Essentials of
Organizational Behavior
Chapter 16
Organizational
Culture
What is culture?
Culture is the set of
shared values and beliefs held by a group of people.
Core Values
Shared
beliefs and assumptions within a cultural group
What level of
analysis are we concerned with in studying
culture?
Pairs of people
= dyads?
Groups of people?
Work units,
departments, functional areas
Organizations?
Industries made up of
organizations?
Societal culture?
No one has ever
seen an electron. So how do we
know its real?
You know culture
is real because of :
Artifacts,
Words used in language,
Written documents,
Stories.
Why study
culture?
Indicates how people
feel about things in organizations . . . these attitudes in turn contribute of
other outcomes, e.g., productivity levels, turnover intention, etc.
These effect
organizational effectiveness.
Why study
culture,
Promotes mutual
adjustment
Heavily influenced by
founders
Culture is a control
mechanism
Functions of
Culture
Defines
boundary
Gives
sense of identity
Generates
commitment
Enhances
stability
Features of
Culture
Strong
vs. Weak Culture
Culture
vs. Formalization
Organizational
vs. National Culture
Liabilities of
Culture
Barrier
to change
Barrier
to diversity
Barrier
to mergers and acquisitions
Can we manage
culture?
Is it an etic
phenomenon?
Universal, sharing
the same basic characteristics from organization to organization; something
that an organization IS.
Corresponds to
studies on climate
Psychologists’
research domain.
Climate is measured
via surveys.
Can we manage
culture,
Or.... is culture an emic phenomenon?
Unique to each
organization, something that an organization HAS.
The turf of
anthropologists.
Each society or group
studied for its own unique characteristics.
Culture is measured
via observation and participation.
Learning
Organizational Culture
I. Professional Socialization:
“The Boys in White”
Professional
socialization may conflict with organizational socialization
e.g., Nurses and
doctors in HMO cultures.
They must now limit care and receive
permission from administrators prior to treating patients
St. Peter at the
Pearly Gates:
“What did you do in
your life sir?”
Answer: “ I was a cardiac Surgeon”
“Come on in!
And you mam?”
Answer: “I was a college professor”
“Good, come along.
And you mam?”
Answer: “I was an HMO director”
“Do come in.
You are entitled to 3 complete days in heaven.
Any more time requires that we receive authorization from your primary
care physician. ”
III.
Organizational Socialization:
"Learning the
ropes",
"Coming to know
the way of things."
"Learning one's role
in the organization."
“Learning the
culture”
“Becoming
assimiliated into the culture”.
Van Maanen and
Schein
1.
Serial vs. random -- Role models
Think of the word serial as meaning "continuous".
2.
Investiture vs. Divestiture --
Organization strips preconceived notions from members.
Think of boot camp.
3.
Sequential vs. disjunctive --
Degree to which there is an order to learning.
4.
Fixed vs. Variable -- Stages of learning are used.
5.
Tournament vs. contest -- Degree to which stages are
"elimination tournaments".
6.
Formal vs. Informal --
Degree to which process is formalized.
7.
Collective vs. Individual -- Degree to which one received
individual attention.
A Socialization Model
Socialization
OUTCOMES
These various dimensions will produce one of three outcomes for
members:
Custodial
orientation
-- conformity to norms
Creative
individualism
-- trainee learns all of central norms but reject pivotal ones.
Rebellion
-- total rejection of assumptions.
Conical Model of
Socialization
Learning the
Culture
Stories
Rituals
Material
symbols
Language
Stories as a mechanism for
SHARING CULTURE
Stories are so
common, that they can be found in similar forms in almost EVERY organization
(Joanne Martin).
UNIQUENESS PARADOX --
situation that seems to be contradictory.
e.g., stories about
leaders that break rules and accept penalties -- the CEO who gets a parking
ticket, for example.
A story by another name... would smell as sweet?
Stories
= short, punchy, to the point.
Legends
= uplifting. Portray wonderful
events.
Sagas
=
evocative tales of heroism in the face of adversity.
These seem to be
created for different reasons, in different contexts.
Do managers tell stories?
How? Why?
“Sometimes when new
employees join an organization, managers find it useful to give them examples
of prior work incidents, or tell them stories that emphasize important aspects
of their roles in the branch. These
"stories" help new
employees learn more about their roles, and about what you value as a leader
of the branch. Please
indicate the extent to which you have used stories, examples, or critical
incidents by answering the following questions.”
strongly disagree = 1
strongly agree = 5
Mean response on a (1 - 5) point response set would be (3) RIGHT?
Stories, examples, and critical incidents are
useful because they allow me to draw on actual experiences we've had in the
branch to teach new employees what's important to us here -- what we value,
and the assumptions that are behind the way we do business.
Mean = 3.78
I use stories, examples, or critical incidents
to communicate technical aspects to new employees that are difficult to
communicate in formal training sessions.
Mean = 3.71
I find the use of stories, examples, and
critical incidents to be an effective way for me to communicate my own vision
for this branch to new employees.
Mean = 3.72
It is important that whatever I communicate to
new employees be based in fact; when I have used stories, examples and
critical incidents, I've been careful to stick to real events.
Mean = 3.95
I leave story telling to others... I don't
regard this as a very useful technique for the communication of what is
important in this branch to newcomers.
Mean = 3.60
How
Organizational Culture Impacts Performance and Satisfaction
Objective factors
Innovation and risk
taking
Attention to detail
Outcome orientation
People orientation
Team orientation
Aggressiveness
Stability