Changing Organizational Culture for Enterprise Performance

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to show the importance of organizational culture in improving the performance of Romanian small and medium enterprises(SMEs). The research was conducted in 40 SMEs inthe North-West area of the country. The method of research used was the survey. The instrument used was a questionnaire that included 35 organizational characteristics considered by the authors the most important. The main idea of the research was that after the employees complete the online questionnaire the manager can receive a complete report about the answers, underlyining the weaknesses and strengths of the organizational culture according to the answers. The evaluation of cultural weaknesses and strengths is made after a guideline established considering the scales included in the questionnaire. After this phase of the research, if the manager wishes we can provide him with a set of strategies to mend the problems(the weakenesses). This step is very important because many researches regarding organizational culture just diagnose the type of culture but do not offer solutions for the problems. Changing culture is a difficult task and a long- term one, but in our opinion change is more easy to achieve considering the special attributes of SMEs and the period in wich culture may be changed will be shorter. Any change within an organization must start with the change of culture.