Organisational culture of the South African construction industry

Abstract

Constant change and globalisation of the construction industry has prompted an international query into the understanding of organisations’ culture, highlighting its impact on effectiveness and performance. Assessment of the likely culture type of the South African construction industry has been conducted. The aim of this article is to investigate the organisational culture of the South African construction industry by utilising the Competing Values Framework, with its measurement scale, the Organisational Culture Assessment Instrument. This model will identify the industry as either one of the following dominant cultures, namely the clan, adhocracy, market or hierarchy. The systematic sampling method was used and every third participant from a list of quantity surveyors and contractors was selected for the sample group. Each participant was emailed a standard questionnaire. From a sample of 235 quantity-surveying firms a total of 39 valid responses were received. From the 270 contractors that were emailed, 32 valid responses were received. The results revealed the market culture to be the predominant organisational culture in the South African construction industry, followed by the clan, hierarchy and, lastly, the adhocracy cultures. Understanding of their own and other firms’ organisational culture could reduce conflict and misunderstanding between stakeholders, and enable managers to make business decisions that could improve competitiveness and create a more harmonious working environment.

Keywords: Organisational culture, construction industry, competing values,
framework, Organisational Culture Assessment Instrument

Voortdurende verandering en globalisasie van die konstruksie-industrie, het die belangstelling in organisasiekultuur as ‘n rolspeler in die produktiwiteit en werkverrigting aangevuur. Navorsing het al beramings gemaak omtrent die waarskynlike organisasiekultuur van die Suid-Afrikaanse konstruksie-industrie,maar die voorspellings is nog nie  bevestig nie. Hierdie artikel beoog om deur middel van die Competing Values Framework met sy maatstaf, die Organisational Culture Assessment Instrument, die organisasiekultuur van die industrie te bepaal. Die model het vier hoofkultuurtipes, naamlik clan, adhocracy, market en hierarchy, en identifiseer die dominante eienskappe van ‘n organisasie as een van die kulture. Die beskikbaarheidssteekproefmetode is gebruik en elke derde deelnemer uit ‘n lys van bourekenaar en kontrakteurs is gekies vir die steekproef. Daar is ‘n vraelys aan elke deelnemer per epos gestuur. Uit die steekproef van 235 bourekenaarmaatskappye was daar ‘n totaal van 39 geldige antwoorde. Uit die 270 kontrakteurs wat vraelyste ontvang het, is slegs 32 geldige antwoorde ontvang. Die resultate het getoon dat die market kultuur as die oorheersende organisasiekultuur in Suid-Afrika aangewys is, gevolg deur die clan, hierarchy en adhocracy kulture. ‘n Begrip vir organisasiekultuur in verskeie firmas kan konflik en misverstande tussen belanghebbendes verminder en bestuurders bemagtig in hul besluite om hul mededingende posisie in die industrie te verbeter en tot ‘n meer harmonieuse werksomgewing by te dra.

Sleutelwoorde: Organisasiekultuur, konstruksie-industrie, Competing Values Framework, Organisational Culture Assessment Instrument

Full Article in English