cia l & in du st rial
so
p sy ch ol og y
ja Khopkar
with Rutu
Lesson For The Day
Customs & Traditions
today's learning
objectives
Customs
traditions
What do know about
definition
A custom is defined as a cultural idea that describes a
regular, patterned behavior that is considered as a
characteristic in a social system of the organization.
Shaking hands, bowing, and kissing—all customs—are
methods of greeting people.
Lunch Time Naps in Japan case
study
Ever get to the middle of the day and wish you could just rest
your head for a little to recharge those batteries? Well, in Japan
you can do just that.
Known as ‘inemuri’ or ‘present while sleeping’ the midday nap
is actually a sign of hard work and commitment to the work
day.
The higher up you are in workplace, the more accepted this
practice is. Before you rush off to join them, it’s important to
note that working overtime is commonplace for the Japanese,
and most work 10+ hours each day. So by the time you factor
that much-needed nap in at your desk, it may not always be
worth it.
Logging Off in France case
study
Ever feel the burn of working too hard? You aren’t the only one.
With the internet making it even easier to work from out of the
office, it seems that the ability to switch off becomes harder
and harder. After all, people can always reach you whether you
are in the office or not.
France has stepped up to change this for their citizens, and
their people are now protected by a right to disconnect law.
This states that French workers are not required to respond to
emails out of office hours. This means they can log off without
the guilt – ah, the freedom! Goodbye work, hello relaxation!
Food for All in India case
study
Put your hand up if you are always forgetting to pack your lunch
for work the next day?!
Wouldn’t it be nice if someone was around to deliver it to you
instead – think of the time this would save!
This is exactly what happens in India and it is called
dabbawalla.
This lunchbox delivery and return system delivers hot lunches
from homes and restaurants to the people who work, especially
in Mumbai.
This system has been in place for an amazing 125 years and it
won’t be going anywhere soon.
What do know about
definition
Workplace traditions are defined as the beliefs and
customs that are common in an organization and
represent a culture.
definition
They exist in the form of :
shared information
social attitudes
behaviors
norms
practices
rituals
importance of workplace
Understand workplace culture.
We can tell a lot about a company by the nature of its traditions.
Traditions can serve as a diagnostic tool for understanding
workplace culture.
From organizations that host regular events that encourage
competition between employees, we can identify a culture of
competitiveness.
Through organizations that spotlight employees for their
performance, we see a culture of recognition.
From organizations that allow casual Fridays, we observe a culture
of comfort and friendliness.
Understand workplace culture.
For example :
Twitter hosts some meetings on a rooftop garden, which
speaks to their dedication to a creative culture.
Hireology hosts biannual in-person gatherings so main office
and remote employees can bond, which highlights their culture
of unity.
Zoom brings teams together to celebrate small milestones,
which speaks to their culture of growth.
Understand workplace culture.
By first understanding what traditions say about culture, we
can determine which traditions are most beneficial to the
organization.
Additionally, traditions serve as visible components of a
company’s culture that are perceptible both to internal
employees and external stakeholders.
For this reason, it is important to ask what your traditions say
about your organization.
Strengthen shared social identities.
Traditions reinforce a sense of belonging for employees who
participate in them.
When employees are included in traditions, they are shown that
they matter to the group and are embraced in the shared social
identity.
This concept is sometimes referred to as “we-ness,” which is
defined as how individuals identify as part of or align themselves
with a group. .
Strengthen shared social identities.
For example :
Ikea encourages employees to hug each other in social
interactions to form stronger bonds.
As shared social identity is an expression of workplace culture,
traditions that strengthen that identity are vital to bonding
employees together.
Improve retention.
When employers create a more inclusive environment
with workplace traditions, they strengthen retention.
Employees feel personally valued and accepted in an
organization where they are included.
The One-Hour Experiment.
In this experiment, researchers grouped several hundred
new hires from WIPRO into three groups.
a group that
a group that
received the usual
received the
training and an
usual training
a control group additional hour
and an additional
hour devoted to
committed to
discussing the getting to know
company identity the employees
individually
The One-Hour Experiment.
In this experiment, researchers grouped several hundred
new hires from WIPRO into three groups.
a sweatshirt with a sweatshirt with
nothing was shared the company both the company
with the control logo on it was logo and their
group given to this names was given
group to this group
Results of the One-Hour Experiment.
retention in the retention in the
the retention in this group was this group was
control group is 157% higher than 250% higher than
considered as a the control the control group.
base line group.
RATIONALE OF
The one hour experiment.
Experimenters in this experiment added various
variables which developed a sense of belongingness
within the employees, as well as variables which also
focused on the individuality of the employees.
The aim of this experiment was to understand how
inclusivity could be turned into a standard tradition
for training and increase retention of employees.
today's summary
Customs
traditions
resources
traditions : https://eddy.com/hr-encyclopedia/workplace-
traditions/
see you in the next class !
