Clan Culture In The Workplace

Have you heard anyone call their colleagues or family members? That's a sign that they operate in a clan culture, sometimes called a "collaborative culture," where unity and teamwork are highly valued.

The phrase "clan culture" refers to social groups of individuals who band together due to a shared ancestor or kinship. 

Clan cultures provide a warm and welcoming workplace where relationships, morale, involvement, and consensus are valued highly. Managers are viewed more as mentors than authority figures who give directives and punish subordinates. 

You're most likely to find that this culture exists in small-scale businesses and startup companies that rely primarily on employee trust and loyalty to grow.

Some businesses will create a clan work culture as empowerment to encourage collaboration, stave off fatigue, and boost employee retention. This organizational culture allows for flexible management that is not dependent on rigid rules and regulations. Although there are regulations, they are more socially than legally ingrained. Teams make decisions about completing tasks independently and with high trust. Workers are at ease discussing ideas and imparting knowledge, and managers actively solicit their opinions.

All sizes of businesses can have clan cultures, but as they grow, they may take on distinct characteristics. Because team members in smaller businesses collaborate on projects, get to know one another personally, and share the same goals and beliefs, it could be simpler for them to develop strong bonds. A collaborative culture can be achieved in larger organizations, such as global IT corporations, even though a family-like atmosphere is more challenging.

Characteristics of Clan Culture

How do you identify clan culture in a company? What distinguishes a company that operates on clan culture from others? Businesses that have a strong clan culture typically exhibit the following characteristics: 

• Teamwork is essential since clan culture is built on trust and collaboration. People participate in business outside their occupations to develop ideas and answers from various angles. Strong relationships among coworkers enable them to operate effectively as a team and diligently pursue objectives. In a clan-style workplace culture, the highest-ranking executives will work with even the lowest-ranking workers. Leaders and top performers can serve as mentors to newer or less seasoned team members under this culture paradigm.

• Unity and harmony: A clan culture encourages accepting one another and having faith in one another to succeed as a team. A cohesive team that supports one another is frequently more receptive to suggestions and fosters a pleasant workplace atmosphere. When integrated into the organization, people feel they are a part of something bigger than themselves. They are very emotionally bonded to their coworkers and the mission and values of the company.

• Strong ties: Workers are more devoted to one another than they are to outsiders and collaborate closely as a team. Referrals from the team frequently result in new hires joining the company with preexisting relationships. Colleagues socialize outside of work hours and spend a lot of time together. Employees often serve as mentors to one another. 

• Clan culture prioritizes the well-being of its workforce, offering a supportive atmosphere that fosters employee development and mentorship. Ensuring workers have what they need to be happy and safe in their work environment is a priority. 

• Horizontal structure and informality: Because organizational structures are usually flat, there are few obstacles between staff levels. The management will provide nurturing leadership and view their staff as family. Also, employees' roles may not be clearly defined because they manage many responsibilities.
  

The Pros of Clan Culture

Benefits of this kind of culture may include:

• Clan cultures encourage strong bonds between coworkers, making it possible for them to trust and communicate freely. A culture of cooperation that fosters a sense of family engenders loyalty. Workers still have a solid commitment to the business and their coworkers. They don't need to look for work elsewhere because they feel content and safe in their current role. 

• Clan cultures regularly check-in, much like family gatherings over meals. They frequently destroy communication barriers across levels and departments. All members are encouraged to participate in decision-making, allowing teams to exchange ideas and information and work more efficiently.

• Coworkers who share a common set of values and perceive themselves as a cohesive unit foster a culture of family-like camaraderie.

• Because they believe their teammates have their backs, team members are willing to take chances and try out novel strategies. Everyone is welcome to contribute ideas, which fosters greater creativity and frequently results in better customer experiences and solutions. Ideas don't just come from a select few sources. When faced with new challenges or the desire to make changes, an organizational culture that values input and tolerance will be more flexible.

Cons of Clan Culture

Here are some things to look out for when developing the culture of a company:

• Being homogeneous and exclusive: Organisations with a clan culture may be exclusive. They might be wary of strangers. Referrals alone may lead to a lack of diversity in the employment process. When new hires arrive on the scene without connections, they may find it challenging to fit in with the teams that have already developed such close relationships.

• Individuals with identical values, beliefs, and demographics will likely hold similar views and perhaps even share incorrect presumptions. The organization loses out on the advantages differing viewpoints can provide when everyone has the same view. Additionally, because the group is so close-knit, workers may experience pressure to fit in and preserve peace. Innovation is hampered, and new perspectives are diminished when people are afraid to speak out against the status quo and challenge the group mentality. Groupthink can occur when people are overly close-knit or have similar viewpoints. This is when people become too preoccupied with "fitting in" with the group to question beliefs and go against the flow.

• Excessive collaboration can hinder productivity: While a highly collaborative workplace might accomplish a lot, it can also lead to bottlenecks that impede workflow. An endeavor that involves everyone may result in an overabundance of cooks in the kitchen. Allowing everyone to participate in decision-making and maintaining open lines of communication may end up working against you. It may cause excessive meeting scheduling and postpone important decisions.