Organizational Culture: Where Do I Fit Best?

To find career satisfaction and success at Berkeley it is essential that you understand the organizational culture in which you work. Organizational or workplace culture is basically the personality of an organization and is defined by its mission, goals, and values and by how these elements influence the working environment itself and the behaviors of those who work there.

At UC Berkeley, employees function within a culture of higher education that is supported by a vast number of academic, service, business, and administrative departments all with their own workplace objectives and distinctive organizational cultures. Learning about a department's culture will help you determine whether a particular work environment is a good fit for you personally and professionally. Finding an environment that is compatible with your values, work style, skills and interests, and where there are opportunities for meaningful career development will help you do your best work. Understanding both the culture and mission of UC Berkeley and the organizational culture in your department will also enable you to see how your work contributes to the success of the university as a whole.

Tips for Learning about Organizational Culture at Berkeley

Understanding workplace culture can be challenging. As you plan to develop your career at UC Berkeley consider the following questions as you evaluate career opportunities within a particular department on campus:

What is the department's mission and/or stated values and how do these fit in with UC Berkeley's mission and values?
What does it take for someone to be successful within the department?
What achievements are recognized within the department?
How does the department demonstrate respect for diversity?
How would you describe the work environment within the department?
How are decisions made and communicated in the department?
How are problems handled in the department?
What is the leadership or managerial style within the department?
How does the department support and promote professional growth?

Suggestions for Researching UC Berkeley's Organizational Culture

Read the University of California's mission statement
Read the Principles of Community which depicts UC Berkeley's values.
To Learn about the history, the traditions and the population on campus, visit About Berkeley
To get information on key administrators, organizational charts, the administrative divisions and the departments within each division visit the Administration web page.

Suggestions for Researching Departments on Campus

Visit the department's homepage to get a sense of a department's mission/values
Find out if the department or division has an employee newsletter you could read
Conduct an informational interview with someone from the department
Learn how often department meetings are held and who is involved
Notice the personality traits of people that work in the department
Make note of the physical layout of the department, the dress code, what is hanging on the walls

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