Organisational culture of the South African construction industry

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Date
2013Author
Harinarain, Nishani
Bornman, Christina-Louise
Botha, Mandie
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English: 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. Afrikaans: 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.