Knowing your organization’s culture is essential. It molds your workplace’s values, attitudes, and behaviors and can significantly impact your team’s efficiency and overall success. In addition, identifying the predominant culture type can provide insights into your company’s strengths and potential areas for improvement.
The four types of organizational cultures are:
Clan Culture: This is a people-oriented, highly collaborative work environment where everyone is valued and communication is prioritized. Clan cultures emphasize solid relationships and foster a sense of belonging. They promote open dialogue, teamwork, and mentorship opportunities.
Adhocracy Culture: This culture thrives on adaptability and innovation. It is an environment that promotes risk-taking, individuality, and creativity. Adhocracy cultures value flexibility and focus on converting innovative ideas into business growth and success.
Market Culture: This is a results-oriented work environment where success is measured by external factors rather than internal satisfaction. Market cultures are competitive and goal-driven, emphasizing meeting quotas, reaching targets, and achieving measurable outcomes.
Hierarchy Culture: This traditional, risk-averse work environment values stability and uniformity. Hierarchy cultures prioritize following established rules and guidelines, minimizing adaptability and change.
We’ve developed a questionnaire containing eight comprehensive questions to assess your organizational culture. These questions cover various aspects of your company’s values, communication style, approach to innovation, leadership dynamics, and response to change. Once you’ve completed the questionnaire and tallied your responses, you’ll be able to gain valuable insights into your company’s culture type.
1. How would you describe the communication style within your company?
a) Open, frequent, and collaborative
b) Informal and flexible
c) Goal-oriented and focused on results
d) Formal and structured
2. Does your company encourage mentorship and learning opportunities?
a) Yes, mentorship programs are actively promoted
b) There are some opportunities for mentorship, but not a strong focus
c) Limited mentorship opportunities are available
d) Mentorship is not a priority within the company
3. How does your company approach innovation and new ideas?
a) Encourages and rewards risk-taking and creativity
b) Values new ideas, but implementation is limited
c) Innovation is not a top priority but is occasionally considered
d) Innovation and new ideas are discouraged or ignored
4. What is the primary focus of your company’s culture?
a) Building solid relationships and collaboration
b) Driving innovation and breakthroughs
c) Achieving market success and meeting targets
d) Maintaining stability and following established processes
5. How would you describe your company’s hierarchy and decision-making level?
a) Flat hierarchy, decisions are made collaboratively
b) Some hierarchy, but decision-making is decentralized
c) Clear hierarchy and decision-making authority
d) Highly hierarchical with limited employee involvement in decision-making
6. How does your company respond to change and adaptability?
a) Embraces change and encourages flexibility
b) Adapts to change when necessary but prefers stability
c) Resists change and prefers to maintain the status quo
d) Change is rarely considered or implemented
7. What is the relationship between executives and employees in your company?
a) Executives are accessible and engage with employees regularly
b) Executives have some interaction with employees
c) Limited interaction between executives and employees
d) Executives are distant and have minimal contact with employees
8. How important is achieving internal satisfaction and employee well-being in your company?
a) High priority, with emphasis on employee happiness and well-being
b) Moderately significant, but external success takes precedence
c) Not a significant focus. Results are the primary concern
d) Not a priority. Employee well-being is primarily overlooked
How to Score and Interpret Your Results:
For every question, assign points as follows:
- For each “a” response, give 4 points.
- For each “b” response, give 3 points.
- For each “c” response, give 2 points.
- Finally, for each “d” response, assign 1 point.
Add up your total score. The maximum score you can achieve is 32, and the minimum is 8.
The higher your score, the more your company leans toward a Clan or Adhocracy Culture – focused on collaboration, innovation, and adaptability. Conversely, if your score is lower, your organization is more likely to align with a Market or Hierarchy Culture, focusing more on results, structure, and stability.
By understanding these four types of organizational cultures, you can better assess the present culture within your company and make informed decisions about whether you want to maintain or change it. In addition, this awareness will allow you to create an environment that best supports your organization’s goals, values, and team success.