12 Types of Organizational Culture and HR’s Role in Shaping It

Organizational culture is the glue that keeps organizations together. Knowing the different types of organizational culture helps you understand how to shape the culture at your organization as the organization develops over time. Let’s dive into the different types of organizational culture, their main characteristics, and advantages and disadvantages. ContentsWhat is organizational culture?Four types of organizational cultureOther types of organizational cultureHow to choose the right organizational culture for your business?HR’s role in shaping culture What is organizational culture? The word ‘culture’ has its origins in the Latin word ‘colere’, which means to tend or cultivate. Simply put, organizational culture is how leadership tends to, cultivates, or takes care of its business, stakeholders, and employees. Culture can be defined as the consistent organizational behaviors of employees and leaders (norms). Organizational culture facilitates the achievement of an organization’s strategic objectives, attracts the right employees, and makes those employees who may not fit stand out. It is also marketed to customers and key stakeholders. Organizational culture often mirrors the organization’s core values and directly reflects the organization’s leadership. The culture can be observed in how decisions are made – top-down or bottom-up; and whether employees are confident to express independent thoughts and feelings without