10 ways to improve social capital in remote teams
Many people report feeling isolated and disconnected from what is happening in the organisation when they are remote workers. They are no longer immersed in the social environment of the workplace, they don’t get to experience and observe the regular office interactions, and the mechanisms that would normally shape and reshape social capital are missing […]
Social capital, reputation and identity in organisations Implications for leaders
We intuitively understand that our reputation is extremely important. It takes a long time to develop a good reputation, but it can be destroyed almost instantly. Reputation is an important component of individual social capital since it relates to trustworthiness and a range of other factors. We may think that our reputation is solely the […]
Overcoming negative organisational culture What to do if negative organisational culture is effecting your team
Many managers report feeling powerless to the influence of negative organisational culture There is no shortage of information about how to create a positive organisational culture or affect cultural change within an organisation. But what if you’re not the CEO or General Manager and you don’t feel like you have the power to create that […]
How do new employees learn about your organisational culture? What does this mean for social capital?
You’ve finally enticed a extremely talented and highly sought-after professional to join your organisation, but now you’re going to drop them in the barrel with all the other fish and see how they swim… Our recruits enter their new organisation as outsiders who have to ‘learn the ropes’. But what if your organisation has some […]
Social sanctions and reputation in the workplace
Your workplace has norms that govern appropriate behaviour, even if you are may not fully aware of them. All workplaces do. When humans interact social norms are developed and these norms are enforced by social sanctions. A sanction is a reaction from others to the behaviour of an individual or group. In general sanctions for […]
Valuing success in the organisation: The tall poppy and the back slap
The role of celebration in organisational culture and social capital improvement How success and milestones are acknowledged and celebrated in an organisation has significant implications for organisational social capital and culture, and therefore performance. Consider the dichotomy between tall poppy syndrome and a congratulatory back slap culture. These are two very different ways in which […]
The “alpha” employee: can one employee derail (or rail) your organisational culture?
Firstly, it should come as no surprise that some individuals exert more influence on the culture of a group than others. I am sure that all teachers, trainers and facilitators are very aware of this phenomenon since they have to manage culture to get the most from the group. I have had numerous lengthy discussions […]
The objectionist, the status quo, and change within organisations
Change in organisations can be difficult, even traumatic for employees but change is required for improvement and ongoing success. In many workplaces there are people who are objectionists – I suspect this is not a real word but used here to describe people who regularly take objection to change initiatives. Therefore they are objection-ist. I’ve […]
The empathy-challenged employee: a growing problem?
Social interaction in our workplaces is increasingly important as automation replaces simple tasks, pushing our workers into more knowledge-based and management roles. The knowledge economy relies on social interaction and cultures that promote and facilitate these interactions. Research suggests we are seeing a decrease in empathy and increase in narcissism, particularly in our young people. […]
Using employee surveys to measure social capital in your organisation
Are you already measuring social capital through your employee satisfaction survey without knowing it? Many of the questions we typically ask in employee satisfaction surveys actually reveal a lot about our organisation’s social capital. A simple view of social capital is the extent of organisational connectedness – how many people know each other and how […]
