Culture & Socialization

Question 1

Requirements for culture to emerge

Answer 1

• recognizable social unit-
• shared history
• repeated way of “doing tings”

Question 2

Culture as a management tool

Answer 2

strong culture that support the organization’s goals can be a competitive advantage by:

• internalizing desired behaviors: decreased need for supervision, smoother communication and coordination
• increasing salience of core values: provide normative guidelines to navigate situations of ambiguity/ uncertainty

should be intentional about culture

Question 3

Level 1 culture

Answer 3

The “feel” of the place

• artifacts/props
• stories and jargon
• ceremonies/rituals
• dress/uniform
• physical settings
• language

Question 4

Level 2 culture

Answer 4

Values and beliefs:

shared sense of what ought to be norms, philosophies, shared convictions about “right” and “wrong”

Question 5

Level 3 culture

Answer 5

Underlying components of culture

• organization’s relationship to its environment: what business are we in? Who are our major constituencies?
• the nature of reality and truth: How are the “facts” determined? How do we make decisions?
• the nature of human nature: Are people fundamentally good or bad, fixed or changeable?
• the nature of human activity: What are the “right” things to for people to do? What is the best way to influence or control human action?
• the nature of human relationships: How should people relate to each other– cooperation of competition, individualism or collaboration?

Question 6

7 steps of socialization

Answer 6

1. Careful selection of entry level candidates
2. Humility-inducing experiences promote openness towards organization’s norms and values
3. In-the-trenches training leads to a mastery of a core discipline
4. Rewards and controls refined to reinforce behavior deemed pivotal to marketplace success
5. Adherence to values enables reconciliation of personal sacrifices
6. Reinforcing folklore
7. Consistent role models
   Repeat

Question 7

Organizational-Identity Socialization (Onboarding approach)

Answer 7

• A senior leader discusses organizations values and why the company is an outstanding organization
• A star performer does a similar presentation
• Newcomers reflect on what they heard about this organization
• Group discussion
• Giveaway: Fleece sweatshirt with company name on it

Question 8

Personal-Identity Socialization (Onboarding approach)

Answer 8

• Senior leader dicusses how working at XX will give employees an opportunity to express themselves and create individual opportunities
• Individual problem-solving excercise
• Newcomers reflect on a decision made in the problem-solving exercise and how to apply their signature strengths to the job
• Individuals introduce themselves and their decisions to the group
• Giveaway: Fleece sweatshirt personalized with employee’s name