BEYOND THE CUBICLE - CORPORATE CULTURE: Tweeple, Twibes and Tweets…the culture of virtual communities

Beyond the Cubicle - Corporate Culture with Teri Aulph

In the ever-changing landscape of technology, the rise of Social Media as a dominant force for communicating has penetrated every element of society. Can a virtual community possess a culture?

Every company and organization possesses a definable culture. Behaviors, decision-making models, intrinsic and extrinsic actions and how people are treated may all play a part in defining it. These elements of culture are measureable and easy to define within a controlled entity.

Social media lives and breathes in a virtual reality. It permeates all corners of the world, allows people to communicate across all traditional boundaries and thrives 24 hours/day. So…does it have a definable culture?

If you have spent any time on Twitter, you quickly realize thousands of people have a need to respond to the question, “What’s happening?” Twitter has developed it’s own language with tweets, retweets, tweeple, twitpics, twibes, etc. You can follow topics with a hashtag and people with lists. What is most apparent is the need people have to share.

The culture appears to be grounded in not only a need to share, but also a desire to be recognized. Retweets – when someone sends your tweet (message) out to their followers (a term supporting the need for recognition) somehow elevates your status within this community.

There are etiquette protocols as many people publicly thank you for following them and for retweeting. Retweeting becomes a type of validation that what you are communicating is of value. Interesting, since it is unlikely you know anything about those you are following or those following you.

As you get deeper into the structure of Twitter, you can join a twibe or tweeple group, which provides inclusion – another indication that the need for recognition is systemic.

I often wonder if the need of those who Tweet to ‘voice’ runs parallel with their need to be heard. Certainly there are those who would deny this and claim they just want to throw out how they feel, regardless of being heard…much less understood. That seems counter-culture to what is evident in the virtual behavior exhibited.

It is cathartic to respond on Twitter to the question, “What’s happening?” in the allowed 140 characters. They have provided structure and boundaries to respond within, which drives you to be forthright and succinct. Interesting that it feels uncontrolled, but is, obviously, very closely controlled.

At the end of the day, it is apparent there is a type of ‘culture’ within Twitter and, most likely, within twibes and tweeple groups. There are protocols, etiquette and rules to follow. There are consequences to not adhering to the rules. Messages move quickly, and are lost seconds after they appear. Does need for recognition overshadow the fact that it only lasts a few seconds?

What is most apparent is our desire to share, be heard and, ultimately, understood. Could it be Social Media has taken us back to the future and the culture is grounded in historically traditional values? It is difficult to deny the power of words and our freedom to voice. It is comforting to know some things are constant and, in the fast-paced world we live in, there are some things that remain the same.

For more information, please visit Teri's TNNW Bio.





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BEYOND THE CUBICLE - CORPORATE CULTURE: Tweeple, Twibes and Tweets…the culture of virtual communities

BEYOND THE CUBICLE: The Cultural Influence of Global Efficiency

Beyond the Cubicle with Teri Aulph

The influence of globalization over the past fifteen years has altered the landscape of manufacturing and created more systemic change than any era since the Industrial Age.

Who would have thought the quiet, methodical, thrifty, humble culture of the Japanese would bring a new way of producing goods that would result in optimum efficiency and higher profitability.

There are many countries that have claimed ownership for the creation and development of ‘Lean Manufacturing’; however, Toyota has set the standard for all to follow.

They may not be the first to put into practice lean concepts, but they are the most influential large global company to travel the path not taken in the world of manufacturing.

Having spent many years in the automotive industry and living implementations of the Toyota Way by American and German automotive suppliers, it became apparent these efforts permeated not only the production floor, but also the culture of the companies and the industry at large.

The impact of independent teams on the production floor owning responsibility for running their work cells has shifted our perspective from one person, one job…to result oriented teams. The most critical piece of this shift is the sense of ownership by those on the production floor. By redesigning the role of team leaders and raising the bar, they become the root source for improvements.

This change alone rippled through companies impacting cultures with systemic change towards teamwork at every level. In addition, the expectation that Toyota presented to it’s suppliers that they become part of the “Toyota Team’ fostering a new type of supplier relationship has improved the supply chain function of companies everywhere. The historical model of supplier treatment where companies developed adversarial relationships and bullied suppliers for their own advantage weren’t working and were counterintuitive to the values most companies were built on.

Lean concepts alone are now a part of everyday language in companies all over the world. Maintaining large amounts of inventory, housing it in a room apart from the production floor, and employing a separate inventory manager are archaic and inefficient. Giving up control of this element of the process has been a slow cultural shift, but one that must be made to survive financially.

If you take a strategic view of the impact Toyota has made on companies globally, you will find it has reframed the basic core of all functions. Financial reports are driven by supply chain, inventory turns, labor and output. Human Resources must take a very different approach to staffing at every level. If the expectations have changed, so has the skill-set. Managing this type of change and business flow requires a new type of management. Talent Management systems had to be re-designed to provide for the development of new employee structures.

Supply Chain departments had to make the change from the old Purchasing Departments. No longer was it advantageous to the business to have as many suppliers as possible. Supply Chain managers are required to have the ability to effectively influence and build long-term relationships as well as understand the strategic financial ramifications of the supplier/customer relationship.

Engineering Departments had to move from a ‘we vs. them’ mentality with the production floor to considering them trusted partners.

Essentially, the cultural shifts by most global manufacturing companies influenced by Toyota are subtle, but dramatic…much like the Japanese culture. While these concepts appear simple, that is the beauty of the process. In its simplicity is the efficiency and ability for all to understand and be aware of continuous opportunities for improvement.

While the Automotive Industry has certainly had its difficulties in the past few years, it remains a force to be reckoned with and is standing strong in the wake of the storm. At the core and what will become a part of its cultural DNA are the cultural influences of a simple model based on humility, efficiency and relationships.

For more information, please visit Teri's TNNW Bio.





Published by THE NATIONAL NETWORKER Newsletter. All rights reserved. Subscribe Free For Your TNNW Newsletter and THE BLUE MONDAY REPORT! - Click HERE.
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BEYOND THE CUBICLE: The Cultural Influence of Global Efficiency