HRT6560 : Organizational Culture of Citibank

https://www.citigroup.com/citi/about/citizenship/download/2015/global/2015-citi-global-citizenship-factsheet-conduct-culture-governance-en.pdf

https://www.citibank.com.tr/gcb/english/aboutus/Message-From-HR.htm

Write a report (recommended length = 2, single-spaced, Times New Roman font, 1 inch margins) summarizing your observations and insights on the following points:

1. A description of the organization’s culture.

2. Observations about the three facets of organizational culture (described below).

3. Discuss whether the espoused values in your organization (what the company publicly purports to be) are (mis)aligned with the artifacts and basic assumptions that exist. If inconsistencies exist, discuss this and its implications.

4. Discuss the strength of the organizational culture, and the degree to which it is shared among employees.

5. Discuss if (and how) your organization’s culture guides/directs employees’ behavior.

6. Make recommendations about how your organization could introduce new artifacts that would reinforce its espoused values in an effort to more clearly convey its intended culture.

Answer

1. Organizational culture is described as the scheme of shared theories, beliefs, and values that govern the people’s behavior in the organization (Wi?niewska-Mikosik, 2017). Citibank has always maintained a unique organizational culture since its formation in 1812. Citibank has prioritized diversity in its operations. Citibank operates in various countries, and the employees are given the opportunity to move from one nation to another. Innovation is also a key component of the organizational culture of Citibank (Citibank, 2018).

2. The artifacts in the Citibank can be termed as well-defined. The employees of Citibank are mostly dressed in casual clothes. It is only the head executives who normally wear suits. In Citibank, causal dressing-code is greatly embraced. Citibank also has sound espoused values that are appealing to all the members of the organization.  The espoused values of Citi are tailored towards its mission statement. Citibank espoused values include promotion of trust in the financial sector, prioritizing the needs of their clients, promoting honesty, transparency, and accountability in their financial dealings and boosting the economic standards of the general population (Citibank, 2018). Additionally, Citibank has basic assumptions that promote efficiency in its operations. First, Citibank must be profitable for the firm to continue operating. Second, Citibank has the assumption that the customers will be there to buy its products and services. Third, the assumption of the talented workforce also exists in Citibank. Fourth, the assumption of effective management expertise is also evident in Citibank.

3. Research indicates that there should be alignment between the espoused values, artifacts and the basic assumptions in the organization.  In case of misalignment, the operations of an organization are likely to be ineffective (Wi?niewska-Mikosik, 2017). The espoused values, artifacts and the basic assumptions in Citibank are considerably aligned. In fact, it is due to this alignment of the three cultural facets of organizational culture that the firm has experienced great growth and development (Citibank, 2018). The organizational culture is Citibank is based on the needs, values, and beliefs of all the employees. The company doesn’t have a specific dress code as this is the only way the workers can embrace their individual culture. There is great employee satisfaction and productivity in Citibank; and this can only be attributed to the alignment between the three cultural facets of the organizational culture.

4. One notable aspect that makes the organizational culture of Citibank very strong is the hiring of culturally competent employees.  Every employee at Citibank understands and respects the culture of everyone.  The organizational culture of Citibank can be termed as strong, however, with some flows. For instance, the employees state that there is some pressure from the management especially when it comes to performance. Moreover, the complexity of Citibank sometimes hinders effective bonding and communication between the managers and the employees (Keresztes and Pirger, 2018).

5. The organizational culture of Citibank acts as the guiding principle for all the employees. It is the organizational culture of Citibank that defines the relationships that should exist in the whole organization. The mode of the communication among the employees as well as the managers is determined by the organizational culture of the firm. All the employees are supposed to embrace diversity and perform their assigned tasks responsibly. The organizational culture of Citibank ensures that the employees’ performance is aligned with the goals and objectives of the firm (Wi?niewska-Mikosik, 2017).

6. First, Citibank should provide free-ride to and from work just like the case with Google. Secondly, Citibank can introduce free foods and accommodation to its employees especially those who are residing far from the workplace. The office layout of Citibank should further be revised to facilitate effective communication between the managers and employees. Moreover, the motivation strategies in the organization should further be enhanced to promote greater productivity and job satisfaction (Keresztes and Pirger, 2018)

References

CitiBank (2018). Conduct, Culture and Governance. 12th ed. [ebook] New York: NY Punlishers. Available at: https://www.citigroup.com/citi/about/citizenship/download/2015/global/2015-citi-global-citizenship-factsheet-conduct-culture-governance-en.pdf [Accessed 23 Sep. 2018].

Citibank (2018). Message From HR - Citibank Turkey. [online] Citibank.com.tr. Available at: https://www.citibank.com.tr/gcb/english/aboutus/Message-From-HR.htm [Accessed 23 Sep. 2018].

Keresztes, G. and Pirger, T. (2018). Innovation and Organizational Culture – Change Management Issues in a Financial Institution’s Organizational Culture. Gazdaság és Társadalom, 4.

Wi?niewska-Mikosik, J. (2017). Organizational Culture as a Variable that Determines Effective Cross-cultural Management. Journal of Intercultural Management, 7(3), pp.143-155.