ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE ANALYSIS
0 rganizational culture can be defined as the system of shared values, meanings, and beliefs held by organizational members that determines, to a large degree, how the members act toward one another ( Robbins and Coulter XXXXXXXXXXIt is often referred to as "how we do things around here." A strong, positive culture can improve organiza-tional performance, whereas a weak or negative culture can detract from organizational performance. To say that values are shared implies that they are passed between existing employees and are passed on to new employees. Consider how Starbucks brings a new barista into the company. After a person who "fits" the Starbucks culture has been selected, the new employee is put through weeks of introductory training, followed by on-the-job instruction and mentorship. The key to this onboarding process is the transmission of "how we do things around here." The Starbucks values, motives, and meanings arc indoctrinated so that a barista is a barista whether you go to a Starbucks in Gary, Indiana, or in New York City. The same is true for Chick-Fil-A, which is known for its thorough screening and training and its emphasis on organizational values. Its onboarding processes stand in contrast to those of most fast-food competitors. Similarly, stark differences can be seen when comparing the slow-moving, bureaucratic culture of domestic automotive companies to the empowering and innovative culture of a company like G-oogle. In healthcare, culture plays a significant role in the success of the organization, and it comprises many factors. Culture, as defined by Longest and Darr (2014), includes the organization's values and ethics, its cohesiveness, its philosophy about continuous qual-ity improvement, its customers and employees, and the compatibility of culture with the mission. The difficulty is putting your finger on the pulse of culture. If you are inside the organization, you will have a strong opportunity to identify the cultural aspects. If you are on the outside, you will need to "read the tea leaves" by analyzing what is said in annual reports, by Wall Street analysts, and in articles written about the organization. What do the coffee and fast-food industries have to do with healthcare? Not much, usually, unless the prociucts they serve cause some harm to the customer. But culture plays an extremely important role in healthcare organizations, and the examples of these successful organizations provide a great start to understanding how it works. Having the right people on board, and in the right seats, is essential if the organization is to reach its full potential. Another key to organizational success in contemporary healthcare is cultural com-petency. We see a diverse patient population, and we must be able to serve the needs of everyone. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (2015), cultural competency is a set of congruent behaviors, attitudes, and policies that
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