Chapter 8 - Organizational Culture

Question 1

What is organizational culture?

Some examples of culture?

Answer 1

Shared values, beliefs and assumptions that is the “appropriate way to think and act” in the organization

2) Basic values, behavioural codes, myths, legends, super heroes, pastor stories

Question 2

Organizational Culture:

Bahavioral control:

2) what does it mean to have strong cultures? (Within an organization)

Answer 2

1) how much the organization’s culture influences how people perceive, think, feel behave in the organization.
2) strong: it’s the core values are held INTENSELY and WIDELY shared.

Question 3

Organizational Culture:

Culture creates _____________

Culture is taught to ____________

Culture strongly influences ____________

Answer 3

1. Stability
2. Newcomers
3. Behavior

Question 4

Reading Organization’s Culture

Stories

• what are they
• what do they do for current practices?

Answer 4

1. Narrative of events about the company - founders, success stories, highs and lows, etc
2. They bring the past into the present to LEGITIMIZE current practices.

Question 5

Reading Organization’s Culture

Rituals
1. What are they

Answer 5

1. Repetitive activities that express & reinforce key values of organization.

“What is important? (Goals, people)
What is expendable?”

Question 6

Reading Organization’s Culture

Material Symbols
- What are some examples?

Language
- what is it?

Answer 6

1. layout of corporate headquarters, executive’s automobiles, executive perks, corporate aircrafts
2. Unique terms/acronyms/jargon use to describe work related things (personnel, customers, it’s products, etc)

Question 7

Characteristics of Organizational Culture:

Innovation and risk-taking VS stability:
-what is it

Outcome VS Process Orientation
- what is it

Answer 7

1. Degree to which employees are encouraged to be innovative and take risks
2. How much the management focuses on the results rather than the process

Question 8

Reading Organization’s Culture

Define:
Team VS individual orientation

Aggressiveness (co-operation versus competition)

People orientation

Answer 8

1. How much work is team-based rather than individuals
2. Aggressiveness (Co-operation versus Competition)
   How aggressive people are rather than easy-going
3. How much management cares about the effect of outcomes on members (I.e. Firing 15% of the work force)

Question 9

HOW ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE FORMS

1 -> 4 steps

Answer 9

1. Culture start with founders -> major impact on early culture
2. Selection: finding people who fit the culture
3. Top management: Senior executives establish and they communicate the norms/values of company
4. Socialization: Organization’s need to teach the culture to new employees.

Question 10

Uniform organizational cultures:

• dominant culture
• subcultures

Explain!

Answer 10

1) Dominant culture expresses core values shared by a majority of the organization
2) they usually form in LARGE companies to reflect common problems/situations/experiences in the company.

Question 11

SUMMARY (pt.1):

1. What is the point of organizational culture?
2. How do you “read” an organization’s culture?

Answer 11

1. It provides: stability and gives employees the standards and norms within company; “The way things are done around here”
2. How do you read an organization’s culture?
   - stories, rituals, material symbols, language.

Question 12

SUMMARY (pt.2)
3. How do you create and maintain culture?

4. Can a Org. Culture have a downside?

Answer 12

3. It comes with the process - it comes from the founder and then it’s communicated by managers-> and then employees
4. a STRONG culture can have a negative effect:
   - resistance to change, difficult to create an inclusive environment, etc.