Executive Housekeeping Today - March 2008 - (Page 7)

to enable them to feel like they belong and that they are part of the organization. In discussing why employees fail, Ryan Sarti stated in the article Why Employees Fail and What to Do About It that a study done in 2005 indicated that of 5,200 new hires, 46% failed in the first 18 months. The reasons for failure varied; however, the fact that nearly half failed during the first 18 months indicates that we as managers need to exercise every opportunity to retain employees. Hiring and training employees is an expensive process, anything that can give us a competitive edge in retaining persons and making them a success story is a win-win for the employee and the employer. One of the key issues in aiding success is to understand and teach the organizational culture to these new employees. What is Organizational Culture? According to Asim Khan, “Organizational culture is the set of operating principles that determine how people behave within the context of the company. Underlying the observable behaviors of people are the beliefs, values, and assumptions that dictate their action.” Khan’s remarks highlight a critical issue: Culture is not only a set of principles, the issues that are spoken about; he stresses the beliefs, values, and assumptions of the organization. These may or may not be spoken about openly. It is worthwhile to expend significant effort understanding your organization’s culture since culture operates at several levels. Khan states, “On the most basic level, culture is observable as a set of behaviors. Examples of culture at this level include the degree of formality with which employees conduct themselves, the organization’s dress code, and the type of technology used. Beneath the level of observable behaviors are the values that underlie behavior. Though these values determine behavior, they cannot be directly observed. At an even deeper level are the assumptions and beliefs that determine values. While an organization or individual’s values may remain within awareness and can be stated, assumptions and beliefs often exist beneath the surface out of conscious awareness.” We, as managers, need to gain an understanding of the spoken and unspoken elements that make up the culture of our organization, and craft the message about these to new hires. If we do not, the new (continued on next page) March 2008/Executive Housekeeping Today 7 http://www.advap.com http://www.advap.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Executive Housekeeping Today - March 2008

Executive Housekeeping Today - March 2008 Contents Executive Corner Mold Issues: Restoration and Prevention Mold Removal with Steam Vapor: Study Validates New Technology Frugal Housekeeper Executive Housekeeping Today Virtual Magazine is a Big Hit with Readers! Executive Profile The Green Scene 2008 Convention Information Inside the Industry Product Highlights New Members Joint IEHA/ISSA Members Advertisers' Index Calendar of Events Inside I.E.H.A. What I.E.H.A. Has Done For Me

Executive Housekeeping Today - March 2008

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