At the present time, given the economic, political and social situation that exists worldwide, the need to improve the competitiveness of companies has become widespread. Cuba is not the exception; Submerged in a deep economic crisis, the island is looking for answers according to its specific conditions and for this they require more updated and real approaches.
After the collapse of the socialist camp, a new stage begins, characterized by strong economic and commercial declines, the country loses more than three-quarters of its market, both in supplies of raw materials for national productions and products for consumption, like its export products. Facing the reality of living with fewer resources and the need to search for new markets with which we have never traded before, and these are increasingly aggressive and dynamic.
As a consequence, the Cuban company and businessman face new challenges that demand substantial changes, which cannot be carried out outside the existing organizational culture.
Thus, a new culture is imposed that is increasingly oriented towards business efficiency to achieve the true adaptation of our companies to the environment.
It is in this context that we ask ourselves where our actions should be directed. What should our future behavior be?
We surely think of structural and financial changes that allow us to revitalize our business system. This is valid for our conditions, however, it is no less true that the success and organizational vitality depend to a large extent on the development of appropriate cultures and values. ” Culture forms the basis of organizational functioning. It is the invisible source where strategies, structures and systems acquire their energy ».
In fact, the performance of an organization can be predicted by diagnosing the characteristics of its heroes, its values, that is, its culture.
However, it is precisely this, the fundamental barrier to effecting processes of change, these being understood when they manifest themselves in human behavior.
That is why we must transform not only the formal characteristics of companies (strategies, organizational structure, management system) but also and inevitably, the basic values, assumptions, meaning system, that is, the culture of the company.
It is in this case when the management must carry out a cultural revolution, which, taking into account the motor culture, allows replacing beliefs, values and symbols (at least some) with a culture that favors the achievement of new goals, new strategies and ways of directing.
It is necessary to foster an adaptive, open and flexible culture, whose organizational values are oriented towards quality, innovation, entrepreneurship, risk acceptance, change, and efficiency.
This requires discipline and systematicity in the actions that are carried out. In a culture with these values, the organizational goals and strategies will work, as well as the personal strategies of each member of the company, with full identification between the two, and therefore high motivation, productivity and job stability.
Cuba needs that culture and it is in our hands to promote it.
