Measure your Actual culture

At Hofstede Insights we aim to provide you with practical means to manage the impact culture has on work and life. Using three research-based concepts, we have operationalised our approach to offer you tangible and practical tips to create a unique competing zone for your organisation. We aim to assist you in constructing the Best Culture to Perform.

Our four-step methodology aligns your strategy and culture. Each stage can be conducted independently or consecutively depending on your organisation’s requirements

Step 1: Measure the Actual culture

In the past, organisation leaders embarked on organisational culture transformations without measuring the Actual culture. This resulted in management systems that work partially and that are either unnatural for the employees to follow or have considerable gaps in addressing various new situations.

Our Methodology: The Multi-Focus Model

The Multi-Focus Model consists of six autonomous dimensions or variables. This enables us to provide insights on the fit between the Actual culture and any strategic direction you can think of. Different combinations of dimensions provide insights in various strategic fits and the results generate easy to understand visualizations.

The Dimensions of Organisational Culture

The Hofstede Insights Multi-Focus Model™ consists of six autonomous dimensions or variables. This enables us to provide insights on
the fit between the actual culture and any strategic direction you can think of.

D1

ORGANISATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS

Means-Oriented VS. Goal-Oriented

This dimension is closely connected to the effectiveness of the organisation. In a means-oriented culture, the key feature is the way in which work has to be carried out; people identify with the “how”. In a goal-oriented culture, employees are primarily out to achieve specific internal goals or results, even if these involve substantial risks; people identify with the “what”. In a highly means-oriented culture, people perceive themselves as avoiding risks and making only a limited effort in their jobs, while each workday is pretty much the same. However, in a very goal-oriented culture, the employees are primarily out to achieve specific internal goals or results, even if these involve substantial risks.

D2

CUSTOMER ORIENTATION

Internally Drivem VS. Externally Driven

In a highly internally driven culture employees perceive their task towards the outside world as a given, based on the idea that business ethics and honesty matters most and that they know best what is good for the customer and the world at large. In a very externally driven culture the only emphasis is on meeting the customer’s requirements; results are most important and a pragmatic rather than an ethical attitude prevails.

D3

LEVEL OF CONTROL

Easygoing Work Discipline VS. Strict Work Discipline

This dimension refers to the amount of internal structuring, control, and discipline. A very easygoing culture reveals a fluid internal structure, a lack of predictability, and little control and discipline; there is a lot of improvisation and surprises. A very strict work discipline reveals the reverse. People are very cost-conscious, punctual and serious.

D4

FOCUS

Local VS. Professional

In a local company, employees identify with the boss and/or the unit in which one works. In a professional organisation, the identity of an employee is determined by his profession and/or the content of the job. In a very local culture, employees are very short-term directed, they are internally focused and there is strong social control to be like everybody else. In a very professional culture it is the reverse.

D5

APPROACHABILITY

Open System VS. Closed System

This dimension relates to the accessibility of an organisation. In a very open culture newcomers are made immediately welcome, one is open both to insiders and outsiders, and it is believed that almost anyone would fit in the organisation. In a very closed organisation it is the reverse.

D6

MANAGEMENT PHILOSOPHY

Employee-Oriented VS. Work-Oriented

This aspect of organisational culture is most related to the management philosophy. In very employee-oriented organisations, members of staff feel that personal problems are taken into account and that the organisation takes responsibility for the welfare of its employees, even if this is at the expense of the work. In very work-oriented organisations, there is heavy pressure to perform the task even if this is at the expense of employees.

The tool: The Organisational Culture SCAN

To analyze your Actual culture, your organisation will have to go through a culture scan that takes an average of 30 mins.

Following this OC Scan, Hofstede Insights will present you an insightful report that showcase where your organisation is positioned for each organisational cultural dimension.