Corporate Culture and the Indian Software Industry
CORPORATE CULTURE AND THE INDIAN SOFTWARE INDUSTRY
Introduction
This article tries to explain the concept of corporate culture in general, its effects on the performance of employees in an organization. It then dwells on the specifics of the Indian software industry and then goes on to find out how organizational culture affects the performance of the software industry giving examples of specific software companies.
Understanding and assessing your organization's culture can mean the difference between success and failure in today's fast changing business environment. On the other hand, senior management, particularly the CEO, often has a view of the organization's culture that is based more on hope than a view grounded in objective fact. This paper will explore some of the problems associated with understanding the reality of an organization's culture. It will also focus on the role of the leader in creating or maintaining this culture. Finally, it will discuss the perils of confronting the leader with an assessment of the organization that flies in the face of his/her preconceptions. Imagine you were asked to describe your organization to an outsider. How would you answer the following questions? · What 10 words would you use to describe your company? · Around here what's is really important? · Around here who gets promoted? · Around here what behaviors get rewarded? · Around here who fits in and who doesn't?In reality, what management pays attention to and rewards is often the strongest indicator of the organization's culture. This is often quite different than the values it verbalizes or the ideals it strives for. Think for a minute about the organization in which you work. Does your management encourage or discourage innovation and risk taking? Does it reward employees for coming up with new ideas and challenging old ways of doing things or punish those who challenge established norms and practices? Do mavericks fit in or do they get pushed out? Is
Introduction
This article tries to explain the concept of corporate culture in general, its effects on the performance of employees in an organization. It then dwells on the specifics of the Indian software industry and then goes on to find out how organizational culture affects the performance of the software industry giving examples of specific software companies.
Understanding and assessing your organization's culture can mean the difference between success and failure in today's fast changing business environment. On the other hand, senior management, particularly the CEO, often has a view of the organization's culture that is based more on hope than a view grounded in objective fact. This paper will explore some of the problems associated with understanding the reality of an organization's culture. It will also focus on the role of the leader in creating or maintaining this culture. Finally, it will discuss the perils of confronting the leader with an assessment of the organization that flies in the face of his/her preconceptions. Imagine you were asked to describe your organization to an outsider. How would you answer the following questions? · What 10 words would you use to describe your company? · Around here what's is really important? · Around here who gets promoted? · Around here what behaviors get rewarded? · Around here who fits in and who doesn't?In reality, what management pays attention to and rewards is often the strongest indicator of the organization's culture. This is often quite different than the values it verbalizes or the ideals it strives for. Think for a minute about the organization in which you work. Does your management encourage or discourage innovation and risk taking? Does it reward employees for coming up with new ideas and challenging old ways of doing things or punish those who challenge established norms and practices? Do mavericks fit in or do they get pushed out? Is