Course: NZDB 530 Organisation and Management Trimester 2 2010 Assessment 2: Essay on Organizational Culture SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS Submitted by: Chung Daewan(Steve) ID# 20904451 Submitted on: 5th July 2010 Submitted to: Jene Parilla TABLE OF CONTENTS ?. Essay on Organizational Culture ……………………………………………….. 3 ?. Metaphor…………………………………………………………………………………… 6 ?.
Appendices………………………………………………………………………………… 7 ?. References…………………………………………………………………………………….. 9 1. Essay on organizational culture Introduction: Every organization existing in the world has its own culture. It describes the psychology, attitudes, the ways of doing thing and its own value including both personal and cultural value. Basically, organizational culture is the personality of the organization.
According to the text book, Organisations and Management Theory and Applications, Lesley Gill and Edwina Pio, 2007, “organizational culture utilizes the building blocks of individual and corporate values, perceptions and attitudes. ” As we can find from above all explanations and definitions of the organizational culture, it is a crucial factor for every organization to have. SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS is the company launched in Korea, 1940, and has become the successful global-based company manufacturing most of electronic equipments specialized in mobile phones, LCD televisions and high-spec digital cameras.
Therefore, we can find out what the organizational cultures are in the company. Visible Aspects; The name of SAMSUNG means The Bright Three Stars in Korean, which has the traditional meaning of the biggest success ever. As we can see by the logo of SAMSUNG (see appendix A), it consists of white capital name of SAMSUNG with blue color as the background. What is more, most of employees in SAMSUNG ELECTROINICS wear a blue shirt with SAMSUNG logo on it as a work uniform. And also, F.
C Chelsea, the soccer club in English Premier League that is sponsored by SAMSUNG, has also a blue uniform with SAMSUNG logo on it as a team uniform (see appendix B). At this stage, we can see one component of organizational culture, Signifiers. Signifiers are the visible and explicit artifacts, language or behavior carried out by people. In this case, SAMSUNG emphasizes itself as the color of blue and it makes people instantly get the image of SAMSUNG when they see any types of blue color. In other words, the blue color is used as an artifact.
Furthermore, for a management purpose, employees may feel like they are a part of organization, so it can excel the productivity and co-operation. Another visible aspect that I have found is its language carried by people in the organization. Normally, there is a strict rule to communicate between the levels of hierarchies and most of procedures are done by written documents or letters with the official signature on it. The most unique visible aspect that I have found from the organization is that they focus on the color to advertise the organization.
It is quite distinctive way from others in the same industry such as APPLE, LG and SONY and so on. It really emphasizes itself as the color of blue, while others focus on the shape of logos like what SONY and APPLE do (see appendix C). Invisible Aspects: There is not only a visible but also an invisible aspect of the organizational culture. According to the official web-site of SAMSUNG, their philosophy (see appendix D) is to devote our talent and technology to creating superior products and services that contribute a better global society.
And also, it sets up its own value with five categories; People, Excellence, Change, Integrity and Co-perspective. From its vision and philosophy, we can find what they do for. In other words, we can see their goals and visions. From their philosophy, we should focus on words superior products and services. It means they want to be the best of the business and they are always running for the best of it. In addition, from its own vision, we find the word of excellence. We can find another type of the organizational culture at this stage.
It is almost impossible for an organization to have the same philosophy and vision as other competitor in the same industry has. Each of organization has its own vision and philosophy but we cannot see that on the surface unless the organization puts it on the website or wherever else they can. These components are what we call Invisible Aspects of the organizational culture, which can include Assumptions, Perceptions, Attitudes, and Expectations. Another example of invisible aspects of the organizational culture in SAMSUNG is its Managerial Focusing. “Creativity, collaboration, and excellence are the hallmarks of leadership at SAMSUNG.
By attracting the world`s most talented managers and continuously evolving our company`s culture to support them, we foster innovative ideas that advance technology, create new products and markets, and improve everyday lives of our customer. ” said Gee-sung Choi, President and CEO of SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS. From his belief of the management, we can find out what they expect for the management. The word `innovative ideas` reflects that it expects mangers to have an innovative and creative idea that advances technology and encourages them to feel free to speak out whenever they have a new idea.
Also, it shows the way they communicate in the organization. The most distinctive and unique way that SAMSUNG has is that it has a hierarchical structure but every employee has the freedom to state their new idea. Whatever rules between hierarchies are very strict and should be respected and obeyed, however, paradoxically, each employee even in the lowest level can speak out a new idea that they think it makes the organization better to C. E. O directly. And what is more, they will be given a relevant reward for whatever ideas unless it is obviously wrong or ridiculous. SAMSUNG encourages a new idea coming out from the bottom to the top.
Cultural Aspects: In the globalization period, it is undeniable fact that we should consider about diverse cultures in the organization or otherwise; it may cause Culture Shock or Conflict among people. And also, understanding of other cultures has been recently emphasized in the organization. For the most effective socializing management, SAMSUNG has a slogan (see appendix E) saying that “A company`s success is measured not only by its business`s achievement but also by how well it serves its community, protects our planet`s resources, and make a difference in people`s lives. So, all people in the organization are expected to accept difference of culture as a positive. Furthermore, SAMSUNG tries to contribute its profit to the community by doing such as social welfare service, volunteer service and academies and educations. In order to achieve these activities, all people in the organization have to learn how well to understand other cultures because how well they are prepared for change may lessen the culture shock, although it is impossible to eliminate it. For these reasons, such a big global-based company like SAMSUNG normally tends to try its best to be adjusting to other cultural basis.
Another thing that SAMSUNG has to understand the variety of cultures is their aim of the sustainability (see appendix F). Its sustainability well represents that SAMSUNG is one of the company that really consider the other cultures, societies, people and customs and so on. Conclusion: In my conclusion, I would like to emphasize that SAMSUNG has a quite distinctive way to carry on its business. From the part of visible aspects, it has a different way to build up its image by emphasizing the blue color, while other competitors such as SONY and APPLE focus on the shape of logos to do the same thing.
From another aspect of organizational culture, the invisible aspects, we can find its effort to be adjusting well to a society where the organization affects. It tries to contribute its profit to the society by offering an educational service, a welfare service and even some public performances and so on. Although, it has been obvious that such a large co-operation company like SAMSUNG has a responsibility to contribute its profit to make the society better, SAMSUNG`s profit contribution policy is very well-organized so, it can be a very own aspect that SAMSUNG has.
Lastly, its managerial structure has an incredibly unique way to communicate to each other and get a new idea from people. It has a very strict hierarchical structure that is carried out by people in the organization all the time, but all the people in the organization has a freedom to speak out their new ideas to C. E. O directly. It gives them lots of motivation to get a new idea so it is the most effective way to survive in the recent market that requires a fresh and an innovative idea all the time.
Again, it should be emphasized that SAMSUNG has several different cultural aspects from what other competitors in the same industry have. 2. Metaphor VISIBLE INVISIBLE 3. Appendices Appendix A (Blue Color) (SAMSUNG`s logo) Appendix B (Chelsea`s Unifrom) Appendix C (APPLE’s logo) Appendix D (SAMSUNG`s business principles) Appendix E (SAMSUNG`s global procurement) Appendix F (SAMSUNG`s sustainability) 4. References Lesley Gill and Edwina Pio, 2007, “Organisations and Management, Theory and Applications, Pearson”, Auckland, New Zealand. SAMSUNG official website, http://www. samsung. com/nz/ , the latest update date 15, June, 2010
