ABSTRACT
A self-assessment of organizational culture and trust is an effective means to examine the attitudes, perceptions, practices, and policies that are in place to support the culture of an organization. The knowledge gained from an assessment is a key component of the continuous improvement process. Organizational culture and trust should be assessed in three
parts to gain the maximum information needed to evaluate and attain useful information that will assist in modifying the culture if necessary. The first part should consist of a review of culture-supporting documents. The second part should be through employee surveys followed by focus group surveys and individual interviews. It is important that prior to embarking upon the assessment, employees are made aware of the pending assessment and its importance to management and the organization. This is an opportunity for management to be open and honest with the workers and request their open and honest feedback when completing the survey. The following detail should be provided to the workers prior to beginning the assessment:
• Why the survey is being conducted • How the survey will be administered • How the focus group discussions will be conducted • How people will be selected to participate in the interview portion
of the assessment • What to expect during the focus group survey • How the result will be used • When the results will be analyzed and published • How the results will be communicated
The first step in assessing culture is to review the documents that detail the processes, practices, and behaviors expected by the organization members. These documents should be reviewed to ensure that the appropriate expected behaviors are clearly defined. Policies and procedures documenting the roles, responsibilities, and accountabilities for organization members should also be included in the review.
