutions. Change is primarily external. However, nothing will occur unless certain people of the nation interpret and create meaning through connection with one another (Gundling 2007).
Note that the arrow of external effects points to roots, not societal standards themselves. Infrequently are norms, attitudes, and assumptions modified by direct adoption from the outside, but rather by a shift in ecological conditions, which may be technological, economic, sanitary, or a mix of these. At the organizational (business) level, the mainstream model or interpretation of culture similarly views behavioral patterns as being supported by strong social penalties (norms, rules, and values in the form of constitutive mechanisms) that serve as the normative adhesive of corporate culture. In any case, now that the concept of "culture" is widely accepted, the majority of managers who have attempted to define organizational culture have failed. Typically, such efforts result in a list of eight to ten phrases expressing the informal norms that govern the interaction of management team members (Zhang et al 2007). This may appear useful until the lesson of the pervasiveness of culture in corporate life is attempted to be lived.
The precise nature of culture is also understood differently by different theorists. However, they share one thing in common. They may name themselves cognitive, symbolic, structuralist, or psychodynamic theorists, but they all view organizations as a particular kind of human expression through employing culture as a metaphor. This is in contrast to the prevalent machine and organism metaphors in management, which encourage theorists to regard organizations as intentional instruments and adaptable mechanisms. Culture comprises of fundamental human values, conventions, and assumptions. These norms, values, and assumptions have grown intersubjectively and continue to do so. Even if they must offer significance for carriers to have any significance, they are nonetheless predominantly unconscious. They have an effect on behavior, organizational (or analogous) environment, and other cultural manifestations, but they are themselves immaterial and nonbehavioral (Zhang et al 2007).
National cultures can be addressed independently, but they are also a part of corporate cultures; the former are introduced into the latter by individuals who are members of both groups. The question of how national cultures influence business leadership remains relevant. We cannot avoid the fact that culture belongs to a group as a whole and not to its individuals. It largely determines our behavior and provides us with an anchor, an identity, a social position, and a worldview. Due to the human drive for order and consistency, our fundamental beliefs about humanity, nature, and social activities become patterned into what may be termed cultural "paradigms" (Schein, 1984); these assumptions form a coherent pattern. This pattern or structure is utilized to structure experience; to give meaning to ideas and behaviors. It is conveyed through a variety of channels, including long-standing and frequently unwritten norms, shared standards, and even prejudices.
Within the context of this generic definition of culture, it can be defined as varying slightly from circumstance to scenario. Every such definition becomes, at least partially, a theory, a model, or an interpretation (depending on your fundamental outlook on the aim of research), and it serves a purpose. This is also compatible with the widely held belief that, whether culture is defined broadly or narrowly, it comprises the fundamental norms, values, and assumptions of a human group, organization, or nation (Kitsantas, 2004). Language is a reflection of culture, not a component of culture. Another aspect of culture is determining how deeply rooted its shared characteristics are. Values, for instance, can display or be concealed at varying depth levels (Brown & Collins 1989). On or near the conscious level, they may appear as behavioral norms. On a somewhat deeper level, hidden assumptions — the fundamental beliefs underlying all decisions and acts — may serve as unconscious cultural pillars. Obviously, this does not preclude this worldview from embodying these principles. Values result from examining what works and what does not in the economic environment. This experience may have once been widely shared, but has now been forgotten (McCarthy, 1998).
Shared values serve as a type of unofficial control system that informs individuals of what is expected of them. In this way, values can be more or less prevalent in the sense of being shared by many or few, and more or less potent in the sense of being felt more or less intensely. Pervasive and robust values can have a favorable effect on performance by enhancing dedication and highlighting what need special attention. However, pervasive and powerful values can also have a negative impact: they can be inconsistent, become obsolete, and/or contribute to a large resistance to change, even when change is necessary. Values are essential to daily company operations. What brings principles to life, however, is the knowledge of their significance by every member of the organization. Values alone are insufficient; broad sharing is required.
Introduction
With the advent of globalization and the expansion of businesses across geographies, the competition between businesses has intensified. This has compelled businesses to implement best management practices across all functional areas. The most important component for the success of a business is not only the quality and price of its products, but also the work environment it provides to motivate its personnel. To comprehend the significance of the human aspects influencing the business functions, it is necessary to conduct an organizational study. The organization 'Starbucks Corporation' has been selected for the goal of analyzing the determinants of employee motivation and performance, as well as the collaboration utilised by the corporation.
Starbucks Corporation – a Summary
Starbucks Corporation, the world's most known coffee shop retail chain, has been one of the United States' fastest-growing public firms. The Seattle, Washington-based Starbucks Corporation was founded in 1985. In addition to providing brewed coffees, Italian-style espresso beverages, cold beverages, a variety of complementary food items, coffee-related accessories and equipment, and a selection of premium teas through its various retail stores, the company also purchases, roasts, and sells whole bean coffees through its global outlets. Tazo teas, Starbucks Hear Music compact discs, Seattle's Best Coffee, and Torrefazione Italia Coffee are among the company's brand portfolio (Yahoo Finance).
As of March 12, 2008, the corporation operated almost 16,000 retail locations in 44 countries with 170,000 employees. Customers are attracted not only by the quality of the coffee they offer, but also by the level of customer service and the inviting atmosphere of the business. It is ideal to evaluate the Starbucks instance because the company has a low staff turnover rate of 65 percent, compared to 150 to 400 percent for other industry competitors (Michelli, 2006) The corporation can be viewed as the optimal business model improving staff motivation and performance techniques, and teamwork interaction.
Employee Motivation and Productivity
It has been demonstrated that self-motivated workers tend to be self-satisfied, and that their actions go beyond the official obligations of their jobs. In contrast, employee unhappiness increases the likelihood of unproductive behaviors such as retreat, burnout, and workplace hostility (Spector 1997). Thus, employee motivation has a direct effect on job performance, which eventually has a beneficial effect on employee turnover decisions. When employees are properly motivated to perform better in their occupations, they get job satisfaction and like their work. Consequently, the employees would opt to remain in their current positions. Thus, employee motivation has a direct and beneficial effect on the decisions regarding employee turnover.
It has been demonstrated that knowledge, understanding, and increasing job satisfaction can significantly impact employee motivation and hence contribute to the achievement of corporate objectives. Therefore, any organization interested in accomplishing its objectives must do a thorough examination of the job satisfaction of its employees at all levels and implement programs to increase job satisfaction in order to retain the best personnel.
A higher degree of employee motivation is essential for any organization since it adds to the following distinct benefits for the firm.
Reduced Staff Turnover
Employee motivation is a factor that influences employee turnover. It is essential that employees remain highly motivated, as otherwise there is a risk of losing competent workers, which could have a negative impact on the company's success. As organizations invest enormous sums of money directly or indirectly on their employees, the loss of staff results in financial losses for the company (e.g. training cost).
Improving Work Performance
A high degree of employee job performance can be ensured by raising employee motivation. If staff remain motivated, they will be more productive. Recent study indicates a direct relationship between employee motivation and job performance. Therefore, increasing employee motivation will result in measurable gains in job performance.
Improved employee disposition
Motivation is one of the essential characteristics that has a strong correlation with employees' attitudes toward their organization. Highly motivated personnel generate a sense of belonging to their organizations, which results in increased organizational performance.
Active contribution
A greater level of employee motivation will enable workers to actively contribute more to their work by participating in their occupations. This provides an environment in which employees can achieve their maximum potential. Employees with low motivation tend to exhibit withdrawal behaviors such as absenteeism, tardiness, and passivity, which can contribute to significant employee turnover.
Helping attitude
Motivated individuals with a propensity for helping may contribute to a good organizational environment by assisting co-workers to complete their task on time, hence facilitating the achievement of organizational objectives.
Group Work
A team may be described as a group of two or more individuals engaging for the purpose of achieving a goal. The efficacy of a work team is contingent upon the output of any task accomplished and the personal satisfaction gained by the team members. In any organization, teamwork produces the following practical benefits for both the organization and the team members.
Level of Efforts – Teams typically have more energy and creativity than their individual members. Member Satisfaction – The best aspect of teamwork is that teams tend to eliminate boredom among the members, and the employees' sense of self-worth and dignity is frequently boosted. Expanded job knowledge and skills – by interaction with other team members, team members can acquire more intellectual skills and expertise through teamwork. Organizational responsiveness — By working in teams, employees are adjacent to one another, which increases the likelihood of employees trading positions (Understanding Management)
In order for the team's performance to yield the greatest possible results, it must possess some vital qualities (Robbins & Coulter, 2002). It is essential to develop clear team goals in order to motivate team members to match their own objectives with those of the team. In addition, the team must consist of people with abilities pertinent to the context of the defined team objectives. Mutual trust is also essential among team members, and an open, honest, and collaborative company culture can assist this. (VerenaVeneeva)
Employee Engagement and Productivity at Starbucks Corporation
Howard Schultz, the chief executive officer of Starbucks Corporation, has determined that his company's formula for success includes not only coffee but also the committed performance of highly motivated people. Constant efforts to capitalize on the working experience of employees and provide them with opportunities to advance in the organization are, in his opinion, essential to the success of the business. Starbucks recognizes its employees as "working partners" and provides them with comprehensive training prior to their employment to ensure optimal performance. Starbucks provides an engaging organizational structure that encourages employees to immerse themselves in their roles, thereby motivating them to achieve a new level of performance.
The managers of Starbucks treat their employees with respect and equality, and they refer to both full-time and part-time employees as "partners." The distance between managers and employees is decreased by continuous engagement between managers and employees at even the most fundamental level. According to the organization's mission statement, this enables the company to maintain a well-organized management structure and create a better work environment for its employees.
Starbucks has a well-organized communication system that allows employees to express their concerns on performance-related issues. There are weekly interviews undertaken to analyze the needs of the staff and any other obstacles to their performance. On the employee benefits side, in addition to compensation commensurate with industry standards, the employees are offered a variety of welfare measures, such as health insurance and discounts on goods.
Collaboration at Starbucks Corporation
Teamwork frequently creates a social framework within a business that enables employees to socialize with one another. According to Robbins (2001), the characteristics that influence teamwork are leadership relationship, roles, principles, status, size, composition, and agglomeration power. A well-established structure of amicable relationships between Starbucks' managers and employees facilitates teamwork. Starbucks employees who are identified as partners have the option to participate in policy-related decision-making. This enhances staff morale and teamwork participation within the organization. The organization keeps the number of employees in a retail location to a minimum, which enables employees to become acquainted with one another and recognize themselves as a team through frequent interaction, a key element for teamwork. The company also promotes teamwork by carefully considering and responding to employee comments and complaints. This motivates employees to get more involved in the achievement of company goals and to provide numerous suggestions for enhancing organizational performance.
Suggestions for Enhancement
The following are a few suggestions for increasing staff motivation at Starbucks Corporation:
The formation of employee committees to address welfare measures will assist management in determining the precise needs of the workforce in terms of welfare. The senior management's frequent interactions with the families of the employees will foster a sense of belonging in the workforce. Valuable cash or in-kind gifts commemorating longer service with the organization will motivate employees to remain with the company longer.
Exemplars of Exemplary Practices
The acknowledgement of employee services by the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) is the best example of employee incentive in practice. MDOT is a government multimodal transportation agency. In addition to being responsible for the construction and maintenance of roads and bridges, MDOT is also in charge of public transportation, which includes planes, trains, and buses. (Jan Seegar, 2005) The firm has urged its personnel to provide the highest level of customer satisfaction despite being a government agency. The corporation has modified its overall business strategy to make employee excellence and recognition the most important success criteria, while aiming to promote and communicate employee appreciation on a global scale. (Jan Seegar, 2005) While empowering each person to perform job more efficiently, the firm considers them as successful team members. The firm has established a set of core values that all employees are encouraged to learn and live by. They adhere to the following aspects to make employee recognition effective:
"Adhere to and reinforce departmental principles and objectives. Feature effective teamwork. Recognize improvement and exceptional performance whenever they occur. Combine formal, informal, and everyday ways of acknowledgment. Deliver recognition in a sincere and individual manner. Be prompt. Be straightforward and easy to use. Be adaptable and innovative; be open to make adjustments. Request employee input" (Jan Seegar)
For employee engagement to be effective, the department has introduced a number of awards that will be presented to the best employees, who will be nominated by both customers and employees.
Conclusion
The organizational analysis of Starbucks Corporation, a successful business endeavor, demonstrates that motivation and teamwork are the most critical characteristics for any business organization to recognize in order to sustain the growth and profitability of the firm. This is supported by the best employee appreciation practices at the Michigan Department of Transportation. These examples demonstrate that, in contrast to the traditional principles of management, which emphasize the importance of top management and their leadership qualities for the success of an organization, the appropriate management technique for modern business management should include emotional and financial incentives for employees to achieve the desired outcomes. The rule of the day is that employee motivation and personal happiness take precedence in all management choices influencing the company's business practices.
References
About Starbucks Coffee Company Web.
Jan Seegar, "Communicating Employee Recognition at MDOT," in All Business.
J. Michelli (2006) published "The Starbucks' Experience." New York McGrawHill
Robbins, S. P. (2002). Organizational Behavior in the United States.
Robbins, S. P., and M. Coulter, "Management," Sixth Edition, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 2002.
Spector, Philip E. (1997). Satisfaction at work Thousand Oaks, California: SAGE Publications
Having an understanding of Management's 'Teamwork in Organizations' Web.
"Ensuring Effective Teamwork in Organization," by Verena Veneeva Ezine Articles. Web.
Starbucks Corp (SBUX) on Yahoo Finance's "Starbucks Corp" page. Web.
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