Emergence of Microcultures in the changing workplace
Who has ever expected that the presence of physical workstations could transform into remote working or hybrid work modules with the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic? Who has ever thought the ideation, brainstorming and planning of a new project or conference could have occurred in video conferencing calls or team meetings? In the same way, the traditional method of a monolithic view of culture is not felicitous for the changing workplace that embraces diversity, inclusivity, and equity with open arms. The traditional approach of corporate culture limited openness, flexibility, innovation, employee engagement, and feedback. With the significant transformation in the organizational working environment, the perspective of environing diverse connections has set a new phenomenon known as microcultures.
Within the vast and diverse cultures, microcultures are formed when employees with commonalities connect. When employees with common backgrounds, identities, or job functions meet under a single roof, the microculture within them is formed that may be formal or informal. It can form encompassing personal agendas like sexuality, interest, experiences, and many more initiating a companionship or allyship between them. For example, the employees who are fitness freaks in the organization may form a club that conducts wellness and fitness activities, music lovers might initiate conducting a musical program, passionate book lovers may organize thrifting events for already-read books, etc.
Emergence of Microcultures in the Changing Workplace
The transformation of hybrid work modules, DEI initiatives, and technological advancements have fuelled the mushrooming of microcultures. The open door policy and critical criticism, review, and feedback have further plumped for the flourishing of microcultures. As the name suggests, microcultures depict the smaller and agile units backed by shared values, beliefs, behaviors, and workstyles bringing subtle changes to workplace surroundings. In the past, organizations used to have a fixed corporate culture where every employee must have to fit in, enacted by the C-suite and executives. With the diverse workforce working in the organization, they seek more freedom, autonomy, and customized work experiences. For instance, Biryani parties during Eid events when there used to be no celebrations on those days previously. Acknowledging LGBTQIIA+ employees during Pride month and letting them speak on their struggles and journeys can be part of microcultures. With the concept of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives burgeoning in the job market, organizations prefer agility rather than control of top-level executives over their perspectives. Microcultures are emerging as powerful catalysts and trends in the diverse workplace environment.
As many organizations encompass diverse workforces that may differ in the context of work arrangements, demographics, language, religion, and sexuality work under much of a muchness canopy and the challenge occurs for HR leaders to unite the employees into a cohesive company culture keeping on mind that every employees get the equal opportunities for their personal and professional growth, creativity and productivity. The concept of microcultures can somehow bolster the whole corporate culture by defining the experience as a whole as people with commonalities express themselves and find ways for their development. This can further help in talent retention and attraction solving the major issues of high employee turnover and The Great Resignation. Many reports have concluded that around 71% of business and HR leaders think individual teams within an organization are the best people to cultivate culture (according to Deloitte’s 2024 Global Human Capital Trends Survey).
Creativity, confidence, collaboration, and camaraderie are boosted when HR leaders are in favor of microcultures. These agile units engird the employees whose behavior, expectations, and cultures are conjoined together motivating them to strive and thrive more. Such feelings among the unit members bring tremendous improvement in the mental and physical well-being of the employees, impelling them to develop problem-solving skills, and collaborative approaches backed up with stronger employability and sustainability. Microcultures don’t only reflect the cultural manifestation of a certain unit but it enhances the whole company culture and the data from Blue Board has clearly shown that around 80% of employees prefer to work in those organizations where they feel the connection backed up with purpose and that connectivity drives retention.
Microcultures are formed for various reasons such as common goals, shared interests, influence, organizational structure, same purpose and many more. But what benefits does microculture bring upon the organizations?
i) Collaborative employee engagement
ii) Creativity and Innovation
iii) Non-discriminatory and inclusive work structure
iv) Strong company culture
v) Adaptability and Flexibility
As microcultures add Brobdingnagian values to the workplace surrounding, HR leaders and C-executives must support the attempts of introducing microcultures in the organizations. As DEI has become one of the basic components of organizational policy framework, no one can deny the existence of microcultures in an organization. Apart from the multiple and positive benefits of microcultures, there are certain risks associated with them such as:
i) Internal connections becoming silos and slowly being discontinued from the original organizational culture
ii) Priority over own interests and values that don’t align with organizational practices
iii) Threats of being Exclusive or Cliquish by giving more importance over the formed team of microcultures than set corporate culture
iv) Formation of groups (groupism) within companies that may be a greater threat to common organizational goals raising questions on teamwork and unity
With the rewards, risks appear themselves. But it doesn’t mean there are no preventive measures for them. For this, HR must play a pivotal role in supporting a healthy microculture environment and the steps to be taken are enumerated below:
i) Fostering open communication with a two-way approach
ii) Setting timely reminders that original organizational values always remain at the top
iii) Providing mentorship and leadership opportunities
iv) Encourage inclusivity and equity
v) Timely monitoring of activities organized but the units and departments formed through microcultures
vi) Supporting cultural intelligence with empowerment
vii) Capturing team feedback and criticisms too
viii) Conducting formal gatherings for updates of each unit formed within the organization
For these steps, tools like employee surveys, feedback sessions, pulse checks, informal meetings, etc can abet a lot. As workplace setups are always ready to embrace any kind of transformation or changes like microcultures, the organization should always move forward to support the initiatives that lead to improved employee satisfaction, customer satisfaction and positive responsiveness, higher employee and organizational productivity, and purposeful organizational success.
