Characteristics of Strategic Organizations

 1. Inroduction

Initial research priorities revolved around defining culture and identifying basic levels for understanding the phenomena. Practitioner based reports also relied heavily on individual anecdotes, personal experience, and case studies; however, as culture gained traction among scholars, theories or cultural frameworks using more robust data sets have emerged. Increased practitioner-based observation and quantitative evaluation of organizational behavior motivated scholars to document and explain organizational phenomena already occurring within agencies. While effective culture is tied to congruence with several organizational components, scholarship reveals common themes associated with the culture of more strategic and agile organizations. While non-exhaustive, this article presents the predominant organizational culture characteristics present in strategic agencies.

2.  Emphasize Interrelationships

Strategic culture values two mechanisms that emphasize organizational interrelationships—systems thinking and feedback loops. First, systems-thinking enables agency members to understand the interconnectedness of individuals, workgroups, departments, processes, and organizational structures that foster increased collaboration and confidence in achieving complex objectives (Kim, 1993).

Senge (2006) interprets systems thinking as the discipline ―for seeing ―structures‖ that underlie complex situations, and for discerning high from low leverage change (p. 69). Systems thinking also require purposeful communication capable of conveying circular relationships and exposing the interdependency of individual units (Argyris, 1977).

Feedback loops are communication mechanisms that support systems thinking and forces critical evaluation of processes, policies, and decisions (ibid). In other words, a feedback loop is a circular communication style purposed to continually detect errors both horizontally and vertically within an agency. Both systems-thinking and feedback loop constructs disrupt status-quo patterns of thinking (mental models) providing an ability to change ―how things are always done.

3. Shared Vision & Mission

A shared vision and mission create a core set of managerial values serving to moderate the way in which business is executed (Bryson, 2004). Henry Mintzberg and Frances Westley (1992) characterize shared vision as a step in organizational change involving a forced synthesis of individual initiatives into a common mission, myth, or behavior code that eventually guides decision-making.

At the most basic level, a shared vision answers, ―what do we want to create‖ where ideals established in the discipline of personal mastery answers, ―what do I want to create (Senge, 2006). Because public agencies have ambiguous service goals and often operate under conflicting mandated responsibilities, a central concept (vision) supported by an action-oriented philosophy (mission) provides profound cohesion amongst diverse personnel and contributes to an increased sense of commitment (Ring & Perry, 1985).

Finally, a vision-centered culture makes it easier to clarify outcomes and identify personnel responsibilities by equipping members with a clear direction (Senge, 2006). The famous New York Yankees baseball player, Yogi Berra, once stated, ―You’ve got to be very careful if you don’t know where you’re going, because you might not get there‖ (Penick, 2005). While overly simplified, Berra’s statement portrays the critical importance of an organizational mission. Public administrators must often delicately balance competing agency purposes within their mandated mission (Rainey, 2009).

4. Leadership

The concept that leadership plays a critical role in an agency’s culture gained traction in the late 1980s when several researchers revealed organizational effectiveness improves when managers place a heavy emphasis on the cultural dimensions of their firm (Ouchi, 1981; Peters & Waterman, 1982; Collins and Porras, 1997; Schein, 2004). In a strategic culture, administrators support vision development and must not only be willing to share his personal vision but must also ask, ―will you follow me?‖ Strategic leaders practice personal mastery and are open to feedback and criticism (Senge, 2006). Lastly, value drivers of strategic leadership are commitment, communication, development, and innovation (Cameron & Quinn, 2011). Executives strive to foster a safe environment where the status quo can be questioned and innovation encouraged.

5. Commitment to Learning

Several organizational culture theories agree that commitment to learning indicates an agency values personal mastery and personnel development (McGill, et al., 1992; Barker & Camarata, 1998; Senge, 2006; Cameron & Quinn, 2011). Considering the most pervasive force in any agency is its people, the first organizational learning cornerstone relies upon the most basic organizational unit—the individual. ―Personal mastery‖ implies a commitment to individual growth and learning in order to expand personal abilities to experiment and collaboratively reframe problems (McGill, et al., 1992; Senge, 2006).

Characteristics of employees who can easily embrace personal mastery include passion, flexibility, patience, perseverance, a sense of purpose, and ownership because this concept requires a special level of proficiency that is committed to improvement (Senge, 2006).

Agencies cultivating personal mastery assume personnel development is a priority. Strategic agencies provide a working environment that enables conditions for people to lead enriched lives and supports knowledge acquisition both on and off the job (Barker and Camarata, 1998). Commitment to development opportunities also indicates a level of employee empowerment and ownership of responsibilities (Senge, 2006).

6. Conclusion

The characteristics of a strategic organization are therefore interrelationships, shared vision and vision, leadership and commitment to learning.