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IJRFM Volume 1, Issue 2 (June, 2011) (ISSN 2231-5985)<br />

A <strong>RELATIONSHIP</strong> <strong>BETWEEN</strong> <strong>ORGANISATIONAL</strong> CULTURE AND<br />

INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS ENVIRONMENT IN A CHANGING<br />

SCENARIO: A CASE STUDY ON ROURKELA STEEL PLANT,<br />

ODISHA<br />

Nibedita Nanda*<br />

Ipseeta Nanda**<br />

Abstract<br />

Indian industries today are saddled with a culture in the work place and in society in general,<br />

which is not conducive to hard work and competition. Over the years the work culture in our<br />

country has degenerated. Some of the most common manifestations of degeneration are the<br />

presence of intense labour management. Culture represents a shared perception of reality<br />

through which <strong>org</strong>anization members assign meaning to various activities undertaken by<br />

<strong>org</strong>anization. Organization culture can be defined as a pattern of basic assumptions invested,<br />

discovered or developed by a given group as it learns to cope with its problems of external<br />

adaption and internal integration that has worked well enough to be considered valuable and<br />

therefore to be taught to new members as the correct way to perceive, think and full in<br />

relation to those problems. Since <strong>org</strong>anizational culture is represented at various levels such<br />

behaviours and antifacts constituting the observable units/dimensions, beliefs, attitudes and<br />

values manifested in patterns of response and assumptions that are often beyond the level of<br />

conciseness. It affects the fundamental choices <strong>org</strong>anizations make in defining and relating to<br />

the environment. Industrial Relation means the <strong>org</strong>anization and practice of multi-pronged<br />

relationships between workers and management, unions and workers, and the unions and<br />

management in an industry. The main purpose of this study is to identify the dimensions of<br />

responsive work culture for gaining and maintaining competitive edge as also articulate the<br />

emergent roles of various actors, particularly the management and trade unions.<br />

*Dept. of HR, DAMITS, Rourkela, Orissa, India<br />

**Dept. of ETC, Silicon Institute of Technolgy, Sambalpur, Orissa, India<br />

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The study aims at examining the relationship between the Industrial Relations environment<br />

and <strong>org</strong>anizational culture in selected <strong>org</strong>anization. The study shall examine the extent to<br />

which the existing Organizational culture has an influence on the Industrial Relations<br />

environment.<br />

Keywords: - Indian Relation, Industrial Relation Environment, Organizational Culture,<br />

Trade Union,<br />

INTRODUCTION<br />

The people who work together for the accomplishment of some common objectives require a<br />

definite structure through which they relate to each other and through which their effort can<br />

be coordinated in to a team. Such a structure is called <strong>org</strong>anization.<br />

Basically, <strong>org</strong>anizational culture is the personality of the <strong>org</strong>anization. Culture is comprised<br />

of the assumptions, values, norms and tangible signs of <strong>org</strong>anization members and their<br />

behaviours. Members of an <strong>org</strong>anization soon come to sense the particular culture of an<br />

<strong>org</strong>anization. Culture is one of those terms that are difficult to express distinctly, but<br />

everyone knows it when they sense it.<br />

According to Allen <strong>org</strong>anizing is the process of identifying and grouping the work to be<br />

performed, defining and delegating responsibility and authority and establishing relationship<br />

for the purpose of enabling the people to work most effectively together in accomplishing<br />

objectives.<br />

Today’s laser-fast age calls for multifaceted development of Indian <strong>org</strong>anizations to achieve<br />

excellence and attain global standards through effective cost management, quality control,<br />

high speed delivery of services and customer orientation. Through the new economic reforms<br />

policy, attempts have been made dismantling of controls and regulations to strengthen the<br />

competitive power of Indian industry necessitating thereby technology up gradation,<br />

productive and quality improvement. Changes in these parameters have necessitated changes<br />

in the work environment and management practices.<br />

With newer technologies overtaking industry and affecting changes in every sphere of<br />

human life, the social profile of the work force as underwent a vast change. At the present<br />

age it demands to generate a work force which is more qualify, highly skilled and willing to<br />

work .Thus the workers today are to be young, educated and more skilled than the workers in<br />

the older industries. The needs, aspirations and the value orientations of the workers have<br />

changed drastically from fulfilling primary needs of job security, better wages and working<br />

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conditions to valuing the intrinsic qualities of work such as challenge, meaning in work,<br />

autonomy, ability to use once own discretion in the job etc (Sen Gupta, 1981).To get the best<br />

out of these people, Boyett and Conn (1992) emphasized that <strong>org</strong>anizations need to create a<br />

unique culture. As industries progress towards becoming more knowledge oriented,<br />

knowledge, skill or intellectual capital is increasingly becoming firm’s main source of added<br />

value and the basis of a sustainable competitive advantage. Increasingly tightened<br />

competition, today, therefore implies that regardless of the country or economic condition in<br />

which they operate, <strong>org</strong>anizations are under tremendous pressure to develop their human<br />

resource in order to sustain competitive advantage in the knowledge based economy.<br />

Organizational culture is the set of assumption that the members of an <strong>org</strong>anization share in<br />

common. Such assumption may be in the form of internally oriented characteristics like<br />

believe, values, attitudes, feelings, personality types and so on known as abstract element of<br />

the culture or externally oriented characteristic like products, buildings and dresses etc.<br />

known as element of the culture. Vijay Sathe has exemplified some common things to<br />

demonstrate the components <strong>org</strong>anizational culture:<br />

• Shared things(e.g. the way people dress)<br />

• Shared saying(e.g. let’s go down to work)<br />

• Shared action(e.g. a service oriented approach)<br />

• Shared feelings(e.g. hard work is rewarded here)<br />

Every <strong>org</strong>anization, being a social entity, develops within it a cultural system with some<br />

unique modes distinguish one <strong>org</strong>anization from other.<br />

It is the need of the hour to infuse a high performance culture in industrial <strong>org</strong>anization and<br />

such an <strong>org</strong>anization culture can be characterized by some important features are as follows:<br />

• A leadership that empowers others<br />

• Borderless sharing of power<br />

• Values of accountability, transparency and belongingness<br />

• High level of trust<br />

• Personal responsibility<br />

• High employee and employer involvement and commitment<br />

• Open sharing of relevant information<br />

• Partnering<br />

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There has been a fundamental shift in paradigm in the world of knowledge, which has<br />

affected the basic way of thinking conceptualizing and operating on complexities of change<br />

in the environment. The new paradigm <strong>org</strong>anizations will have the characteristics:<br />

• Joint optimization of technical, human and ecological system<br />

• Self-managing groups with joint/shared responsibility<br />

• Control and coordination through shared norms<br />

• Optimal task grouping and multiple broad skills<br />

• Design based on minimum critical specifications<br />

• Variety increasing: option generating continuous learning<br />

• Adaptation through adjustment and learning<br />

• Simultaneous/ concurrent operation and activities<br />

• Decentralized self-content units with internal suppliers and customers; companies within<br />

company<br />

• Manager as an entrepreneur, work group as a small business<br />

IMPORTANCE OF <strong>ORGANISATIONAL</strong> CULTURE<br />

Organizational culture is shaped by the management philosophy and practices, and has<br />

profound impact on the way employees approach problems, serve customers and related to<br />

the environment. Organizational culture has directive, potency, regulatory, uncertainty<br />

reduction and consummator functions. In view of these multiple functions that <strong>org</strong>anizational<br />

culture performs, it often becomes a substitute to the formal network of structure, rules and<br />

procedures prevailing in an <strong>org</strong>anizations leading to widening of the gap between espoused<br />

theory and theory in use in most <strong>org</strong>anizations. Continuity in culture is maintained through<br />

selective transmission of cultural elements from one generation to another.<br />

Since <strong>org</strong>anizational culture is represented at various levels such as behaviours and artefacts<br />

constituting the observable units/dimensions; beliefs, attitudes and values manifested in<br />

patterns of response and assumptions that are often beyond the level of consciousness; it<br />

affects the fundamental choices <strong>org</strong>anizations make in defining and relating to the<br />

environment.<br />

Organizations are also tending to evolve sub-cultures depending on formal and informal<br />

group formation, ethnic affiliation and task demands. For the group within the <strong>org</strong>anization,<br />

culture may provide a common purpose and facilitate co-ordination of activities.<br />

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Organizational membership is guided by culture, how the boundaries are maintained, who is<br />

an insider and who is an outsider. Thus recruitment and selection can be major culture<br />

enhancement or change mechanisms, especially when applied to key positions in the<br />

<strong>org</strong>anization.<br />

Culture also performs a social function. It provides a medium in which friendships can<br />

develop. It provides an opportunity for the development of identity and sense of belonging.<br />

The predictability of such social environment provides for security.<br />

Culture influences what the executive group attends to, how it interprets the information and<br />

the responses it makes to changes in the external environment. It is a significant contributor<br />

to strategic analysis and the development of strategy. Since culture influences what other<br />

members of the <strong>org</strong>anization attend to, how they interpret this information and react, it is a<br />

significant determinant of the success of strategic implementation.<br />

The decisions that are made in an <strong>org</strong>anization, the goals and standards that are sought and<br />

the pattern and manner of behaviour are affected by culture.<br />

Dependent upon the degree of fit between <strong>org</strong>anizational demands and personal beliefs,<br />

attitudes and values, it results in commitment and feelings of satisfaction or antagonism,<br />

dissatisfaction, anxiety and stress.<br />

SIGNIFICANCE OF CULTU<br />

The study of culture acquires significance as it has an enabling and reinforcing impact on:<br />

Continuity of the social system or the collectivity through the process of transmission,<br />

socialization and revitalization of ideas norms and behaviour. It establishes and differentiates<br />

the human group from other groups that tend to develop core culture and sub-cultures.<br />

Culture makes predictability of responses possible by establishing common codes of conduct,<br />

standards, norms, symbols and distinguishing between desirable and undesirable behaviour.<br />

Thought, feeling and action are integrated by building consistency of thought, developing<br />

socially desirable way of expressing feelings and action. Through prioritization of goals,<br />

developing societal value system, the responses increase intensity thereby increasing the<br />

potency of human need,.<br />

It provides regulatory mechanisms including self-regulation by inculcating in the human<br />

collectivity the feeling of guilt, shame, fear of social disapproval, humiliation etc. It<br />

facilitates development of normative orientation through creation of shared value systems<br />

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creating and developing shared norms, values boundaries. Above all members derive<br />

satisfaction and a sense of pride in responding to and meeting the needs of the given culture.<br />

The capacity of human collectivity to be responsive to increased uncertainty and<br />

discontinuous changes in the environment is limited because they threaten the basic fabric of<br />

the existing culture by challenging its continuity, creating the for redefining its identity and<br />

necessitating re-examination, restatement and prioritization of value orientation, normative<br />

frame work and ethical standards. Culture thus becomes a major factor hindering the adoptive<br />

coping capabilities of social systems. The rise and fall of civilizations throughout human<br />

history can be explained in terms of initiative or lack of it, taken by human collectivities in<br />

pro-actively resolving the inner contradictions amongst various dimensions of culture,<br />

necessitated by fundamental shifts in contextual scenarios. Formal <strong>org</strong>anizations of all types<br />

encounter the same dilemma in situations of perpetual change in their environments. The<br />

growth or decline of these <strong>org</strong>anizations can be attributed to the prevailing corporate culture<br />

which is design to ensure continuity, stability, predictability, internal and external integration<br />

and the like thus making the task of realignment and adjustment difficult.<br />

INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS<br />

Industrial Relations in its traditional connotation involves active interaction amongst various<br />

actors- employer, employees and the government aimed at maintaining industrial harmony<br />

and contributing to enhanced effectiveness of industrial enterprises. Healthy relationship<br />

amongst the employer, employees and the government is essential for protecting their interest<br />

representing the larger society. A positive industrial relations environment characterized by<br />

congenial relationship between management and the workmen based on mutual trust,<br />

collaborative orientation and joint problem solving and decision making is a prerequisite for<br />

not only industrial peace but also for improved effectiveness and sustained growth of the<br />

<strong>org</strong>anization. In its wider connotation, Industrial Relation means the <strong>org</strong>anization and<br />

practice of multi-pronged relationships between workers and management, unions and<br />

workers, and the unions and management in an industry. Dale Yoder defines it as a, “whole<br />

field of relationship that exists because of the necessary collaboration of men and women in<br />

the employment process of an industry”.<br />

According to Tead and Metcalfe Industrial Relations are the composite result of the attitudes<br />

and approaches of employers and employees towards each other with regard to planning,<br />

supervision, direction and co-ordination of the activities of an <strong>org</strong>anization with minimum of<br />

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human efforts and friction’s with an animating spirit of co-operation and with proper regard<br />

for the genuine well-being of all members of the <strong>org</strong>anization.<br />

The Encyclopaedia Britannica explains that,” The concept Industrial Relations has been<br />

extended to denote the relations of the State with employers, workers and their <strong>org</strong>anizations.<br />

The subject, therefore, includes individual relations and joint consultation between employers<br />

and workers at their work place, collective relations between employers and their<br />

<strong>org</strong>anizations and trade unions and part played by the State in regulating these relations”.<br />

Industrial Relation is thus, the relation created at different levels of the <strong>org</strong>anization by the<br />

diverse, complex and composite needs and aspirations and attitudes and approaches among<br />

the participants. It is a highly complex and dynamic process of relationship involving not<br />

only employees and management’s, but also their collective forums and the State. In an<br />

<strong>org</strong>anization, these relationships may be personal and informal at one end, and may be highly<br />

institutional with legally prescribed structures and procedures at the other end.<br />

RESPONSIVE <strong>ORGANISATIONAL</strong> CULTURE & INDUSTRIAL<br />

RELATIONS IN THE CHANGING SCENARIO<br />

The changes in international economic order and geo-political environment in wake of the<br />

breaking of the Berlin wall, transition in Central and East European countries and the end of<br />

cold-war, changes in macro-economic and social environment, technological and structural<br />

changes, worker profile (Sengupta, 1992) call for fresh perspectives on our thinking, our<br />

beliefs, our philosophy, our value system connecting the management of people at workplace<br />

and elsewhere. The dynamic change process warrants a fresh look at the institutional and<br />

legal frame work and also the roles of the principal actors (Venkatratnam, 1996). The labour<br />

management relations in India has been characterize by predominance of adversarialism, the<br />

general lack of mutual trust and understanding, communication gap and win-lose orientation.<br />

India’s IR systems and practices have much room for improvement more especially in the<br />

context of strengthening competitiveness and efficiency of Indian industries to facilitate their<br />

integration with global economy (Guha, 1994).<br />

Issues relating to structural flexibility, multi-skilling, continuous learning, shared norms will<br />

have to be incorporated in the main agenda of Industrial Relations. Trade unions are as much<br />

affected by the emergent paradigm as the management. The emergence of new breed of<br />

knowledge workers, their changed profile will necessitate the trade unions to broaden their<br />

scope of operations, democratize their processes and be flexible enough to meet their<br />

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professional competency requirements and carrier growth aspirations. The declining<br />

importance of job security and increased mobility of the workers have created problems of<br />

retention of workforce, the management should therefore re-orient its policies and develop<br />

multidimensional reward systems to retain them and provide them job satisfaction.<br />

Attainment of global standards and survival of Indian <strong>org</strong>anizations in this highly competitive<br />

borderless global economic order calls for the joint endeavour of all the stake holders-the<br />

government, the employers, the workers and their unions. Organizational re-structuring, the<br />

changing patterns of labour management relations, nature of employment, the sharing of<br />

gains and social accountability have exerted pressure on the tripartite social patterns to<br />

redefine their roles and relationships in order to promote a new industrial culture. It demands<br />

that employers and workers take a hard look at their practices and attitudes and f<strong>org</strong>e a<br />

common front to bring about modernization and technological change, strengthen discipline,<br />

improve productivity and share equitably the fruits of growth. The Government as the<br />

statutory and regulatory authority should in the changed context, focus increasingly on the<br />

needs that labour laws and regulations are meant to fulfil and introduced modifications in<br />

existing laws or regulations relating to issues such as security of employment and<br />

employment conditions in the wake of privatization, closure of sick industries and labour<br />

displacements caused by modernization and related development which would help foster<br />

more harmonious labour management relations.<br />

In the years since liberalizations, of the Indian economy perhaps the most significant<br />

development has been the accelerating pace of change across all sectors of the economy. The<br />

impact of such change is so widely felt that few <strong>org</strong>anizations or sectors have been left<br />

untouched. In both private sector and public sector companies have been affected by the<br />

globalization of competition by dramatically shortening production and development cycles,<br />

by quantum leaps in technology and frantic intensification of competition. The impact of<br />

change has driven many <strong>org</strong>anizations to re-think and re-visit issues of <strong>org</strong>anizational culture.<br />

Culture change is likely to become more rather than less, significant over the decades.<br />

Increasingly though <strong>org</strong>anizations will have to treat such change, not as a one of discrete<br />

phenomena, but as continuing process, which constantly reviews, refines and improves the<br />

<strong>org</strong>anization’s overall capacity respond to external development. Designing, developing and<br />

sustaining appropriate work culture of excellence will thus become a major issue to concern<br />

for most <strong>org</strong>anizations seeking to gain and maintain competitive edge in the globally<br />

competitive environment.<br />

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The present study aims at identifying significant dimensions of responsive work culture<br />

conducive to achieving global standards of performance specifying contributions of<br />

management and workers to that end and examining their implications for Industrial<br />

Relations and practices in Indian <strong>org</strong>anizations.<br />

INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS ENVIRONMENT AND WORK CULTURE<br />

It is evident that without a work culture of excellence the <strong>org</strong>anizations in India will not be<br />

able to develop, healthy Industrial Relations a pre-requisite to providing competitive edge in<br />

global market place. There is inevitably interactive relationship between Industrial Relations<br />

and Work Culture.<br />

The structural adjustment policy adopted by India and its struggle to gain competitive edge<br />

in the global economic order envisages a strong commitment and change in the outlook<br />

thinking and attitude of its people. Attitude change presupposes change in work culture. It<br />

has been increasingly realized that human resource is the most important resource for any<br />

economy to thrive and prosper. India fortunately has skilled and competent manpower and<br />

the cost of manpower is low as compared to many other industrially developed countries.<br />

Responsive work culture is reflected in continuous improvement in productivity, quality,<br />

innovation and growth; legitimate areas of concern for both management and labour. In India<br />

work has been accorded a secret place in the scriptures. However, over the years there has<br />

been an erosion of the values and it is often argued that Indian worker today lacks a positive<br />

work culture. The worker more often is blamed for this (Sodhi, 1998). The workers, on the<br />

other hand, blame the management for its high-handedness, on healthy practices and hostile<br />

attitude towards labour. Attitudinal change is thus imperative to enable <strong>org</strong>anizations to adapt<br />

to the competitive environment, which can come about only gradually through sustain cooperation<br />

and concerted efforts among the three social partners-the Government, the<br />

employers and the employees.<br />

Every <strong>org</strong>anization develops a culture unique to its own, which can be termed as<br />

<strong>org</strong>anizational ideology-patterns of beliefs, values, norms, rituals, myths and sentiments<br />

shared by the members of <strong>org</strong>anization. The ideology, which is implicit in the minds of<br />

employees, influences and governs the response patterns of individuals and groups within the<br />

<strong>org</strong>anization. It thus regulates the energy exchange between the <strong>org</strong>anization and its members<br />

and impacts most aspects of <strong>org</strong>anizational life, such as how decisions are made, who makes<br />

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them, how rewards are distributed, who is promoted, how people are treated, how the<br />

<strong>org</strong>anization responds to its environment and so on.<br />

The concept of <strong>org</strong>anization ideology was first suggested by Roger Harrison as a significant<br />

area of study enabling <strong>org</strong>anization to diagnose their cultural state and design interventions<br />

for developing a desired culture of excellence.<br />

Four <strong>org</strong>anization ideologies or culture orientation have been identified: Power, Role,<br />

Achievement/Task and Support. Although <strong>org</strong>anizations tend to have the presence of<br />

characteristics of all the four cultural orientations, based on the individual and collective<br />

paradigm, through time they develop a dominant ideology. A brief description of the<br />

characteristics of four ideologies/cultural orientations can be stated as follows<br />

• Power oriented <strong>org</strong>anizations can be compared with cob webs wherein all <strong>org</strong>anizational<br />

processes and individual energies are directed towards maintaining and strengthening the<br />

power position of a central figure which could be an individual or a group. Large<br />

<strong>org</strong>anizations tend to develop several power centers.<br />

• Role Orientated culture tends to share some of the characteristics of what is commonly<br />

called bureaucracy .The arbitrary use personal and resource based power of an<br />

individual/group is regulated by delegation of legitimate authority at various levels in the<br />

<strong>org</strong>anization .Specified role is delineated for <strong>org</strong>anization members and their responsibility<br />

and authority defined. Systems, rules and procedures are developed for judicious use of<br />

one’s authority, performance of one’s role and discharging of one’s responsibility as a<br />

result of which functional differentiations takes place often leading to compartmentalization<br />

and problems of co-ordination and controlled. The role oriented culture reinforces stability<br />

and maintenance of the system.<br />

• While Power and Role oriented cultures tend to rely more on extrinsic rewards for<br />

directing the energies and efforts of employees towards growth of the <strong>org</strong>anization, the<br />

task/achievement oriented culture focuses on intrinsic rewards for generating commitment<br />

amongst employees towards task accomplishment and <strong>org</strong>anizational excellence.<br />

Organization structure and processes are designed to facilitate task performance, which is<br />

the requirement of various tasks that determined the allocation of responsibility and<br />

distribution of authority.<br />

• The support culture is driven by the growth related needs of the individuals thereby<br />

unleashing and harnessing the human potential in meeting their expectations and<br />

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aspirations. Employees thus are treated with dignity and respect and recognize inherent<br />

goodness of man.<br />

METHODOLOGY<br />

The instrument Diagnosing Organization Culture developed and published by Roger<br />

Harrison and Herb Stokes was administered to the managerial staff of Rourkela Steel Plant to<br />

diagnose the <strong>org</strong>anization culture. The study was based on convenience sampling method;<br />

nearly 220 questionnaires were distributed to the employees of the <strong>org</strong>anization, of which 150<br />

were received bac<br />

The questionnaires consists 15 sections, each sections includes four statements relating to<br />

the four cultural orientations. Respondents were asked those four statements first in terms of<br />

what they considered to be existing view in the <strong>org</strong>anization and then rank the same<br />

statements in terms of their personal preference. The questionnaires thus provided two<br />

separate ranking of their four cultural types: power, role, achievement and support.<br />

Respondents’ perception of the <strong>org</strong>anization prevailing culture was obtained by adding the<br />

rank assigned to each of the fifteen items characterizing a particular culture orientation. The<br />

cultural profiles were developed by dividing both the respondents ranking of existing and<br />

preferred cultural orientations in to two categories: most preferred and least preferred. The<br />

cultural orientation ranked as first or second was described as least preferred and those<br />

ranked third and fourth were most preferred.<br />

The predominant cultural orientation in Rourkela Steel Plant, as perceived by the<br />

<strong>org</strong>anization members however, is power orientation followed by Role Orientation. The<br />

Achievement and Support orientation get third and fourth respectively. In Rourkela Steel<br />

Plant however the most preferred cultural orientation is Achievement followed by Support.<br />

The least preferred orientation is Power followed by Role.<br />

In the following pages responses against each dimension have been analyzed and depicted<br />

with the help of tables and bar graphs for each <strong>org</strong>anization. The bar graph for each<br />

dimension reflects the total number of response given by the respondents in absolute numbers<br />

given to each of the four cultural orientations- power, role task and support for existing and<br />

preferred. The two tables (a) and (b) indicate the frequency of response in percentage for the<br />

existing ideology or the way things are in the <strong>org</strong>anization and preferred ideology or the way<br />

things should be in the <strong>org</strong>anization.<br />

1. Desirable Behavior<br />

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Employees tend to direct their behavior towards what is expected of them by the<br />

<strong>org</strong>anization. The expectation of the <strong>org</strong>anization plays an important role in shaping the<br />

behavior patterns of the employees.<br />

Existing Ideology<br />

Most<br />

Domina P R A S<br />

nt 59 34 34 0<br />

24 48 10 17<br />

Least 10 14 41 38<br />

Domina<br />

nt 7 3 45 45<br />

Preferred Ideology<br />

Most<br />

Domina P R A S<br />

nt 17 14 66 6.9<br />

7 24 17 52<br />

Least 16 40 14 28<br />

Domina<br />

nt 60 22 34 14<br />

Table 1(a)<br />

Table 1(b)<br />

Desirable Behaviour<br />

Frequency of response in percentage N=58<br />

Desirable Behavior<br />

60<br />

50<br />

Employees<br />

40<br />

30<br />

20<br />

10<br />

Existing Ideology<br />

Preferred Ideology<br />

0<br />

P R A S<br />

Behavior<br />

In RSP 89% of the respondents feel that the <strong>org</strong>anization expects them to meet the needs and<br />

demands of high level people in the <strong>org</strong>anization and those who are in position of power.<br />

As their personal preference,66% of the respondents feel that the employees should be<br />

expected to meet the challenges of the task and find better ways of doing their work.<br />

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IJRFM Volume 1, Issue 2 (June, 2011) (ISSN 2231-5985)<br />

2. Criteria for Reward<br />

Reward systems, both monetary and psychological are directed towards re-enforcing<br />

desirable responses of the employees. Employees therefore adopt those behaviors that are<br />

likely to be rewarded by the <strong>org</strong>anization.<br />

Preferred Ideology<br />

Most<br />

Domina P R A S<br />

nt 10 3 69 17<br />

7 7 17 66<br />

Least 14 69 7 14<br />

Domina<br />

nt 69 21 7 3<br />

Existing Ideology<br />

Most<br />

Domina P R A S<br />

nt 69 14 14 3<br />

10 59 17 14<br />

Least 10 17 53 19<br />

Domina<br />

nt 10 10 16 64<br />

Table 2(a)<br />

Criteria for Reward<br />

Frequency of response in percentage<br />

N=58<br />

Table 2(b)<br />

Criteria for Reward<br />

Employees<br />

80<br />

70<br />

60<br />

50<br />

40<br />

30<br />

20<br />

10<br />

0<br />

P R A S<br />

Reward<br />

Existing Ideology<br />

Preferred Ideology<br />

Whereas in Rourkela Steel Plant 69% of the respondents feel that those people who<br />

know how to please their superiors and are able and willing to use power and politics to get<br />

ahead are able to do well in the <strong>org</strong>anization, which gets the lowest priority in their personal<br />

preference.<br />

3. Decision-making<br />

The way decisions are made does not only affect the quality of outcome but also morale of<br />

the employees.<br />

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IJRFM Volume 1, Issue 2 (June, 2011) (ISSN 2231-5985)<br />

Existing Ideology<br />

Most<br />

Domina P R A S<br />

nt 59 17 14 7<br />

21 59 14 14<br />

3 24 53 19<br />

Least<br />

Domina<br />

nt 17 0 19 60<br />

Table3(a)<br />

Preferred Ideology<br />

Most<br />

Domina P R A S<br />

nt 10 9 36 38<br />

10 38 36 19<br />

10 43 14 36<br />

Least<br />

Domina<br />

nt 69 10 14 7<br />

Table 3(b)<br />

Decision Making<br />

Frequency of response in percentage N=58<br />

DECISION-MAKING<br />

E m p lo y e e s<br />

70<br />

60<br />

50<br />

40<br />

30<br />

20<br />

10<br />

0<br />

P R A S<br />

Decision<br />

Existing Ideology<br />

Preferred Ideology<br />

59% in Rourkela Steel Plant feel that the directives, orders and instructions come from<br />

the higher levels. 38% in Rourkela Steel Plant feel that the most desirable way of<br />

decision-making should be through consensus to gain acceptance and support for<br />

decisions and to enhance decision quality.<br />

4. Task Allocation<br />

Performance of the employees, their morale and the amount of personal satisfaction they<br />

derive from their respective job is predominantly determined by the assignment of tasks<br />

or job allocation.<br />

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IJRFM Volume 1, Issue 2 (June, 2011) (ISSN 2231-5985)<br />

Existing Ideology<br />

Most<br />

Dominan P R A S<br />

t<br />

66 17 7 0<br />

17 52 14 17<br />

Least 10 17 57 22<br />

Dominan<br />

t<br />

7 14 22 60<br />

Table 4(a)<br />

Preferred Ideology<br />

Most<br />

Domina P R A S<br />

nt 10 21 64 16<br />

17 26 26 31<br />

17 40 3 36<br />

Least<br />

Domina<br />

nt 55 14 7 17<br />

Table 4(b)<br />

Task Allocation<br />

Frequency of response in percentage N=58<br />

Task Allocation<br />

60<br />

50<br />

Employees<br />

40<br />

30<br />

20<br />

Existing Ideology<br />

Preferred Ideology<br />

10<br />

0<br />

P R A S<br />

Task<br />

While expressing their preferences too 83% in Rourkela Steel Plant and 64% in Rourkela<br />

Steel Plant have made the same choice that assignment of jobs should match the<br />

requirements of the job with the interests and abilities of the individuals.<br />

5. Work Motivation<br />

In Rourkela Steel Plant employees’ motivation to perform well and achieve excellence is<br />

governed and influenced by the prevailing ideology in the <strong>org</strong>anization.<br />

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IJRFM Volume 1, Issue 2 (June, 2011) (ISSN 2231-5985)<br />

Preferred Ideology<br />

Most<br />

Domina P R A S<br />

nt 07 07 72 03<br />

09 24 10 64<br />

17 57 10 22<br />

Least<br />

Domina<br />

nt 67 12 07 10<br />

Table 5(a)<br />

Existing Ideology<br />

Most<br />

Domina P R A S<br />

nt 48 28 17 07<br />

31 40 19 14<br />

Least 07 16 47 31<br />

Domina<br />

nt 14 17 17 48<br />

Table 5(b)<br />

Work Motivation<br />

Frequency of response in percentage N = 58<br />

Work Motivation<br />

Employees<br />

80<br />

70<br />

60<br />

50<br />

40<br />

30<br />

20<br />

10<br />

0<br />

P R A S<br />

Achieve<br />

Existing Ideology<br />

Preferred Ideology<br />

In Rourkela Steel Plant 48% of the respondents feel that hope for rewards, fear of<br />

punishment, or personal loyalty to the supervisor are the primary reasons for work motivation<br />

in their <strong>org</strong>anizations. While 72% feel that strong desires to achieve, to create and to innovate<br />

and peer pressure to contribute to the success of the <strong>org</strong>anizations should be the primary<br />

reasons for work motivations.<br />

CONCLUSION<br />

The results of the study provided empirical support for scholar’s argument that <strong>org</strong>anizational<br />

cultures affect how an <strong>org</strong>anization practices industrial relations. It also provides a starting<br />

point toward the development of a valid and reliable measurement for employee<br />

communication. The work culture prevalent in an <strong>org</strong>anization plays a decisive role not only<br />

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IJRFM Volume 1, Issue 2 (June, 2011) (ISSN 2231-5985)<br />

in interpretation of given environment, choice of strategic direction, technology options but<br />

also in providing direction and determining intensity of responses of employees to meeting<br />

the challenges of the internal environment and contextual constituents. Findings suggest that<br />

when change is seen as a positive characteristic of the environment, employees are more<br />

likely to commit to the work of the institution.<br />

REFERENCES<br />

[1]Allen, R. (1985): Four Phases for Bringing About Cultural Change; Oxford<br />

[2]Bate, S. (1994): Strategies for Cultural Change; Butterworth Heinemann, Oxford<br />

[3]Benedict, R. (1934): Patterns of Culture; Houghton Mifflin, Boston<br />

[4]Brown, A. (1995): Organisational Culture; Pitman Publishing, London<br />

[5]Budd, John W. and Bhave, Devasheesh (2008) "Values, Ideologies, and Frames of<br />

Reference in Industrial Relations," inSage Handbook of Industrial Relations, Sage.<br />

[6]Befort, Stephen F. and Budd, John W. (2009) Invisible Hands, Invisible Objectives:<br />

Bringing Workplace Law and Public Policy Into Focus, Stanford University Press.<br />

[7]Budd, John W. and Bhave, Devasheesh (2010) "The Employment Relationship," in Sage<br />

Handbook of Handbook of Human Resource Management, Sage<br />

[8]De Silva, S. (1995): Harmonizing Industrial Relations and Human Resource<br />

Management; International Labour Organisations Journal, 12, 3, 45<br />

[9]Dessler, G (2001): Management, leading people and <strong>org</strong>anisations in the 21st century;<br />

Prentice Hall Inc, New Jersey.<br />

[10]Fox, Alan (1974) Beyond Contract: Work, Power and Trust Relations, Farber and Farber.<br />

[11]Kilmann, M. et al (1986): Gaining Control of the Corporate Culture; McGraw Hill<br />

[12]Kaufman, Bruce E. (2004) Theoretical Perspectives on Work and the Employment<br />

[13]Leat, M (2001): Exploring employee relations; Heinemann, Butterworth, Oxford<br />

Relationship, Industrial Relations Research Association.<br />

[14]Niland, J., Russell, L. and Verevis, C. (1994): The Future of Industrial Relations; Sage<br />

Publications, p 466<br />

[15]Purcell, J. (1987): Mapping management styles in employee relations; Journal of<br />

Management Studies, 24, 5, 535–48<br />

[16]Vroom, V. (1964). Work and motivation.<br />

International Journal of Research in Finance & Marketing 63<br />

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