Abstract

The strong culture is vital in shaping the psychological and social environment based on the assumptions, principles, and values that contributes to “norms and values of the organization”. The organizational culture is the combination of some dynamic attributes that work together in determining the overall culture. This study aims at exploring the effect of organizational culture attributes on the performance of employees to examine which attribute is more effective towards employees’ performance. The data was collected through an adapted questionnaire from faculty member hailing from the southern region of KP, Pakistan. The data was analyzed through the statistical procedures to examine the research hypothesis extracted from the theoretical framework. The results from hypotheses testing show that all the attributes of organizational culture are significant in determining employees’ performance in a higher educational context. In this connection, based on the results and conclusion of the study, some recommendations have been suggested to policymakers and future researchers.

Key Words

Organizational Culture Attributes, Employees’ Performance & Higher Education

Introduction

The higher education institutions’ main function is to impart knowledge to bring the positive “changes in the attitude and behavior of the individuals”. This change in attitude makes the difference between literate and illiterate individuals. In this regard, to perform this function effectively, the higher institutions need a strong culture that further makes the difference between higher institutions and other organizations (Kezar & Eckel, 2002). The main focus of the universities is to develop a culture where individuals may frequently share their views, assumptions, values aligned with institutional norms. The strong culture is a strong predictor of decent performance overwhelmed at institutional development and success (Najera, Dieleman & Marion, 2006). The strong culture not only depicts the standards and ethical values of the institution towards the concerned employees but also provide opportunities to promote the innovation and creativity in the institutions (Osman, Munever, Dogan & Nermin, 2010). This not only helps in developing the institutional values but also assistances in the growing intellectual capabilities of the employees leading to higher performances. 

The performance reflects not only the potential and efforts of the individuals/ employees at the workplace aligned with the institutional short-term tasks but also pave the way towards the long-term objectives of the concerned institution (Asif & Searcy, 2013). The achievement of these objectives needs a strong culture supported by loyalty, devotion, commitment, and performance on the part of institutions and employees as well. The performance is the only measure that alone is enough to meet the desired standards of the institutions (Amjad, Sabri, Ilyas & Hameed, 2015). The performance of the institutions is measured actually from the performance of their employees and thus the high employees’ performance leads to high institutional performance (Elina & Elita, 2017). However, many factors can affect the performance of employees and institution wherein some have positive influences (job satisfaction, motivation, intelligence, empowerment, work environment, commitment, loyalty & leadership) while others have negative influences (external influences, favoritism, and turnover intentions) along with the diverse influences of the culture from the different dimensions. 

The dimensions of organizational culture have varied influences on the employees as well as institutional performance. Denison conceptualized the organizational culture as the mixture of different attributes like the mission, adaptability, consistency, and involvement who when combined form the overall organizational culture (Denison, Nieminen & Kotrba, 2014). The mission is important for all the employees wherein they are required to put their utmost efforts to achieve the vision and mission of the concerned employees. Similarly, for the employees, the adaptability is vital that denotes the employees’ familiarization towards the internal and external changes that the employees need to adapt for the best interest of the institution (Jackie & Kelly, 2015). The consistency is also significant wherein employees are required to show uniformity in their efforts for the attainment of assigned tasks leading to institutional objectives. The involvement is also critical for the employees wherein they are required to involve persistently in chasing the desired objectives (Saad & Abbas, 2018). Consequently, this study aims to examine the impact of these imperative attributes of culture on employees’ performance. 




Problem Statement 

The strong culture is dynamic for higher institutions in attaining their desired standing and ranking in the contemporary competitive environment. The organizational culture can increase or decrease the performance level of the employees from different dimensions. Therefore, this study is an attempt to survey the organizational culture attributes in determining the employees’ performance. The study “aims to examine the relations between organizational culture” attributes and employees’ performance in “higher educational context in developing countries like Pakistan”.  




Research hypotheses

H1: The organizational culture attributes have a positive and significant association with the employees’ performance. 

H2: The organizational culture attributes have a significant and positive impact on employees’ performance in higher educational context. 

Literature Review

The existing literature, in an educational context, offered enough evidence about relationships (diversified) between the employees’ performance and organizational culture. However, the researchers recommend that there is a divergence between organizational culture attributes and attributes of employees’ performance (Balthazard, Cooke & Potter, 2006). Numerous studies exposed that culture has a vital effect on employees concerning their attitude and behavior leading to their commitment and performance that comprehends the past, present, and future approaches, processes, and events and experiences of concerned employees (Osman et al., 2010). These experiences nurture their attitudes towards a particular culture of the institutions. The strong culture helps augment the employees’ dedication adjacent to institutional philosophy and standards (Ehtesham & Shakil, 2011). Therefore, culture helps in determining the employees’ behavior towards the desired performances by acting as a control mechanism between the institutional values and objectives and employees' podetial and efforts.

The literature showed that the culture of higher institutions is equally important for nurturing the employees’ attitude towards the expectations, norms, and values and practices that acts as guiding principles in augmenting the employees’ behavior towards particular objectives (Mohamed & Abukar, 2013). The culture of the higher institutions tolerates the employees to comprehend and realize the dealings between the institution and employees and between employees themselves to focus upon the situation, objectives, events, and actions in distinguishing manners (Thuku, Abiero & Dennis, 2015). The weak culture is measured through unconventionality about lack of standards, core ethics, and devastation of written and unwritten guidelines of the code of conduct in the institution. However, a strong culture is stared over solid normative behavior, readiness, and shared values of the employees to follow the desired standards of the institution (Saad & Abbas, 2018). The strong culture is the only key phenomenon for reputable performance and sustainable development of the higher institutions.  




Organizational Culture

The culture of higher institutions can be established by strengthening the shared values and behavioral practices

 through adjacent kindred between the interned potentials and visible behaviors of the workforces (Kezar & Eckel, 2002). Consequently, mutual understandings are vital to comprehend and relate the prevailing culture with the desired and ideal futuristic culture of the institution (Najera, Dieleman & Marion, 2006). The institutions are needed to revisit their existing culture thereby highlighting main issues overwhelmed at commonalities and differences to align with the institutional values, standards, and ethics supported by required actions and processes (Ali & Musah, 2012). The shared culture binds workforces together and offers the way to institutions to attain their anticipated purposes. Thus, for the higher institutions, a crystal-clear understanding is a prerequisite towards the institutional culture to respond effectively towards the varying demands of the stakeholders (Saad & Abbas, 2018). Likewise, the culture of higher institutions is influenced strongly by former learnings and achievements about how to become accustomed to the existing culture, how to survive and how to move towards the development in the contemporary competitive situations. 




Mission

The mission is an imperative component of organizational culture which denotes the clarity in the institutional objectives along with the institutional efforts to share the desired mission with the concerned employees. It looks strong that the institution may have a “highly salient mission but a weak culture and have a strong culture with slight agreement on the mission” (Denison & Neale, 2000). The mission is used in describing the animated track in prolonged manners for the concerned institution. Therefore, the effective higher institutions have durable track and vision that plans the strategic goals and objectives of the institution and articulates also the innovative tactics for its long-lasting processes (Balthazard, Cooke & Potter, 2006). The mission arrangement and reliability in operative actions indicates that mission is dynamic basics in the augmenting the performance of higher institutions (Osman, Munever, Dogan & Nermin, 2010). Consequently, the strong and clearly defined mission is vibrant for higher institutional sustainable development. However, the institutions where vision is inattentive may result in external and internal pressures (Jackie & Kelly, 2015). Therefore, higher institutions are direly needed to emphasize more on a strong and effective mission to attain desired performances. 




Adaptability 

The adaptability is an important measure for determining the organizational culture as it helps in familiarizing with changes (external and internal) that are vital in varied situations where it is measured as effective towards the sustainable performances (Zabid, Murali & Azmawani, 2003). The higher institutions need a system of principles and values that assist their capabilities to understand, accept, and transmit the indicators from environments into behavioral core disparities that increase its possibilities for the survival and ultimate development (Deanna, 2007). The researchers indorsed three elements for adaptability like “ability to perceive and respond to the marginal environment, the ability” to react irrespective of authority and position and finally the ability to rationalize “behaviors and processes that allow” the institutions to adapt the same as per the changing demands (Chatman, Caldwell, Reilly & Doerr, 2014). Since lacking the ability to adaptive reaction implementation, an institution may not be effective and thus may not be efficient in attaining their desired objectives systematically (Saad & Abbas, 2018). Therefore, adaptability is dynamic in determining the institutional culture leading to the desired changes through respectable performances. 




Consistency

The consistency has been measured as an important parameter in measuring organizational culture as it is deeply rooted in the changes’ adaptation capabilities of the institutions in comprehending the situations as per the desired standards. The attribute of consistency denotes the optimum opportunity of the outcomes (short-term) (Denison & Neale, 2000). The consistency leading influence is the employees’ diligence leading to quality, satisfaction, and dedicated performance (Thornton & Audrey, 2008). The consistency acts as a leading source of the integration, coordination, and control mechanism. The consistency nurtures the reliability in the employees’ attitude towards the institutional erections that “build an internal system of control based upon consensual support” (Hartnell & Kinicki, 2011). The consistency helps in building a strong culture based on the structure of shared principles and values, that are easily understandable by the employees in the institutions (Jackie & Kelly, 2015). The consistency empowers the workforces to respond better “in an expected way to an unexpected situation” by an emphasis upon the “value-based principles” wherein the actions can be grounded on certain realities.




Involvement 

The involvement is a significant attribute of organizational culture that denotes the active participation of the employees in institutional affairs. The involvement specifies the main criteria for the employees’ engagement in institutional tasks further supported by required cooperation and coordination in achieving the desired objectives of the institution (Denison & Neale, 2000). Likewise, the involvement focuses upon the team orientation, empowerment contribution, decision making, and the ability to move towards the development. This may be possible only through the effective involvement of employees in the institutional tasks and further may be possible only through decent performances (Balthazard Cooke & Potter, 2006). In this linking, organizational culture is measured as effective involvement and participation of employees that creates a sense of responsibility and ownership (Hartnell & Kinicki, 2011). Likewise, the cultures depend upon implied and informal systems of control rather than the bureaucratic and formal control systems (Jackie & Kelly, 2015). Consequently, the ownership nurtures a better commitment towards institutions that further build the dimensions for independence and decent performances.




Employees Performance

The performance is the main concern for higher institutions as these institutions can attain the desired status through respectable performances. The strong culture paves the way for effective performances thus leading the active attainment of institutional objectives (Armstrong & Baron, 2005). The sociable and supportive culture helps the institutions in surviving their existence and further helps in improving their development as the culture not only denotes the exertions of the single individual rather it depends on collective efforts of all employees supported by the concerned management and leadership (Thomas & Feldman, 2009). The literature revealed that performance is a multidimensional construct that aims at attaining the anticipated consequences and linked strongly to the institutional strategic objectives (Asif & Searcy, 2014). Thus, the workforces at different levels in the institutional hierarchy are required to put their utmost efforts towards the attainment of institutional long-term objectives supported by realistic culture (Saad & Abbas, 2018). The employees’ efficiency, diligence, commitment, performance, and strong culture are the key elements of institutional success in the contemporary competitive environment.    




Organizational Culture and Employees Performance 

The organizational culture and employees’ performance are strongly linked to each other rather both are reinforcing each other towards the attainment of certain predefined goals. In higher institutions, the employees are confined determinedly by a supportive culture that offers the roots for their working capacities and performance (Balthazard, Cooke & Potter, 2006). The institutional culture offers a strong instrument for controlling the employees’ behavior by disturbing their insight that how to understand things around. The institutions need a strong culture of trust wherein the employees interact with each other without any discriminations which in turn helps the concerned institution in attaining their desired identifications effectively (Thornton & Audrey, 2008). Likewise, the culture helps in sharing the institutional values with the concerned employees along with certain constraints that specify the boundaries of their responsibilities and empowerment (Ali & Musah, 2012). The culture is thus helpful in attaining the desired performance level as its main theme is the motivation and inspiration towards the institutional long-term objectives within the predetermined norms and values. 

The performance is also inherently linked with the culture as when the culture is strong, the performance of the employees and institution will also be strong. Similarly, the strong and supportive culture is vital in determining the employees’ attitude by bringing optimistic and effective change in the behavior of the employees (Mohamed & Abukar, 2013). The culture is also vital for the employees in sharing their views about the institutional affairs which empower them to make their own decisions in their relevant jurisdiction. The culture has a strong impact on the institutional performance and productivity supported by the efforts of concerned employees (Menaka & Chandrika, 2015). Likewise, the culture is also vital in determining the institutional eventualities leading to the required standards and values that support the individuals’ potentials to maintain the institutional position in prolonged manners (Saad & Abbas, 2018). In this connection, the organizational culture is measured as the package of the core values, principles, beliefs, and practices that create the system of management for managing the employees’ needs, institutional values, and managing the guidelines for the performance management. 

Figure 1

Theoretical Framework



Research Methodology

The positivist approach has been used as the study is based upon the investigation of existing realities in a native environment by collecting data from the sample and analyzed by using the statistical procedure to chase hypothesis and to produce new results about the relationship among research variables (Saunders, Lewis & Thornhill, 2012). Similarly, the approach of the survey has been used to access the sample of the population which has been recommended as the most effective approach in social sciences (Creswell & Clark, 2011). The population comprises the faculty members from higher institutions of KP (1720) wherein sample (325) was drawn over statistical formula (Yamani, 1967). The article has been extracted from PhD research work therefore, the data is extracted from the dissertation. The “secondary data was collected from” the available literature on the issues while the questionnaire has been used from primary data collection where 325 were distributed and 310 were recollected. Through the different statistical procedures, data was analyzed the results of sample size determination has been presented in table 1.

     

Table 1. Sample-size Determination (Yamani, 1967)

E	Formula used	N	Sample Size
0.05	n = N/1 + Ne2	1720	325
	n = 1720 / (1+1720 (0.0025)), n = 324.52		Recalled = 310

 

Table 2. Reliability Statistics

Variables	Items	Cronbach's Alpha
Mission	06	.828
Adaptability	06	.778
Consistency	06	.831
Involvement	06	.791
Employees performance	10	.847
Questionnaire	34	.894

 

The reliability of the instrument was done through Cronbach Alpha wherein acceptable value in social science is (.6), wherein the Alpha “values for all the variables are above” the threshold values likewise, mission (.828), adaptability (.778), consistency (.831), involvement (.791) and employees’ performance (.847) and overall questionnaire (.894). all the values are above the threshold value therefore, it is concluded that the construct has acceptable reliability in terms of internal consistency.   

Results and Discussion

In this section, the results of the study have been offered as obtained through the procedure of statistical analysis in finding the answer to research questions “extracted from theoretical framework”. The results have been presented in descriptive and inferential forms to provide the information about describing the research variables “as well as the inter-relationships among” the research variables. 

 

Table 3. Descriptive Statistics

	N	Minimum	Maximum	Mean	Std. Deviation
Mission	300	2.56	6.67	5.1374	.80479
Adaptability	300	2.80	6.40	4.7853	.77868
Consistency	300	2.30	6.80	5.3170	.82540
Involvement	300	2.50	6.50	5.0953	.80648
Employees Performance	300	1.79	7.15	4.8110	1.70439
Valid N (list-wise)	300

 

The results of the descriptive analysis provide relevant information about describing the research variables. It provides information about the sample size, means, and standards deviation along with the maximum and minimum response rate of respondents concerning the statement asked from the in measuring the research variables of the study that are used for analyzing their views.

 

Table 4. Correlation Analysis (H₁)

		Mission	Adaptability	Consistency	Involvement
Adaptability	P- Correlation	.307**
	Sig. (2-tailed)	.000
	N	310
Consistency	P- Correlation	.281**	.424**
	Sig. (2-tailed)	.000	.000
	N	310	310
Involvement	P- Correlation	.390**	.477**	.502**
	Sig. (2-tailed)	.000	.000	.000
	N	310	310	310
Employees Performance	P- Correlation	.728**	.590**	.624*	.758**
	Sig. (2-tailed)	.000	.007	.000	.000
	N	310	310	310	310

 

The results of the correlation concerning hypothesis # 1 reveal that the predators and the criterions variables are significantly associated with each other. The correlation results show that all the predicting variables (mission, adaptability, consistency & involvement) are positively and significantly associated with criterion variables (employees’ performance). Likewise, mission and employees’ performance (.728 & .000), adaptability and employees’ performance (.590 & .000), consistency and employees’ performance (.624 & .000) and the involvement and employees’ performance (.758 & .000). The attributes of organizational culture are significantly and positively associated with each other, however, their association is comparatively lower as compared to independent and dependent variables which show that there are no collinearity issues. From the results, hypothesis # is accepted. The results are in line with previous studies results (Balthazard et al., 2006; Ehtesham & Shakil, 2011; Ali & Musah, 2012; Menaka & Chandrika, 2015; Saad & Abbas, 2018). Thus, the results of the study have been validated through existing research studies.

 

Table 5. Regression Analysis (H₂) (Model Summary)

Model	R	R Square	Adjusted R Square	Std. Error of Estimate
1	.782a	.611	.605	1.07053

 

Table 6. Regression Analysis (H₂) (ANOVA)

Model		Sum of Squares	df	Mean Square	F	Sig.
1	Regression	530.500	4	132.625	115.725	.000b
	Residual	338.081	295	1.146
	Total	868.581	299

 

Table 7. Regression Analysis (H₂) (Coefficient of Regression)

Model		Unstandardized Coefficients		Standardized Coefficients	t	Sig.
		B	Std. Error	Beta
1	(Constant)	2.307	.514		4.489	.000
	Mission	1.231	.096	.581	12.850	.000
	Adaptability	.283	.108	.129	2.630	.019
	Consistency	.442	.104	.214	4.256	.008
	Involvement	.883	.119	.418	7.411	.023

Predictors: (Constant), Mission, Adaptability, Consistency, Involvement

Dependent Variable: Employees Performance

 

The results of regression concerning hypothesis # about the prediction of employees’ performance through the organizational culture attributes revealed that the predictors have a significant “impact on the employees’ performance”. The ANOVA table shows the significance of the results in the regression process. The results revealed that a 61.1% change in employees’ performance is possible because of the attributes of organizational culture. Likewise, the predictors have significant impact on the employees’ performance like mission (1.231 & .000), adaptability (.283 & .019), consistency (.442 & .008) and involvement (.883 & .023) respectively. Thus, from the statistical outcomes by applying regression, hypothesis # 2 is accepted. The results are in line with previous results to some extent in different contexts (Bititci et al., 2006; Ehtesham & Shakil, 2011; Mohamed & Abukar, 2013; Thuku et al., 2015; Saad & Abbas, 2018). Thus, the results validated the current study through the existing study’s findings. 

Conclusion

The present study investigated the connection of organizational culture attributes with the performance of employees of higher education institutions. The results indicate a significant association of cultural attributes of the organization with the employees’ efficiency or performance. It is obvious that the association of mission with performance of the employees was high than adaptability and consistency. The regression values highlight that cultural attributes of organizations had a significant effect on the efficiency or performance of the employees where in the mission and consistency contributed significant impact on the efficiency or performance of the employees than the adaptability and involvement. Therefore, it is concluded that the mission is most effective attribute of organizational culture in promoting the employees’ performance.  However, other organizational attributes did show considerable influence on the employees’ performance that included adaptability, consistency and involvement. 

It is quite obvious from the results that organizational culture plays a vital role within every organization in promoting the performance of its employees but, its role is more substantial in ‘higher education institutions’ in socio-academic and economic context of the countries especially the country like Pakistan. 

Recommendations

• Establishing an organizational culture in higher educational institutions that enhances the performance of the employees is strongly recommended.

• The organizational culture attributes are vital in designing overall organizational environment and contributes to influence employees’ performance. Thus, the institutions need to focus on the dimensions of organizational culture to attain the desired objectives in the form of enhanced employees’ performance.

• The employees’ performance is vital for the higher institutions; thus, the institutions need to develop the strategies for augmenting the performance of the employees and institutions as well to obtain the desired and better consequences.

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