dyton mupawaenda
Big Business Ideas-Stephene Chikozho
IN today’s business environment, the ability to solve complex problems efficiently and effectively is a critical determinant of success.
Culture shapes how groups of people within an organisation approach challenges, make decisions and drive innovation.
Culture provides a shared view of what an organisation is.
It is the “story” of the organisation; a narrative reinforced through business-specific symbols.
For some, corporate culture determines how “things are done around here”.
Culture impacts every aspect of business behaviour. It is, therefore, a significant determinant of organisational success or failure.
Why culture matters
The best leaders on the African continent know which cultures operate within different parts of their organisation (and within different parts of the world) and adjust their leadership style to suit different situations.
According to a recent study by the United States-based Institute for Corporate Productivity, organisations with strong adaptive cultures are 1,5 times more likely to report growth in revenue.
This underscores the importance of fostering a culture that enhances adaptive leadership and problem-solving capabilities.
Today, organisational culture is more important than ever before.
Competitive markets, globalisation, the prevalence of mergers, acquisitions and alliances, and new modes of working (such as remote working) increasingly require coordination across vast numbers of staff and huge geographic distances.
Very often, we have observed the difficulties that leaders face in maintaining unified business cultures, whether operating across multiple national or international cultures.
The challenge is to balance the promotion of “one culture” within an organisation against the influences of local cultures in the external world.
Cultural benefits
Strong cultures give staff a sense of belonging, which, in turn, brings benefits, such as job satisfaction and staff retention. At Nike, staff are considered rookies if they have been at the company for less than a decade.
Moreover, culture defines “the rules of the game”, simplifying priorities.
Decision-making is faster and easier if everyone understands company values, beliefs and vision.
Deeply embedded cultures also improve the customer experience.
If staff believe in the product, they will transfer this belief to customers.
Culture also protects an organisation from the whims of charismatic leadership and the fickleness of fashion. A leader may influence corporate culture. However, a successful culture should endure even when management changes.
Features of culture
Strong organisational cultures can suffer from problems of groupthink (everyone is too like-minded), insularity (too narrow a vision) and arrogance (a belief that everything the company does is right).
Culture can become a source of power and resistance; necessary change may be resisted simply because “that’s not the way we do things”.
Embracing risk and failure
Organisations that view failure as a learning opportunity rather than a setback create an environment where employees feel safe to experiment. This mindset encourages creative problem-solving and can lead to breakthrough innovations.
Culture in practice
The desire by leaders for some sort of standardised culture — one that is fixed, visible and stable — is understandable, but it is likely to operate only in the imagination of leaders than in the experiences of employees.
Companies rarely have one culture; there are usually a combination of many, which overlap across departments, countries and business units. The task for leaders is to ensure that these cultures do not diverge too far from core organisational values. Organisational culture is not static. Every type of culture is dynamic and shifts, incrementally and constantly, in response to internal and external pressure.
Managing culture, especially through periods of deliberate change, is one of the most difficult business tasks a leader can face.
The advice for leaders seeking to change culture is to start small.
Culture is slippery, and trying to change everything at once often results in failure.
Bold new mission statements, big office redesigns or exhortations that “working here is fun” rarely have the desired impact.
Cultural change requires long-term investment in employees, not in buildings and branding.
This is because culture may be led from the top but it grows from the bottom; it requires patient nurturing over time.
Leaders must understand the dynamics of an organisation’s culture so that they can usefully draw on its strengths, rather than be overcome by its constraints.
Organisational culture is more than a buzzword; it is the lifeblood of effective problem-solving.
Through prioritising a culture that encourages communication, collaboration and creativity, African businesses can position themselves for long-term success and resilience in the face of challenges.
Stephene Chikozho is the chief executive officer of Africa Business Inc, a dynamic and influential network dedicated to fostering collaboration, innovation and success for businesses in Africa. He writes in his personal capacity. You can follow him on social media (Instagram, Facebook, X, LinkedIn, Threads) WhatsApp +263772409651 or email ceo@africabusinessinc.com
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