**4. Study findings and discussions**

According to Hofstede [11] there are five dimensions of culture, which are Individualism or collectivism, Power distance, avoidance of uncertainty, masculinity or femininity, and long-term or short-term orientation. Individualism and collectivism refer to the degree of importance individuals place on their relationships with others within a society. In highly individualistic cultures such as Kenya, Nigeria, and Britain, people tend to prioritize their individual identities and actions over group affiliations [12]. These cultures emphasize self-reliance rather than dependence on the collective. Conversely, in highly collectivist cultures like Tanzania and Pakistan, individuals primarily identify themselves as members of a group [13]. They are expected to dedicate themselves to the welfare of the community, and the community, in turn, is expected to provide support and protection in times of need.

Culture plays a significant role in how power disparities are perceived and accepted within a society. It influences the level of inequality considered normal or acceptable. In countries where power disparities are prevalent, the culture tends to view such inequalities as a regular part of social dynamics. One way to observe these differences in power distance is through the manner in which individuals address each other. In high-power-distance countries such as Japan and Mexico, individuals use formal titles when communicating [14]. On the other hand, in the United States, it is common for individuals to address each other by their first names in most situations, whereas such informality might be considered disrespectful in other cultures [15].

Cultural orientation refers to how cultures cope with uncertainty about the future. A strong cultural preference for structure situations is referred to as high uncertainty avoidance. Individuals in countries such as Portugal and Greece, for example, rely heavily on technology, religion, and law to provide them with a sense of security and rules on how to behave. Individuals in countries with low uncertainty avoidance, such as Jamaica and Singapore, appear to take each day as it comes [11]. Cultural orientation highlights the significance placed on traditionally masculine or feminine practices and qualities. In a "masculine" culture, there is a strong emphasis on achievement, financial success, assertiveness, and competition. On the other hand, a "feminine" culture places a greater value on relationships, service to others, care for the vulnerable, and environmental preservation. Japan and Germany are examples of masculine cultures, whereas Norway and Sweden are considered feminine cultures.

Cultural values can be oriented towards either the future (long-term) or the present and past (short-term). Cultures with a long-term orientation place importance on persistence and saving, as they believe it will yield benefits in the future. Several Asian countries, such as China and Japan, are examples of cultures that exhibit a long-term orientation. Short-term orientations, such as those found in West African, American, and Russian cultures, encourage respect for past tradition while also fulfilling social obligations in the present [16]. In today's world, a distinction between strong and weak cultures has become more prevalent. The argument posits that strong cultures have a greater impact on employee behavior and are directly associated with lower turnover rates. In a strong culture, the organization's core values are deeply ingrained and widely shared among its members. The strength of the culture is determined by the extent to which individuals wholeheartedly embrace and commit to these core values. According to this definition, a strong culture exerts significant influence on member behavior due to the high level of cohesiveness and intensity, creating an internal environment characterized by strong behavioral control. Nordstrom

serves as an example of a company with a highly robust service culture in the retail industry. Employees at Nordstrom have a clear understanding of the expectations placed upon them, and these expectations play a substantial role in shaping their behavior [17].

### **4.1 Culture influence of organizational behavior**

Employee turnover should be reduced as a result of a strong culture. A strong culture demonstrates that members agree on what the organization stands for. Such unity of purpose fosters loyalty, cohesiveness, and organizational commitment. These characteristics, in turn, reduce employees' proclivity to leave the organization. A strong organizational culture reduces the need for management to extensively rely on formal rules and regulations to govern employee behavior. A culture is considered weak when its members are unaware of its behavioral rules, traditions, rituals, and beliefs, or when there is inconsistency between behavior and stated values. This may be due to lack of knowledge of what the organization stands for. Weak cultures work against an organization's success [18]. In contrast, weak cultures frequently result in poor performance. Weak cultures also have a slew of unhealthy traits that can stymie an organization's ability to achieve its goals and succeed.

Scholars the world over have identified weak cultures to have some of the following traits: *Isolated/narrow thinking*: When an organization avoids looking outside itself for best approaches and practices, it exhibits this trait. These organizations' employees believe they have all the answers [19]. This type of inward thinking can keep a company from making necessary procedural and cultural changes; and, *Resistance to change:* When an organization is suddenly confronted with a rapidly changing environment, this trait becomes apparent. The organization is concerned with maintaining the status quo, avoiding mistakes, and avoiding risks. It is the culture's leadership that allows these factors to paralyze and pervade the organization, rather than focusing on success and innovation.

On how employees Learn Culture, the following have been suggested by many scholars;

*Story telling:* This practice involves the transmission of significant stories across generations within specific cultures. For example, during Henry Ford II's tenure as chairman of Ford Motor Company, it was challenging to find a manager who had not heard the story of Mr. Ford reminding his executives, in moments of excessive confidence, that "it is my name that is on the building." The underlying message was unmistakable: Henry Ford II held the ultimate authority and leadership within the organization [20]. Similarly, Nike employs several senior executives who actively serve as organization storytellers. These individuals dedicate a significant amount of their time to sharing stories that effectively convey the essence and values of Nike as a company [21]. For instance, they might recount the tale of Bill Bowerman, the co-founder and former Oregon track coach, who famously used his wife's waffle iron to pour rubber and create a better running shoe. These anecdotes, while entertaining and often eliciting laughter, are intended to exemplify Nike's spirit of innovation. New employees, on the other hand, might hear stories about the challenges faced by running star Steve Prefontaine in his pursuit to professionalize the sport and obtain improved performance equipment. These narratives highlight Nike's commitment to supporting athletes. Such stories are prevalent within many organizations and typically encompass a range of events, including those involving the organization's founders, rule-breaking, remarkable success stories, downsizing, employee relocations,

responses to past mistakes, and the organization's ability to adapt and overcome challenges. By grounding the present in the past, these stories serve to explain, legitimize, and reinforce current practices;

*Rituals:* Rituals are repetitive sequences of actions that serve to express and reinforce the core values of an organization, prioritize goals, identify important individuals, and establish a sense of expendability. One well-known example of an organization ritual is Wal-Mart's company chant, which involves employees enthusiastically chanting the letters of the company's name. This ritual, initiated by the company's founder, Sam Walton, was designed to motivate and unify the workforce [22] while emphasizing the significance of employees in driving the company's success. Similar organization chants are also employed by other organizations such as IBM, Ericsson, Novell, Deutsche Bank, and PricewaterhouseCoopers. These rituals serve to unite employees and reinforce the founders' beliefs in the pivotal role of their workforce for achieving organizational objectives;

*Material symbols:* This involves construction of infrastructures in such a way to depict certain ranks or positions in the organization. For instance, Alcoa's headquarters do not appear to be typical organization headquarters for any "Tom and Dick" [23]. Even high-level executives have minimal individual offices within Alcoa, as the company predominantly utilizes cubicles, communal spaces, and meeting rooms. This informal organization layout serves as a symbolic representation of Alcoa's emphasis on transparency, equality, creativity, and adaptability. It communicates to employees that these values are highly valued within the organization. Some corporations provide limousines for top executives, as well as organization jet when traveling by air. While some individuals may not have the privilege of traveling in luxury limousines or private jets, they may still have access to company-provided transportation such as a car or air travel. However, the car provided may be a Chevrolet, and when flying, they may occupy seats in the economy section of commercial airliners. Material symbols encompass various aspects such as the physical arrangement of organization headquarters, the automobiles provided to top executives, and the presence or absence of organization aircraft. They also include factors like office size, the quality of furnishings, executive privileges, and attire. These material symbols serve as a means of communication to employees, indicating the individuals who hold significance within the organization, the level of egalitarianism preferred by top management, and the expected behaviors, ranging from conservative to risk-taking, participative to authoritarian, social to individualistic [20];

*Language:* Language plays a significant role in identifying and preserving the culture or subculture within organizational units and organizations. Learning and using specific terminology within a culture demonstrates acceptance and contributes to its preservation. For instance, employees at Knight-Ridder Information utilize terms like "accession number" (assigned to individual records in a database), "KWIC" (keywords-in-context), and "relational operator" (searching a database for names or key terms in a specific order). Similarly, new employees at Boeing must familiarize themselves with a distinct vocabulary of acronyms such as "BOLD" (Boeing online data) and "CATIA" (computer graphics-aided three-dimensional interactive application). Organizations frequently generate unique terminology to refer to their equipment, offices, important personnel, suppliers, customers, or products that are linked to their activities [24]. Initially, new employees may feel overwhelmed by the acronyms and jargon, but after around 6 months on the job, these terms become an integrated part of their language. Once learned, this specialized terminology serves as a shared language for members of a particular culture or subculture within the organization.

## **4.2 The concept of organization culture**

Organizational culture refers to "a system of shared issues and beliefs held by organizational members that determines how each individual acts towards one another". It can also be defined as an organization's shared values, attitudes, and practices. It is your company's personality, and it has a large impact on your employees' overall satisfaction, as well as the consistent organizational behaviors of employees and leaders [25]. From this definition, we can deduce that culture is description of a perception of a relationship between the organization and its persons, or glue that keeps organizations together. As a result, individuals within the organization end up influencing the culture just as much as the culture influences them. Hofstede's Multi-Focus Model consists of six separate variables or dimensions that offer understanding regarding the alignment between the existing culture and strategic direction. By considering different combinations of these dimensions, valuable insights can be gained regarding strategic compatibility, and the outcomes can be presented visually in an easily understandable manner according to Farinha [26] as follows:

*Dimension 1: Means oriented vs. goal oriented:* This dimension is strongly linked to the effectiveness of the organization. In a means-oriented culture, the primary focus lies on the methods and processes of work execution, with individuals identifying and aligning themselves with the "how" of accomplishing tasks. Employees in a goaloriented culture are primarily motivated to achieve specific internal results or goals, even if these involve significant risks; people identify with the 'what' [27]. People in a means-oriented culture perceive themselves as avoiding risks and exerting minimal effort in their jobs, despite the fact that each workday is essentially the same. In contrast, in a highly goal-oriented culture, employees are primarily motivated to achieve specific internal results or goals, even if these involve significant risks;

*Dimension 2: Internally driven vs. externally driven:* Employees in a highly internally driven culture take may not take their responsibilities seriously, believing that business ethics and honesty just comes naturally. Such employees need to have a great understanding of what is beneficial for both the customer and the broader world. In contrast, in a very externally driven culture, the emphasis is on meeting the needs of the customer; the emphasis is primarily placed on achieving results, and a practical approach takes precedence over an ethical stance;

*Dimension 3: Easy work vs. strict work discipline:* Internal structuring, control, and discipline are introduced in this dimension. A relaxed culture is characterized by a flexible internal framework and a sense of unpredictability with a lack of discipline and control; there is an abundance of surprises and improvisation. A strict work discipline reveals the inverse. People are extremely cost-conscious, serious, and punctual;

*Dimension 4: Local vs. professional:* Employees within a local company tend to align themselves with either their supervisor or the specific department they belong to. In a professional organization, an employee's identity is determined by his profession and/ or the nature of his job. In a highly localized culture, employees typically prioritize short-term goals, have a strong internal focus, and face significant social pressure to conform to the norms of the group. Conversely, in a highly professional culture, the situation is reversed;

*Dimension 5: Employee oriented vs. work:* Management philosophy has a strong connection to organizational culture. In employee-oriented organizations, there is a belief that personal matters are recognized and that the organization takes accountability for the welfare of its employees, even if it means compromising

work goals. Conversely, in work-oriented organizations, there is considerable pressure to prioritize task completion, even if it means disregarding the welfare of employees; and,

*Dimension 6: Close system vs. open system:* This dimension focuses on the level of inclusivity within an organization. In a highly open culture, newcomers are warmly received, and the organization is open to both internal and external individuals. It is presumed that nearly anyone would be able to fit into the organization. On the other hand, in a highly closed organization, the situation is reversed.
