Unveiling the Dynamics of Organizational Culture in the Construction Company: In the Case of Ethiopian Construction Works Corporation

Organizational culture, which consists of shared beliefs, values, and norms, significantly influences internal interactions and external relationships, playing a crucial role in project success or failure. This study aimed to assess the organizational culture within the Ethiopia Construction Work Corporation (ECWC), a leading construction firm in Addis Ababa, to identify the critical factors affecting its culture and understand their impacts on project outcomes. A descriptive and explanatory research design was employed, focusing on nine active construction projects undertaken by ECWC. Seventy-eight participants were selected using purposive sampling, ensuring that data accurately represented individuals directly involved in the projects. Data were collected from both primary (surveys, interviews, and questionnaires) and secondary (organizational records and reports) sources. To ensure data reliability and validity, Cronbach's alpha and Spearman’s correlation tests were applied. Analysis was conducted using Relative Importance Index (RII) and regression techniques. The findings revealed several critical factors negatively affecting the organizational culture, such as slow decision-making due to rigid structures, frequent misunderstandings caused by poor communication, ineffective communication channels hindering employee interactions, and unclear leadership direction, resulting in confusion. These cultural issues led to significant negative impacts, including project delays, resource mismanagement, risk management failures, poor communication, and client dissatisfaction.