2.5 - Organization Culture

Question 1

Define organisational culture

Answer 1

Organisational culture is a system of shared assumptions, values and beliefs, which governs how people behave in organisations. These shared values have a strong influence on the people in the organisation and dictates how they dress, act and preform in their jobs

Question 2

What is a culture clash

Answer 2

If an individual joins an organisation and does not share its values, its very likely the person would not last long at the new job

Question 3

How should managers influence culture within an organisation

Answer 3

It’s a manager’s job to influence the culture of an organization. Even though it is difficult task, managers should state the organizational values from the beginning.

Question 4

How does culture differ throughout a organisation

Answer 4

Culture differs throughout different departments (ie., senior managers, the country of operation or culture of nationality members)

Question 5

What 2 authors are used to describe organisation culture

Answer 5

Charles handy
Edgar schein

Question 6

What are handys 4 organisational cultures

Answer 6

• Power Culture
• Role Culture
• Task Culture
• Person Culture

Question 7

What are 3 Schein 3 levels of organisational culture

Answer 7

• Organizational Attributes
• Professes culture
• Organizational Assumptions

Question 8

How does culture spread throughout an organisation

Answer 8

In an organisation with a power culture, power is held by just a few individuals whose influence spreads throughout the organisation.

Question 9

What are the general rules and regulations in a power culture

Answer 9

There are few rules and regulations in a power culture ( What those with power decide is what happens) Employees are generally judged by their results and what they achieve rather than how they do things or how they act. A consequence of this can be quick decision-making, even if those decisions aren’t in the best long-term interests of the organisation (i.e. family business and banks).

Question 10

What is stronger a power culture or a strong culture

Answer 10

A power culture is usually a strong culture, though it can swiftly turn toxic. The collapse of Enron, Lehman Brothers and RBS is often attributed to a strong power culture.

Question 11

Define power culture in handy

Answer 11

Best way to represent the Power Culture is a spider web. The power comes from the spider (the centre) and the web is worthless without the spider. The spider can reward or punish.

Question 12

What is role culture based of - handy

Answer 12

Organisations with a role culture are based on rules. They are highly controlled, with everyone in the organisation knowing what their roles and responsibilities are. Power in a role culture is determined by a person’s position (role) in the organisational structure.

Question 13

What is a role culture built off - handy

Answer 13

Role cultures are built on detailed organisational structures which are typically tall (not flat) with a long chain of command.

Question 14

What is a consequence of role culture

Answer 14

A consequence is that decision-making in role cultures can often be painfully-slow and the organisation is less likely to take risks. Consequently, organisations with role cultures tend to be very bureaucratic.

Question 15

What is a example of an organisation with role culture

Answer 15

Examples with role culture can be the military or civil servicers, amongst others.

Question 16

Within role culture where does power derive of - handy

Answer 16

Role culture is often presented as temples or buildings where a clear hierarchy is shown. Power derives from persons position in the company.

Question 17

What is task culture - handy

Answer 17

Task culture arises when teams in an organisation are formed to address specific problems or progress projects.

Question 18

How does the power shift in task culture

Answer 18

The task is the important thing, so power within the team will often shift depending on the mix of the team members and the status of the problem or project.

Question 19

How is task culture determined successful

Answer 19

Whether the task culture proves effective will largely be determined by the team dynamic. With the right mix of skills, personalities and leadership, working in teams can be incredibly productive and creative (i.e., the Olympics, management consultants and even drama departments in schools)

Question 20

How is task culture presented

Answer 20

Task culture is represented by a net or crossing lines of a matrix structure.
A team is formed to complete a project but once the project is finished the net is dissolved and another one will be formed for the next project.

Question 21

What is person culture

Answer 21

In organisations with person cultures, individuals very much see themselves as unique and superior to the organisation, they just want to do their own thing.
The organisation simply exists in order for people to work. It is a culture which is only there to help the individuals who work there.

Question 22

What type of organisation is a organisation with person culture

Answer 22

An organisation with a person culture is just a collection of individuals who happen to be working for the same organisation (i.e., architecture firms, surgeons, lawyers, university departments).

Question 23

How is the person culture represented

Answer 23

Persons cultures is represented by a constellation of stars. Each star is unique and different, and they are also independent. This type of culture is very difficult to manage and also the type or people who are used to Person culture can’t bear to work in different environments.

Question 24

What is organisational attributes

Answer 24

Organizational attributes are the visible signs of an organisation’s culture and can be sensed as soon as one walks in an organization.
They can be seen, heard and felt. For example, what the dress code is; what kind of offices and layout is used; how employees address each other and how they communicate internally and externally.

Question 25

What is professed culture

Answer 25

These are the public statements about what the organisational values are about. Many organisations now communicate what their “core values” are in different forms such as image signs, slogans, websites.

Question 26

What is organisational assumptions

Answer 26

These are the foundations on which culture is based. The organizational attributes are often difficult to describe, are intangible and are often only really understood by people who’ve become accustomed to the way the organisation works. Schein described this as “the real way things get done around here”

Question 27

How are organisational assumptions presented

Answer 27

They are usually invisible. You won’t find them written down anywhere. People may not want to talk about them. But they exist and are often powerful (i.e. how things are supposed to be and how things really are)

Question 28

How will a new employee fit into organisational assumptions

Answer 28

If a new employee takes time to “fit in” in an organization, it might me because he/she can sense the organizational attributes.

Question 29

What are 7 reasons for cultural clashes

Answer 29

1. Different comfort levels with diversity
2. Different degrees of formality
3. Different languages
4. Different leadership styles
5. Different orientations to tasks and to people
6. Different practices
7. Different senses of time

Question 30

What are different comfort levels with diversity

Answer 30

Different comfort levels with diversity – some organizations are more used to diversity than others.

Question 31

What are different degrees of formality

Answer 31

Different degrees of formality – formal vs. informal (i.e., dress codes)

Question 32

What are the effects of different languages

Answer 32

Different languages – each organization has its own language which the new employees have to adapt to. However, sometimes some misunderstandings arise due to non-verbal communications (i.e., translating )

Question 33

What are the effects of different leadership styles

Answer 33

Different leadership styles – These mainly applies to organizations that merge. Both organization have different leadership styles, for example Democratic vs. Autocratic. The employees will find difficult to adapt to this situation.

Question 34

What are the effects of different orientations to task and to people

Answer 34

Different orientations to tasks and to people – Some organizations are task oriented while others are peoples oriented.

Question 35

What are the facts of different practices

Answer 35

Different practices – When the difference in practice from organization to organization is affected by different cultures and the country the organization is from.

Question 36

What are the effects of different sense of time

Answer 36

Different senses of time - In some cultures and organizations time is fixed. However, there are other organization that have a more flexible approach to time (i.e. flexi time)

Question 37

What is an explanation of consequences of culture clashes

Answer 37

The consequences of culture clashes can be very significant in organizations and it’s the job of leaders and managers to deal with it in the best possible way.
The extreme consequence of a culture clash is actually the failure of the business, but these can take a long time to happen.
Hence, to avoid these situations managers should anticipate the possible culture clashes that might arise based on some early indicators.
Mangers should be able to identify and act on the early indicators or else there will become serious problems.

Question 38

What are 5 early indicators of a culture clash

Answer 38

1. Lack of focus
2. Worry about the merge
3. Sense of division
4. Sense of isolation
5. Unresponsive management

Question 39

How is lack of focus an early indicator

Answer 39

Employees don’t understand the aims and values from the new manager (or company in case of merge)

Question 40

How is the worry of a merge a early indicator

Answer 40

Uncertainty in employee generate lack of focus in their jobs since they are just thinking about “what will happen?”

Question 41

How is the sense of a division an early indicator

Answer 41

employees look at the “faults” of the other employees (if it’s a merge) or the new leader. And they overthink how will that affect them.

Question 42

How is the sense of isolation a early indicator

Answer 42

The new manager might focus in the objectives and not the people. Thus, employees will feel alone and unappreciated.

Question 43

How is unresponsive management an early indicator q

Answer 43

When amplíeles feel that mangers dont care about them

Question 44

What are the 5 indicators of a serious probelm in the context of culture clashes

Answer 44

1. Lower productivity
2. Higher labour turnover
3. Conflicts in the workplace
4. Lower profitability
5. Bankrupt or failure

Question 45

How is lower productivity a serous problem

Answer 45

Since the employees find hard working in the new organization (or under a new manager) productivity is affected.

Question 46

How is labour turnover a indicator of a serious problem

Answer 46

ultimately employees may leave or look for another job. Which affect the organization since the purpose of a merge or a new manager is to use the trained employees already in the company.

Question 47

How is conflict in the workplace a serious indicator

Answer 47

clash in personalities, culture etc. can bring additional stress in the workplace.

Question 48

How is bankrupt or failure a indicator of a serious problem

Answer 48

The worst consequence followed by a ver low profitability

Question 49

What is an example of a culture clas

Answer 49

In 2014, a $35 billion merger that should have resulted in the world’s largest advertising agency was abandoned due to culture clashes between US-based advertising giant Omnicom and its French equivalent Publicis. John Wren, Omnicom’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) stated, “There are strong corporate cultures in both companies that delayed us reaching an agreement.”
Maurice Levy, CEO of Publicis, said in response that “Omnicom wanted their people to fill the CEO, CFO and general counsel jobs. I thought that went too far. I was not ready to cede on this point.”
According to Bay Pacific Group, an M&A consulting firm, approximately 65 percent of mergers fail “primarily due to lack of corporate blending”.

Question 50

What is culture

Answer 50

Culture is the sum of values, attitudes , beliefs, practices and norms in an organization thus, influences all the business.

Question 51

How is culture perceived

Answer 51

Culture is perceived as soon as you enter an organizations or sometimes even before that. Since some successful companies have very clear organizational cultures.

Question 52

What do company’s mean when they want to change the culture

Answer 52

even though culture is sensed or perceived in an organization it’s not tangible since it can’t be seen, heard, tasted, smelled or touched. So when manager wants to changes “the culture” they are actually changing the norms and the individual’s attitude towards it.
And individual, however, can influence a “bad” culture in an organization positively. For example, not taking long unauthorized breaks when everyone does it and people might follow.
Nowadays, managers treat organizational culture as a high priority since they know its power and the effect it has in employees and the organization.

Question 53

How is lower profitability a indicator of a serious problem

Answer 53

Lower profitability – since there is lower productivity, high staff turnover and culture clashes the organization will be affected with lower profits.