Chapter 6

Question 1

6.1: Why is culture often identified as ‘the way we do things around here’?

Answer 1

This phrase is a popular definition of what is meant by the phrase organisational culture because it captures the core essence of what culture is about:

• WAY and DO: the manner in which something is done within an organisation.
• WE: the people who operate the organisation.
• HERE: culture is specific to an organisation or a situation.

Question 1

6.2: Discuss briefly the alignment of assumptions, values and artefacts in organisational culture.

Answer 1

Schein suggested that there are three distinct levels of organisational culture:
* Underlying assumptions are held unconsciously by people working within the organisation and guide the
behaviour and opinions of employees during day-to-day operational activities.
* Values represent what an organisation stands for. There is often a gap between the values of the organisation
and the individual values held by employees. The combination of values allow an individual to decide how to make
decisions that are not resolved through the underlying assumptions.
* Artefacts are the visible and tangible evidence of organisational culture, including the structure and layout of the
workspace, and the written and spoken language used within an organisation.

Question 2

6.3: Write one brief sentence to explain each of the four cultural types of organisation identified by Charles Handy, giving an
example of each type

Answer 2

• Power: the culture and behaviour is controlled from the centre by the leader – example: political organisations.
• Role: the culture relies upon the interaction of a number of key roles or pillars – example: traditional manufacturing
  businesses.
• Task: the culture works through the network of people and their roles and goals – example: technology and
  marketing firms.
• Person: people are allowed freedom of expression within organisational boundaries – example: law firms and
  universities

Question 3

6.4: Suggest briefly why ‘organisational stories’ are often seen to be important in the understanding of culture.

Answer 3

Culture is about people, and people are about their accumulated knowledge and wisdom. This will include a received or experienced rationale as to why something happens in the way that it does.

In his consideration of the ‘cultural web’, Johnson suggests that the myths and the realities of how the organisation has
developed from its origin to today form an important part of how and why the organisation continues to exist. Such stories
can include the impact of internal and external events, and also the mythologising of how certain individuals have had significant influence