Clan Culture and Control

Question 1

What is Ouchi’s framework?

Answer 1

He proposed three mechanisms by which employees of an organisation can be controlled.

Question 2

What is Ouchi’s Market mechanism?

Answer 2

This accurately measures each person’s contribution. This mechanism allows employees to pursue non-organisational goals at the loss of personal reward. Rarely employed in the real world.

Question 3

What is Ouchi’s bureaucratic mechanism?

Answer 3

This evaluates performance as closely as possible and partly engenders feelings of commitment to the idea legitimate authority in hierarchies

Question 4

What is Ouchi’s clan mechanism?

Answer 4

This achieves organisational goals by selecting and socialising individuals so that their individual objectives are largely congruent with those of the organisation

Question 5

Why are employees most likely to align with the organisation through screening?

Answer 5

Because staff identify with the training or with their work group or department.

Question 6

Define the socialisation process of profession

Answer 6

Groups such as doctors or nurses who are employed in different organisations but hold similar values

Question 7

Define the socialisation process of culture

Answer 7

Encompasses all of the citizens of a political unit

Question 8

Define the socialisation process of clan

Answer 8

Properties of a unique organisation
- for this to take place:
must be a deep level of “common agreement” between members as to what constitutes “proper behaviour”
High level of “commitment” to that behaviour
Organisations like this can therefore be highly selective

Question 9

How do you put in place clan control?

Answer 9

To engage people in rituals and ceremonies which serve to rewards who displays the underlying attitudes and values

Question 10

Weaknesses of Ouchi’s framework

Answer 10

• If suitable candidates can not be selected, how does socialism and training overcome the shortcomings of the selection process?
• Why do clan members continue to exercise high levels of self control in pursuit of organisational objectives?
• Are rituals and ceremonies sufficient rewards and motivation?

Question 11

Ouchi’s answers to critic

Answer 11

Cooperative action involves interdependence between individuals
Both individuals must regard the transaction as equitable
Equity can be difficult to identify in environments which requires teamwork

Question 12

What are the normative requirements for clan formation?

Answer 12

Reciprocity
Legitimate authority
Common values and beliefs (e.g. Japanese organisations)
Mention of jap firms may actually represent national culture instead of the socialism process

Question 13

In able to the clan to be efficient in conditions of high uncertainty it must:

Answer 13

Have relatively high “goal congruence”
- in this context it means employees feel in the long run they will be treated equitably
- joint effort is the best way to achieve individual self interest
- in the long run honest and dishonest people will be discovered and dealt with appropriately
Have the sharing of some general paradigm

Question 14

What are the conditions of Wilkins and Ouchi’s model (1983)

Answer 14

A reasonably long history and stable membership
The telling of stories to enshrine management philosophy
Considerable screening of applicants
A strong shared claim of uniqueness
An atmosphere where individuals are encouraged to offer opinions and decisions rather than being dominated by single individuals