CORPORATE CULTURE IN RUSSIA

ABSTRACT

The article analyzes the current state of corporate culture in Russia. The interrelation of indicators characterizing the level of corporate culture in companies under pandemic conditions is shown.

Keywords: corporate culture, organizational culture, strategic tasks of the company.

There is no denying the significant impact of corporate culture on the performance of the organisation as a whole. There are many interpretations of the term "corporate culture". Thus, A. N. Krylov under "corporate culture" understands "a set of ideas, values, generally accepted patterns and norms of behavior inherent in a particular organization; joint experience of members of an organization, formed in the course of collective activity and expressed in both tangible and spiritual forms" [3].

Some researchers identify the concepts of "corporate culture" and "organizational culture" and put in these concepts some system of certain rules, norms, values, rituals, which should be adhered to by the employees of an organization.

There are five main components of the corporate culture of an organization:

1. The appearance of the staff. Certain articles of clothing, accessories or general rules of appearance;
2. Leadership style. Here we refer most often to the traditional approach to classification, where authoritarian, democratic and permissive (liberal) styles are distinguished;
3. The cultural network of the organisation. If we consider this element in a broad sense, we are talking here about informal ties within the organisation. In addition, the cultural network refers to a hierarchy that does not depend on positions, but rather is built on the roles performed by employees;
4. Ceremonies and rituals. Symbolic activities included in the planned daily life of the organisation [4]. Within this element, we can talk about both formal (meetings, gatherings) and informal (corporate parties, trips, museum visits) events. The former require strict adherence to the latter.
5. Heroes of the organisation. Employees of the organization who set an example both in labour activity and in observance of corporate culture.

The intensity of manifestation of corporate culture varies from company to company: in one organization each of the five elements listed above is present and adhered to, while in another they may not be present at all. According to researchers, corporate culture affects competitiveness, the image of a company and even its profits.

For example, Kotter and Heskett conducted a study and noted that corporate culture with productivity growth values increased the income of organisations by 765% from 1977 to 1988, and only 1% increased income in the same time period for companies without a productivity growth corporate culture [5].

There is also an opinion that corporate culture is more developed abroad than in Russia. According to Oliver Wyman, one of the weaknesses of the corporate culture of domestic organisations is the underestimation of the value of employee autonomy or the concept of 'empowerment'. According to the portal's research, a number of indices can be identified that characterise the current state of corporate culture in Russia [2]:

Table.

Indicators of the state of corporate culture in Russia

So, the presented data clearly show that while the respondents highly appreciate the role of corporate culture in implementing changes in the company and achieving its strategic objectives, there is such a problem as lack of understanding of these facts by the top management, as well as low indicators of the effectiveness of communication within the company - one of the elements of corporate culture.

Corporate culture is a system in need of constant change. Some changes are initiated by the company's employees. According to the PWC portal survey, the vast majority of respondents believe that their company's corporate culture is in need of transformation, and to a greater extent this is stated by rank-and-file employees than by managers. However, some of the changes occur under the influence of external factors.

It is known that types of corporate culture, based on prevailing values, can be roughly divided into:

1) "Soft", where the key values are: kindness, mutual help, trust, loyalty, support, exceptional honesty towards employees, clients and competitors. According to foreign sources this type corresponds to elements: symbols, company myths and rituals.

2) "Hard" with values: power, success, rivalry, aggressiveness, achieving the goal by any means. In foreign sources the most developed elements for this type are: power structures, organisational structures, control systems.

So, according to Superjob research, corporate culture in Russia has undergone some changes since 2019. During the coronavirus pandemic, the number of employers who broadcast the values of achieving a goal for their employees by any means (from 16% to 9%) decreased by 7 p.p. In contrast, the number of companies with values of mutual help, trust and support increased from 64% to 71% (chart) [1].

Chart. Types of corporate culture in Russian companies for 2021

Obviously, in companies with a large number of employees, a "rigid" type of corporate culture prevails to a greater extent.

Thus, corporate culture, being one of the important components in the implementation of the strategic objectives of an organisation, increasing its profitability and competitiveness, plays an important role in the functioning of the company as a whole. In Russia, corporate culture is still in its infancy, so there are weaknesses such as managers' lack of understanding of the importance of corporate culture, as well as low efficiency of intra-organisational communications.

References:

1. Исследовательский центр портала Superjob.ru. URL: https://reutov.superjob.ru/research/articles/112814/koronavirus-snizil-chislo-kompanij-s-agressivnym-tipom-korporativnoj-kultury/
2. Корпоративная культура в россии: новые горизонты трансформации. URL: https://www.oliverwyman.com/ru/our-expertise/insights/2019/jul/corporate-culture-in-russia.html
3. Крылов, А. Н. Коммуникационный менеджмент. Теория и практика взаимодействия бизнеса и общества.. – 2-е изд.. – М., 2015. – С. 104. –352 с.
4. Организационное Поведение. Учебник Для ВУЗов. URL: http://bzbook.ru/Organizaczionnoe-povedenie-Uchebnik-dlya-VUZov.1.html#a1.G-R-Latfullin-O-N-Gromova-Organizaczionnoe-povedenie
5. Shahzad, F. Luqman, A.  Impact of Organizational Culture on Organizational Performance: An Overview. URL: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/328027871_Impact_of_Organizational_Culture_on_Organizational_Performance_An_Overview