Cultural Assessment

Understanding Corporate Culture

Jenna DrodtRochester Institute of Technology

April 23, 2012

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Mission

Provide valued HR services that enable RIT to attract, support, retain and develop the diverse talent needed to achieve and sustain the university.

Values

Student Centeredness, Professional Development and Scholarship, Integrity and Ethics, Respect, Diversity and Pluralism, Innovation and Flexibility, Teamwork and Collaboration.

Vision

The Human Resources Department will be recognized as a trusted resource, partner, leader and innovator in support of RIT’s mission, vision, and employees.

Abstract

This Human Resource Department Observation was conducted to observe the department culture in an academic location. This is an academic cultural location that focuses on the data processing of information provided by from employees who work in the Rochester Institute of Technology

The assessment was conducted based on gathered data from the interviews and observations. The employees gave me permission to observe. The interviewees know the importance of their roles and the policies and procedures to be followed to ensure the employee, faculty, and staff receives the accurate Human Resource forms for employment, benefits, and wellness.

Introduction

I decided to analyze the Human Resource Department in the location of Rochester Institute of Technology. The reason I chose this department because of Human Resource employee’s roles, policy, and procedures follows that help other employees, faculty, and staffs. Human Resource Department is responsible to follow their policy and procedures under the values of processing important information into the databases on a regular basis. I personally wanted to understand how Human Resource Assistants and Staff Assistant work together under the academic culture in the department of Rochester Institute of Technology.

Discussion

My observations while in the Department of Human Resources’ culture were fascinating during the course of my research. During the discussions with three individual employees, I learned a lot and sought other questions about their department and what they did in every day tasks. This outlook gave me a better idea for the future of my career. I looked up additional information online through Rochester Institute of Technology website and found several things that they offer online such as the different kinds of forms, policies, procedures, and other additional information.

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Information about the Current Interviewees’ Background

Human Resource Employees

Current Title

# of YearsCurrent Position

in the Department of Human

Resource of Rochester Institute of Technology

# of Years and Former Positions

Employee 1: Georgeanne

HR Assistant 5 Years

5 Years – Vice President of Human

ResourceHR Assistant

Employee 2: Stacy HR Assistant 2 ½ Years

6 Months – Senior Staff Assistant at

Center of Integrated Manufacturing

Study

Employ 3: TrishaStaff

Assistant/Receptionist6 Months

2 Years – Staff Assistant in

Administration

Observation I

I conducted an observation of the Department of Human Resources on March 15th, 2012. I decided to observe the Human Resource Department because it matches my field of study in college. I was very interested in learning more about Human Resources to gain knowledge in what they do in the department.

Rochester Institute of Technology’s Department of Human Resources in located in Eastman Hall on the 5th floor. The functional areas of the department are Benefits and Wellness, Compensation, Employment, Staff Recruitment, and Information Systems. During my observation, I observed two Human Resource Assistants in the department between the hour of 2:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. The Human Resource Assistants are Georganne Hogan and Stacy Stewart.

As I walked into the Department of Human Resources, Trisha who is a staff assistant who was friendly and I asked her to find a Human Resource Assistant to ask that I could speak to with. She was smiling and offered me coffee and tea while as I was waiting. When Georgeanne came to see me, she was happy to have me observe the Human Resource Department. The following day was my observation. I had met up with Georgeanne and Stacy Stewart in the department. Georgeanne and Stacy took me to a room to learn about the basic about what Human Resource Assistant do in the department. They also explained the components of Human Resource employees are responsible for.

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Georgeanne and Stacy’s facial expression showed their friendliness. They were very knowledgeable giving me information about what they do in the Department of Human Resource.

Next, Georgeanne and Stacy showed me that they do as part of their job. They explained to me that they focus on the Employment Forms in Department of Human Resources. They identified and updated a variety of information based on Employment Action Forms in the Oracle Application Database. Such forms included: new hire, leave start, leave return, promotion, salary redistribution, termination, summary salary, transfer checklist, special assignment pay action, and overload pay action for all faculty members.

During my observation in the department, the environment was very inviting because it was appealing to me. I felt very comfortable in the Human Resource Department because I enjoy the office environment. The employees in the department had professional body language and were very friendly to other employees, faculty and staff. All employees, including Georgeanne and Stacy are dressed professional because they represent RIT. In addition, Georgeanne and Stacy were willing to welcome me to the department and to their cubicle to observe and learn what they do as part of they job. Everyone in the department has their own cubicle and file holder on the side of the cubicle wall.

Georgeanne showed me her boss’s cubical and showed me her and other’s addition work and projects. The projects are listed on the white board on the boss’s cubical. She also explains to me the boss is here only on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays. I felt it was kind of odd that the boss is not here on everyday work days. Georgeanne also explained to me about each of the functional areas of work and how the employees enter the paperwork in different sections of the Human Resource database, and then file them into the file cabinets. Each person has duties in each section and handles the different paperwork. Each functional area of Human Resources handles the different components such as: Benefits Forms, Employment Forms, Job Evaluation and Position Control Forms, and Employment Action Forms/ Every employee member has to dress in business attire to represent RIT. RIT does not have a dress code that employees represent RIT in a professional way.

While watching Georgeanne and Stacy, their behavior was calm while filing paperwork into the database. They showed no negative behavior while doing their work. It seems to me that Human Resource Assistants do not show stressed out behavior by doing their tasks and processing data information. I personally had asked Georgeanne and Stacy how they feel or their impression about working in the academic section of Human Resource Department. They both replied that they really like it and feel satisfaction form helping students and other employees.

In my observation experience, I felt the Human Resource Department’s environment is very friendly. I felt that was a good fit for my office personality because it can be a comfortable for me to work. The department has a nice welcoming environment place that made me feel like I want to come back. After this experience, I realize this is my

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future goal is to have the same welcoming environment with employees in Human Resource Department.

In Conclusion, Georgeanne and Stacy are Human Resource Assistants in the Human Resource Department at Rochester Institute of Technology. They focus on the employment field of Human Resources. The Human Resource Department has its own office environment that is very welcoming to all faculty, employees, and students. My observation gave me an idea of what kind of job I want in a Human Resource Department. I would like to pursue a career in after completing my degree in Human Resource Development.

Observation II

During my second observation, I observed Trisha Walker’s occupation. Trisha is a staff assistant to the Human Resource Department. She welcomes customers, staff or faculty who walk in the floor of Human Resources Department. She handles their needs to contact the Human Resources employees. Trisha showed her friendliness to all employees and customers. She makes sure the employees and customers are taken care of. It is part of her duty to the job. During my observation, I had noticed that she responded to her e – mails and answering phone calls. She also handled the Hire Forms through the database to make sure it is filled out accurately with the information needed.

In addition, her cubical is in a room where people can walk in for appointments with other Human Resources employees. Her cubical is outside of the floor of Human Resources Department. Trisha’s job is to take care of any business related to assisting employees and customers.

The environment of her workplace is welcoming. However, the noise issues were terrible because it is next to the bathroom. The noise is loud from the hand dryer and it is hard to be able to hear any phone calls or communication. So, I think they need paper towels instead of the dryer to decrease the noise for all employees and customers or arrange her cubicle inside of the Human Resource Department floor.

In conclusion, Trisha is a staff assistant to the Human Resources Department. She showed her friendliness behavior to all employees and customers and helps them with their needs while completing her work on the computer and answering phone calls and responding to her e – mails. In addition, the environment of Human Resource Department is nice but the bathroom noise was a huge negative experience for me.

Conclusion

An analysis of the department revealed areas on common roles and procedures across the different Human Resource Units. Each unit carries the same values in that they are there to ensure that the customer of faculty of even staff to receives their information. The

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employees are recognizing the importance of their positions and have a positive attitude to follow the department policy.

Human Resource Department influenced me to want a positive work environment with positive attitude to help employees in an academic location. The department supports the RIT’s values for all employees, faculty, and staff. I am pleased to report this as part of gaining my knowledge about the concept of Human Resource employees. They gave a positive perspective of my future and goals that may allow having success in working for Human Resources Department.

Interview Data

1. How long have you been working for Rochester Institute of Technology?a. Georgeanne has been working for RIT for ten years.b. Stacy has been working for RIT for three years.c. Trisha has been working for RIT for six months.

2. What is your current position title?a. Georgeanne and Stacy have the same current position title as HR

Assistant.b. Trisha’s position title is Staff Assistant.

3. What are your primary roles in your current position?a. Georgeanne’s primary roles in her current position are processing data

information and customer service. b. Stacy’s primary roles in her current position are processing data

information, answer phone calls and training RIT employees about filling out the various forms process.

c. Trisha’s primary roles in her current position are to assist customers, answer phone calls, and responds to e – mails. She also looks over hire forms in the data process from Stacy and Georgeanne.

4. Do you have an additional position title in Rochester Institute of Technology?a. Georgeanne used to have a previous position as Assistant to the Senior

Vice President in Human Resource. b. Stacy used to work as a Senior Staff Assistant at Center for Integrated

Manufacturing Study in RIT.c. Trisha was working as a Staff Assistant in Administration at RIT.

5. Can you describe a typical day?a. Georgeanne’s typical day is doing projects, processing data information

into the database, answering phone calls and responding to e – mails, and taking care of customer service.

b. Stacy’s typical day is responding to e – mails, answering phone calls, assessing data processing. She never knows what will happen each day and it feels different with the work process each day of work.

c. Trisha’s typical day is opening the HR Office, answering to phone calls and responding to e – mails. She also welcomes people to the office and look at hire forms on the database.

6. What are your priorities in Human Resources?

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a. Georgeanne stated her priorities as accuracy, customer service, response time, and confidentiality.

b. Stacy stated her priorities as customer service, making sure to responds to employees, and provides accurate data information into the database.

c. Tracy stated her priorities as assisting customers, maintaining confidentiality, and being precise in details to employees and Human Resource.

7. Have you noticed any common leadership values throughout your work experience? What values motivate you or de-motivate you?

a. Georgeanne stated the values that motivated were honesty, fairness, and confidentiality.

b. Stacy stated the views in values that motivated her are the motivation, communication skills, and honesty.

c. Trisha stated the values that motivated in the workplace are stepping up to lead employees’ questions by finding information and feeling connected to the Human Resources Department

8. What are your values in Human Resources?a. Georgeanne’s values are providing service to customers, faculty or staff,

and providing accuracy and confidentiality with information. b. Stacy’s values are providing customer services to customers, faculty and

staff who are the employees of RIT. c. Trisha’s values are assisting customer’s needs and providing the correct

information.9. What characteristics and strengths do you feel you bring to the Department of

Human Resources?a. The Employees had identified their characteristics and strengths that can

bring to the Human Resource Department. b. Georgeanne believes that her characteristics and strengths are working

hard on processing information into the database, answering any questions about the process to make sure the information is accurate and good improvement.

c. Stacy’s characteristics and strengths are doing her best work by working hard every day by doing something better. She wants to make sure that all employees are satisfied with the results as well as being down any complaints.

d. Trisha’s characteristics and strengths are providing details to all employees and customers. She is always calm and being polite to customers as they walk into the HR Floor. Trisha provides her good communication skills to all employees and customers.

10. Do you feel that the Human Resource Department has a culture of appreciation? Can you give me an example?

a. The question about the Human Resource Department’s culture appreciation had given the employees thoughts by stated their opinions.

b. Georgeanne said yes, in developing culture in appreciation, VP says thank you for being a hard worker to employees.

c. Stacy said yes, it is developing the culture in appreciation.

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d. Trisha said yes, programs and benefits provided performance appraisals.11. Do you enjoy your job? Tell me your favorite aspects about your job.

a. The interviews had explained her favorite aspects about their jobs by enjoying working for the Department.

b. Georgeanne sated that yes, she enjoys her job because she solves problems for people’s needs

c. Stacy stated that yes, working and likes talking with people about problems to the HR Department.

d. Trisha also said that yes, being able to meet a variety of new people each day.

12. What is the time orientation in your projects or paperwork in the department?a. Georgeanne spends her time orientation by Payroll Driven by quick

turnaround on paperwork and doing the paperwork on Wednesdays to Fridays week flow first before doing other projects aside.

b. Stacy spends her time processing data information first in the morning and then projects in the afternoon by Payroll Driven.

c. Trisha spends her time in her projects and check employment work from HR Assistants in the database system by time balance to juggle all tasks throughout the week.

13. Do employees get rewarded or promoted in the Department of Human Resources?a. The Department of Human Resources does the rewards and promotion

differently for each employee. The employees have different thoughts about the department giving rewards and promotion in the workplace.

b. Georgeanne stated that promotion doesn’t happen too often for but they were rewarded are more privately and individual to be hard workers.

c. Stacy also stated that each year it increase salary by 3% if the performance has good reviews.

d. Trisha said that employees get promotion and reward for requisition performance by doing it together.

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Employees’ Same Responses

Individual’s Focus Of Control External DirectedThe Nature of Individual’s Values

Intrinsic of being human – satisfied to the job

The Nature of Department Culture

Intelligent

The essence of Diversity Differences in thinkingThe Natural Environment Positive LocationThe Department’s Central Paradigm

Principle-Centered in Word and Spirit

The Nature of Department Values

A True Commitment

Public Image AuthenticThe Nature of Department The insert of human natureCore Purpose Responsible provision of employee’s valuesWorkforce-Department Relationship

Students/Faculty/ Staff and Human Resources/Tools

Department of HR Attuned - ConnectBad News/Whistle-Blowing A Learning OpportunityDecision-Making Moral – Positive EthicalCommunication Open CommunicationHow Best Results Achieved Altruism or Self-Interest and Group-InterestSpeed of Response to Employees’ Demand

Moderate Speed and High Speed

The Service Provider Front-Line Workers and Staff/Faculty Emotional Expression To be encouraged and managedSpeed of Response to Staff/Facility’s Demand

Moderate

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