Browsing by Author "Torppa, Pasi"
Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
- Results Per Page
- Sort Options
- Organizational Culture and Strategic Management: A Multiple Case Study of Finnish Firms
Perustieteiden korkeakoulu | Master's thesis(2015-12-09) Kaario, ToniOrganizations are the building blocks of the modern economy. The effectiveness of these organizations depends on a number of criteria, most of which involve the people working within it. In order for organizations to succeed, managers must align and lead employees effectively and balance internal development efforts with reactions to the external environment. Organizations also often possess a distinct cultural aspect, an embedded sense of how things ought to be done. In this thesis, three companies are used as case studies to illustrate the creation, propagation and shaping of organizational culture from the point of view of managers. The literature review shows a top-down view of organizational phenomena, while the case studies and interviews help create an in-depth understanding of the companies’ ways of working and potential problem points. Organizational culture has been shown to be one of the most important intangible resources that a company can have, but its management can be tricky. This study finds that while managers do consider organizational culture an important aspect of managing their workforce, they are sometimes unable to see the link between individual actions and decisions, and the aggregate cultural level. In two of the three case companies, managers proclaimed to value culture but had done little to actually create the necessary conditions for the emergence of a corporate culture. In the third, management perpetuated culture by using a set of rules and guidelines created by the (now deceased) founder of the company. There is also evidence that managers can influence the working climate and culture of their companies through personal action. In order to create and foster positive cycles and habits in their companies, managers should engage their employees in genuine conversation and show interest in them and their lives. Positive identification with a company and its managers strengthened corporate culture, while mistrust and geographical distance were shown to have negative impacts. This study proposes that the relationship between top management and employees is key in building a well-managed organization. This relationship was found to influence both organizational culture and trust more than either group’s relationships with middle management. A functional relationship enabled managers to enact decisions faster, convey the vision and strategy of the company and shape its culture. Mistrust between top managers and employees led to confrontations, problems in implementation and a lack of coherent culture. This relationship was most often driven by managers’ personal behavior and beliefs of what is important for the organization. - Strategic Agility: Developing and Validating a Diagnostics Toolkit
School of Science | Master's thesis(2010) Nikinmaa, Kristian - Toimintolaskennan soveltuvuuteen vaikuttavat tekijät erityisesti valtion virastoissa ja laitoksissa
School of Business | Master's thesis(1996) Torppa, Pasi