Part B - MANAGEMENT SKILL BUILDER

Skill Development: Understanding Culture

An organizations culture is a system of shared meaning. When you understand your organizations culture, you know, for example, whether it encourages teamwork, rewards innovation, or stifles initiative. When interviewing for a job, the more accurate you are at assessing the culture, the more likely you are to find a good person-organization fit. And once inside an organization, understanding the culture allows you to know what behaviors are likely to be rewarded and which are likely to be punished.

Company Culture Assessment

Want to know what a companys culture is like? This PIA will show you whats involved with assessing a companys culture.

Skill Basics

Heres a list of things students can do to help learn about an organizations culture:

Do background work.

Observe the physical surroundings.

Make note about those with whom you met.

How would you characterize the style of the people you met?

Look at the organizations human resources manual.

Ask questions of the people with whom you meet.

Practicing the Skill

After spending your first three years after college graduation as a freelance graphic designer, youre looking at pursuing a job as an account executive at a graphic design firm. You feel that the scope of the I expand your skills and meet a brand-new set of challenges. However, you want to make sure you fit into the organization where youre going to spending more than eight hours every workday. Write a brief paper describing how you would find a place where youll be happy and where your style and personality will be appreciated.