Chapter 14: Organizational Culture Flashcards
Organizational culture
values and assumptions shared within an organization (company DNA)
values
stable, evaluative beliefs that guide our preferences for outcomes or courses of action in a variety of situations
shared values
values that people within an organization or work unit have in common and place near the top of their hierarchy of values
shares assumptions
nonconscious, taken for granted perceptions or ideal prototypes of behavior considered to be the correct way to think and act toward problems and opportunities
espoused values
values corporate leaders HOPE become the culture or want other to believe guide the organization
enacted values
values that actually guide and influence decisions and behavior within an organization (put into practiced)
dominant culture
values and assumptions shared most consistently and widely by organizations’ members
countercultures
embrace values in opposition to the dominant culture
2 important functions of subcultures
- encourage constructive conflict and creative thinking
2. source of emerging values
artifacts
observable symbols and signs of an organization’s culture (ie. how visitors are greeted, physical layout, employees rewarded)
4 categories of artifacts
- organizational stories and legends (advise people on what to do or not to do)
- language (Container Store - “being Gumby” (flexible); “Goldman Sachs - “muppet”(a fool))
- rituals and ceremonies (i.e. how visitors greeted; award banquet)
- physical structures and symbols (i.e. building size and location, wall hangings, desks)
rituals
programmed routines of daily organizational life that dramatize the organization’s culture (predictable, repetitive events with symbolic meaning of cultural values and assumptions; how visitors greeted)
ceremonies
formal artifacts/planned activities conducted specifically for the benefit of an audience (ie. launch party, reward ceremony)
strong organizational culture refers to…
how widely and deeply employees hold the company’s dominant values and assumptions
3 contingencies/dependencies of culture strength
- whether culture content fits the environment
- moderate, not cult-like, strength
- an adaptive culture (embrace change, creativity)
3 functions/benefits of strong cultures
- control system (points everyone in the same direction)
- social glue (bonds people together)
- sense making (help make sense of what’s going on)
bicultural audit
diagnose the culture between companies and determine likelihood of cultural clashes
1. identify artifacts 2. analyze date for conflict and compatibility 3. identify strategies and action plans to bridge cultures
4 strategies for merging different corporate cultures
- assimilation (B takes on culture of A)
- deculturation (B forced to take on culture of A)
- integration (combined, composite culture)
- separation (remain distinct entities)
5 strategies to alter and strengthen corporate culture
- actions of leaders/founders
- align artifacts with the desired culture
- introduce culturally consistent rewards and recognition
- support workforce stability and communication (avoid turnover)
- use attraction, selection, socialization for cultural “fit” (attraction-selection-attrition (ASA) theory)
leading cultural changes is associated with what type of leadership ?
transformational and authentic
organizational socialization
learning and adjustment/ process by which individuals learn the values, expected behaviors, and social knowledge necessary to assume their roles in the organization
psychological contract
the individual’s beliefs about the terms and conditions of a reciprocal exchange agreement between employee and employer (transactional (temporary) & relational (long-term; more investment))
3 stages of organizational socialization
- preemployment socialization (outsider; indirect info to learn about the org/job)
- encounter (newcomer; test expectations against realities)
- role management (insider; strengthen relationships; practice new behaviors; resolve conflicts)
reality shock
stress that results when employees perceive discrepancies between their preemployment expectations and on-the-job reality
realistic job preview (RJP)
offers a balance of positive and negative information about the job
and work context
3 problems with organizational culture models and measures
- oversimplify diversity of possible values
- ignore shared assumptions
- assume company cultures are clear and unified
7 organizational culture dimensions
- innovation 2. stability 3. respect for people 4. outcome orientation 5. attention to detail 6. team orientation 7. aggressiveness
