CULTURE
It is said that 'culture' is
'what we are'. The question as to what we are is shaped by society through various agencies. It is 'socialisation' through which we are made to become 'what we are'. In any society, where 'technological leap forward' becomes a continuous process, the educational and ocupational background of employees constitutes the most important socialisation variables. Peter Drucker (1951 : 263) views that of the
'triple personality' of a business enterprise, the third personality which he calls as
'plant community', expresses itself from below out of face-to-face relations based on shared interests, sentiments, beliefs and values among various groups of employees. The
'work groups' with such intricate pattern of relationships existing among them try to impose their image on the
organisation, which is termed as
'personalising process' (Bakke 1953). The organisation, on the other hand, through a process termed as
'formal socialising process' endeavours to mould every employee into the image of the organisation, which results in the
merger or
fusion of the two. With the
'homogenisation of culture' which means '
socialisation' , employees learn to internalise the dominant standards, beliefs, values, norms, practices and expectations that make up the culture of the employing organisation. In otherwords, the norms governing values, activities and goals constitute the culture of an organisation. Besides, decision making, strengthening the organisational culture rests on leadership. It is therefore the principal
responsibility of leadership to create, maintain and shape organisational culture (Schein 1992). Among a number of organisational cultures identified such as the mechanistic and organic culture (Burns and Stalker 1961), authoritarian culture and participative culture (Likert 1967), management system culture (Churchman 1968), entrepreneurial culture
( Peterson 1981), paternalistic or familial culture (Ouchi 1981), and altruistic culture (Greenleaf 1977), Block (1987) suggests that the prosperity and survival of an organisation hinges on its becoming more entrepreneurial based on participatory model. Thus organisations partaking some of the distinctive features of other contrasting cultural models and bringing about a fusion is a distinct possibility.
SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
Growth in sales and profits alone can no longer be the major thrust of business enterprises. While industrialisation is seen as a condition precedent to increase the standard of living of people by increased production (Jaishree 2002), economic organisations, also termed as 'utilitarian' organisations (Etzioni 1961) need to recognise that written into this emerging 'social contract' lies a caveat which spells out that they do not 'rob peter to pay paul'. In otherwords, in the pursuit of their objectives, caution must be exercised not to damage one element of society while serving another (Backman 1975). It calls for planned economic changes to be cognisant of the need to establish a peaceful co-existence of issues relating to consumerism, environmentalism, and the quality life of people inside and outside the factory gate. Backman goes on to add that what is taking place is a shift in priorities, with more emphasis placed on social responsibility. Social responsibility, social accounting, social indicators and social audit reflect the different facets of what may commonly termed as
social performance. Forming part of a responsible citizenry, an industrial enterprise, besides being a producer and generator of employment, need to assume responsibilities towards the investors, and the neighbourhood (Stone 1975). With the reassessing of their motives and principles, companies are now moving in a new direction. At they begin to have a fresh look at fundamental questions, we witness their interest surging toward the importance of values, meaning and purpose in shaping the development of companies (Bumstead and Eckblad 1985). As a consequence, companies evince keen interest in reduction of pollution, participation in community improvement programmes, improved medical care for the employees and people at large, improved industrial health, welfare and safety-these and host of other programmes designed to improve the quality of life are covered by the broader umbrella of Social Responsibility (Backman 1975). Avoidance of social injury and and promotion of higher per capita quality of life thus become the twin objectives of any business undertaking. The more we keep our eyes fixed on these objectives, the greater the possibility of our creating a state of quality living for all citizens sooner than later.