Chapter 16 culture and society Organisational culture theory Flashcards
Author Organisational culture theory
Pakanowsky and O’Donnell-Trujillo
Traditions Organisational culture theory
Socio-cultural
Communication context Organisational culture theory
Organizational
Approach to knowing Organisational culture theory
Interpretive/Hermeneutic
Overall theory Organisational culture theory
- Organizational members create and maintain a shared sense of organizational reality, resulting in a better understanding of the values of an organization
- The use and interpretation of symbols are critical to an organizations culture
- Cultures vary across organizations, and the interpretations of actions within these cultures are diverse
Can also diverse in a organization (co-cultures e.g study class study group)
Organisation is best understood with a cultural lens - A organisation is a culture
Create organizational reality
The cultural metaphor web
People are spiders in a web created at work with shared symbols, stories, rituals, values gossip, romantic e.g. Web represent strength life and coherence - need maintenance
Physical symbols
Logo, building, decor, dress, appearance, material objects
Behavivoral symbols
rituals, traditions, reward/punishment
Verbal symbols
Jokes, names/nicknames, explanations, stories, metaphors.
The communicative performance - organizational life
Performance: methophor suggesting that organizational life is like a theatrical presentation.
E.g. work place a stage, where there are different roles or parts of oranizations
Ritual performance -
Personal, task, social, organizational
overall routines
Personal rituals - check voice mail email,
Task rituals: issuing tickets, collecting fees.
Social rituals: happy hour gathering
Organizationl rituals - department meeting company picnic
Passion performances - pspn
stories in-between employees = Storytelling, exaggerated speech(overdrevet)
Social performances - pspn
behavior showing cooperation and politeness = Politeness, extensions of etiquette; customer thank-ious , supporting another’s face
Political performances - pspn
behavior demonstrate power - Exercising control, power and influence - barking bases, intimidation rituals, bargaining
Enculturation performances - pspn
How to obtain knowledge and skills - especially with new employees. = get competencies - learning/teaching roles, orientations, interviews.
critic - logical consistency
Try to remain try to their belief that culture is rich and diverse. Some believe consistency is lacking: relies heavenly on shared meaning but stories often differs in a organisation and is thereby not shared meaning
Critic - Utility
Its useful because the performance and symbols is easily intensified with work life
Critic - Heurism
Its heuristic because the theory have been used far and wide and with many different work places.
Communication model
???
own thoughts
my work place meeting, uniform, sign, smile, routines, gifts, social activities.
