Chapter 4- Culture Flashcards
what is organizational culture?
the shared beliefs, values and norms which influence the way employees think, feel and act towards others inside and outside of the organization
what are surface manifestations of org culture?
The first level of culture developed by Edgar Schein:
Cultures most accessible forms which are visible and audible behaviour patterns and objects
What are organisational values?
Scheins second level of culture:
The accumulated beliefs held about how work should be done and situations dealt with that guide employee behaviour
what is a mechanistic organizational structure?
an organisation structure that possesses a high degree of task specialization, many rules, tight specification of individual responsibility and authority, and centralized decision making
What is an organic organisation structure?
An organisation structure that possesses little task specialisation, few rules and a high degree of individual responsibility and authorities and in which decision making is delegated
what are basic assumptions?
This is scheins third and deepest level of culture:
Invisible, preconscious, unspoken, taken for granted understandings held by individuals within an organisation concerning human behaviour, the nature of reality and the organisation’s relationship to its environment.
They are difficult to pin down and become embedded into the org through the founder’s values
What is organizational socialization?
The process through which an employees pattern of behaviour, values, attitudes, and motives is influenced to conform to that of the organisation
what is the pre-arrival stage of socialization?
the period of learning in the process that occurs before an applicant joins an organisation
What is the encounter stage of socialization?
the period during which the new recruit learns about organizational expectations
what is role modelling?
a form of socialization in which an individual learns by example, copying the behaviour of established organization members
What is the metamorphosis stage of socialisation?
the period in which the new employee adjusts to their organization’s values, attitudes, motives, norms and required behaviours
what is the integration perspective on culture?
a perspective that regards culture as monolithic, characterized by consistency, organization-wide consensus and clarity
what is the differentiation perspective on culture?
a perspective that sees orgs as consisting of subcultures, each with its own characteristics, which differ from those of its neighbours
What is the fragmentation perspective on culture?
A perspective that regards culture as consisting of an incompletely shared set of elements that are loosely structured, constantly changing and generally in conflict
What is a strong culture?
a culture in which an organizations core values are widely shared among employees and intensely held by them and which guides their behaviour
What is a weak culture?
A culture in which there is little agreement among employees about their organisation’s core values, the way things are supposed to be or what is expected of them
What is internal integration?
the process through which employers adjust to each other, work together and perceive themselves as a collective entity.
What is external adaptation?
the process through which employees adjust to changing environmental circumstances to attain organizational goals
what is a power culture?
Organisations have a single, dominant individual that exerts their will, controlling by recruiting those that have a similar viewpoint. Operate with a minimum of rules. Represented symbolically by a web
what is role culture?
Organizations that emphasize the importance of rules, procedures, role expectations and job descriptions. Represented symbolically by a greek temple
What is a person culture?
Organisations are focused on individuals. Repersented by a cluster. these firms exist only for the benefit of their members and may include a ‘star performer’
What is a task culture?
organisations that are job or project oriented. Reprensed by a lattice symbol. The emphasis is on finding the best resources, labour for a specific task. Based on expertise not position
can national cultures have an impact on organisational cultures in specific countries?
yes
what theory did Geert Hofstede come up with?
The five dimensions of national culture
What is social orietation (hofstede)
The importance of the interests of the individual versus the interests of the group- individualism vs collectivism
What is power orientation (hofstede)
the appropriateness of power/authority within orgs- respect vs tolerance
what is uncertainty orientation ( hofstede)
the emotional response to uncertainty and change - acceptance vs avoidance
what is goal orientation (hofstede)
the motivation to acheive goals - agressive masculinity vs passive femininty
What is time orientation (hofstede)
the time outlook on work and life- short term vs long term
