The Impact of Organizational Culture on Work Quality.

• Author: Khouly, Sayed El

INTRODUCTION

In many organizations, quality is the most important matter. With new technology, customers can easily compare qualities from around the world. If a customer is unhappy, an organization will lose the customer and its reputation will be negatively impacted. As a result of this, pressure management should find a new approach to quality beyond the traditional "Total Quality Management" of the past. One of the studies about quality culture creation suggests that companies can create a culture in which employees live quality in all their actions. The culture of quality is an environment in which employees not only follow quality guidelines, but feel quality all around them.

Research proves that many of the traditional strategies used to increase quality have little or no effect. However, it has been found that companies that adapt quality culture result in better work output and fewer mistakes. A company with a highly developed culture spends less money fixing mistakes than a company with a poorly developed one. Research has also proved that there is little or no correlation between the use of standard tools of quality and the achievement of a culture of quality. Three factors were stressed that derive quality as a cultural value: leadership message credibility, peer involvement, and employees ownership of quality issue (Srinivasan & Kurey, 2014). In this study, the researcher focuses on organizational culture (OC) as the internal environment where employee work and its impact on work quality.

Quality of work varies significantly from one organization to another. OC is one of the key drivers in managing change and development in any organization. OC is what determines the framework among employees and what gives the organization a competitive advantage. Since work quality and productivity is impacted by the surrounding internal and external factors, inside and outside the organization, OC can have an impact on employees' behavior and their performance and work quality. This study could enhance the existing knowledge on the role of OC and how it impacts work quality. It could inspire management to develop existing OC in a way that leads to better work quality. It could help management revisit existing strategies and procedures in terms of employee empowerment and freedom at work.

The goal of this study is to explain the meaning and nature of organization culture and understand its impact on work quality and motivating employees. This can be reached by trying to answer two main questions: what is the impact of OC on work quality and how can OC be modified in a way that could lead to better work quality?

LITERATURE REVIEW

Quality lies in culture. Values are what constitute true quality. Quality and productivity for many decades have been the focus of businesses. With the reduction of geographical barriers and with pressure to compete globally, service excellence became a necessity for companies to remain competitive.

What is Culture?

Culture is defined as gained knowledge, explanations, values, beliefs, communication, and behaviors of large groups of people at the same time and at the same place. Organization culture is a set of shared values, beliefs, and norms that influence the way employees think, feel, and behave in the work place. OC can have an impact on organizational effectiveness (Lunenburg, 2011).

It is important that management introduce OC to their employees so they get familiar with the system of the organization. Knowing the culture of the organization allows employees to understand both the organization history and current methods of operation. Organizations can achieve effectiveness only when employees share values. Proper understanding of OC should lead to improvement of work quality. OC should be developed in a way to improve the style of employees' performance and develop quality awareness.

What is Quality Culture?

"Quality culture is basically a learning culture in which all employees of an organization are actively involved in continuously improving the culture and fully take part in all activities carried out by the organization.... Quality culture is an ongoing process of continuous improvement in which all members of organization are held them accountable for sustaining a favorable work environment that as a result leads to organizational excellence" (Kausar, 2014).

Polat et al. (2011) concluded that the process of producing quality work and improvement must start with the...