Tribal vs. Procedure-Based Organizational Culture Compared

Introduction to Organizational Culture

Organizational culture is a term used to describe the climate and practices that organizations develop around how people are managed and how work is conducted. This concept has received considerable attention among academics and practitioners in business management. The increased focus on the concept has been accompanied by encouragement for managers to create strong organizational cultures, reflecting a vital trend in managerial thinking. This trend is driven by the fact that leadership and organizational culture are conceptually interconnected. Organizational leaders and managers are increasingly faced with the need to establish strong cultures in order to help their organizations achieve their respective business goals and objectives. This emphasis has led to the emergence of different types of organizational cultures — such as tribal organizational cultures and procedures-and-training organizational cultures — each of which has certain similarities and differences.

Tribal Culture and Procedure-Based Organizations

Tribal organizational culture and procedure-and-training organizational culture are two examples of organizational cultures used in different organizations that vary significantly despite sharing some common features. Generally, tribal culture refers to an organizational climate and set of practices that are not based on formal procedures or guidelines. Tribal culture organizations rely essentially on the verbal or written delegation of knowledge from one employee to another (Dew, n.d.). In this model, minimal information is formally established in processes, and there may be no well-established standards for conducting the work. As a result, each worker performs specific tasks and functions based on the instructions he or she received, as well as any personal improvements he or she decides to incorporate.

In contrast, procedure-based organizations are characterized by formal procedures that play a significant role in protecting against health and safety issues, quality problems, and environmental risks. The importance of procedures in such an organizational culture stems from the recognition that individuals generally need guidance and reminders to conduct certain activities correctly. Organizations that utilize procedures do so because people need to be reminded to accomplish certain tasks, given the vulnerability of human memory to error. When formal procedures for a task are absent, education and training serve as a means of helping individuals perform and remember how to complete the task. A process-based organizational culture helps organizations scale or promote exponential revenue growth while adding resources linearly (Proctor, 2014).

Similarities Between These Organizational Cultures

Despite the obvious differences between tribal and procedure-based organizational cultures, there are certain notable similarities. First, both organizational cultures have considerable effects on the interactions between people and groups, as well as with other stakeholders. As noted above, organizational culture has a meaningful impact on the behaviors of people within an organization. This impact originates from the culture's representation of the beliefs, principles, and values of organizational members. These principles, values, and beliefs in turn serve as the basis for defining and establishing collectively appropriate behavior within the organization.

Second, both organizational cultures are similar in that workers' behavior and task performance are shaped by knowledge. Although they have different means of passing down knowledge, the effectiveness of both culture types in contributing to the realization of organizational goals depends on knowledge. Knowledge management plays an important role in influencing cultural norms and determining how work is performed. Moreover, both models share a general assumption that workers understand their respective functions or tasks. Third, similar to procedure-based organizations, the organizational climate and patterns in tribal organizations are established by management. Managers and organizational leaders create and sustain the organizational culture based on the various demands and conditions of the working environment.

Conclusion

Organizational culture plays a crucial role in determining organizational effectiveness by influencing the behaviors of individuals and workers. Various kinds of organizational cultures are developed and maintained by management based on the organization's work environment and needs. Tribal and procedure-based organizational cultures are two such models implemented in working environments. As this analysis demonstrates, these two organizational cultures share certain common features while differing significantly in their approaches to knowledge management, process formalization, incident handling, and employee development.

References

Dew, J. R. (n.d.). Procedure writing. Retrieved from University of Alabama website: http://bama.ua.edu/~st497/pdf/procedurewriting.pdf

Hernaus, T. (2008, June). Process-based organization design model: Theoretical review and model conceptualization. Retrieved April 17, 2015, from http://web.efzg.hr/repec/pdf/Clanak%2008-06.pdf

Proctor, J. (2014, February 21). Transforming a hero culture. Retrieved April 17, 2015, from