Organizational climate versus organizational culture

Organizational Climate & Organizational Culture

Climate and culture describes the environment in which a leader leads (U.S. Army, 2011). Hence, both environments have long-lasting effects on individuals, albeit morale or performance. An institution shapes the culture of major elements that are predicated on a macro level. Conversely, direct leaders shape the climate (command) of units and organizations, thus focusing on a micro level. Importantly, leadership at either level conveys the overall organizational culture, which is then disseminated to the individual units that shape the respective climate. Depending upon the leadership, levels may be either align or be misaligned. With respect to the Army, a differentiation between culture and climate is paramount to understanding the dynamics of various roles.

Organizational Culture

Military culture shapes its soldiers. Chiefly, culture is a longer lasting and more complex set of shared expectations than climate. Culture consists of the shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices that characterize the larger institution. Deeply rooted, the Army's culture propagates long-held beliefs, customs, and practices. Soldiers garner strength becoming part of a long-standing tradition. Becoming part of something bigger is as a catalyst for honorable service. Soldiers join the Army to become part of a values and tradition-based culture. While the Army Values help deepen existing personal values, such as family bonds, work ethic, and integrity, it is tradition that ties Soldiers and their families into military culture (U.S. Army, 2011). Meaningfully, traditions and customs serve to remind Soldiers of the institution's culture that connect the past, present, and future. For example, the uniforms, the ceremonial music, the soldiers' salute, military titles, organization's history, and the Army values are reminders of a place in history. Provided a sense of belonging, the military continues to live in many veterans. For many soldiers, military service remains the single most significant experience of their lives.

Organizational Climate

At this level, leadership is deemed critical. Leaders must establish a climate consistent with the culture of the overarching institution. Maximizing a unit's performance is influenced by how well the leader shapes the organization's climate. Climate is a reflection about how people think and feel about their organization at a snapshot of time (Swift, 2010). Climate is generally a short-term experience that is contingent of emerging personalities in a small organization. The organization's climate evolves as the people change. A soldier's first point of contact within the chain of command is his or her sergeant. Insomuch, his or her immediate leader sets the tone, expectations, attitudes, goals, and values that are consistent with the Army's organizational culture. Additionally, the climate entails shared perceptions and attitudes about his or her unit in which the leader can influence positively or negatively. Moreover, the leader uses the culture to let their soldiers know they are part of something bigger than just themselves and that "they have responsibilities not only to the people around them but also to those who have gone before and those who will come after" (U.S. Army, 2011).