Culture Clash or Culture Compliance? A&DC launches Cultural Alignment Indicator to help businesses get the balance...
By James Foster
Culture Clash or Culture Compliance - Which one describes your organisation?
Male ambition vs female prudence revealed for first time in worldwide psychological research assessment by A&DC
A&DC an authority in talent management today announce results of the first ever global psychological test of its kind. The test surfaces the real deeply held beliefs and assumptions people hold' in the work place and the Cultural Alignment Indicator uncovers the real values that are judged to be important within organisations, how employees perceive these values and how well they are integrated in the day-to-day.com
“Culture has long been a holy grail of workplace psychology because it is so difficult to measure, understand, communicate and manage,” says Rory Fidgeon, psychologist consultant and the report’s author at A&DC. “Culture is commonly defined as ‘how we do things around here’ so when the views of an individual or group are aligned with those of the organisation, you see a cultural fit.”
| Over half (56%) of women think it is more important to offer choice in the workplace compared to just over one third (38%) of men |
BUT
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Nearly two thirds (62%) of men think it is more important to offer simplicity in the work place compared to under half (44%) of females |
| Just over one third (34%) of women think it is preferable to be reactive to situations in the work place compared to under a quarter (22%) of men |
BUT
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Three quarters (78%) of men think it is preferable to be pre emptive compared to two thirds (66%) of women |
| Three quarters (74%) of women think it is important to have practical and down to earth training in the work place compared to under two thirds (59%) of men. |
HOWEVER
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Nearly half (41%) of men think it is better to be conceptual and academically focused development within an organisation compared to a quarter (26%) of women |
| Nearly two thirds (64%) of women think it is best to be diplomatic in the work place compared to half (51%) |
HOWEVER
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Half (49%) of men think it is better to be direct compared to just over a third (36%) of women. |
| Nearly half (42%) of women think it is better to be content in the work place compared to just under a third (30%) of men |
HOWEVER
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Over two thirds (70%) of men think it is more important to be ambitious in the work place compared to just over half (58%) of women |
Espoused culture versus actual culture can differ widely. A&DC has developed a new tool to help organisations surfaces the actual culture that exists within their organisations versus the culture they might wish to see. Until now, there has been no really effective way to understand employees’ beliefs and assumptions, understand how this impacts their actions, then align the knowledge to organisational strategy.
Fidgeon continues, “Research shows that when cultural fit exists people report higher levels of job satisfaction, which leads to reduced attrition rates, higher levels of discretionary effort and is linked to higher levels of performance. When someone is misaligned, they are much more likely to report feeling unhappy and out of step with their employer and colleagues. Not surprisingly, business leaders, management, HR and internal communicators have been on a mission to understand this to help organisations run at optimum levels and engage employees in the most effective ways.”
Several blue chip companies are already using the Cultural Alignment Indicator; one is aiming to find if its espoused culture reflect the actual beliefs and assumptions employees’ actually hold. Another wants to understand employees’ views as part of a major organisational change, while another is using it to surface opinions as part of a team building exercise. The Cultural Alignment Indicator also helps companies assess their culture to create best leadership fit.
One of the most well recognised scientists working in the area of culture ‘Edgar Schein’ states you can see evidence of culture at three levels – artefacts, so things like buildings or company logo’s; espoused values so those found within official organisational values statements; and thirdly ‘underlying assumptions and beliefs’ such as employee agreement with statements like ‘delivering excellence’ or ‘maximising innovation’. It is surfacing this third level that has not previously been effectively measured within a psychological assessment.
Initial assessment surveys have been carried out by over 300 respondents globally; research is ongoing.
For more information or to request information on how to get involved in Cultural Research or other research areas being explored by A&DC visit www.adc.uk.com or call +44 (0)1483 860898. A&DC is an authority in the field of talent management.
