Final Exam Flashcards
What are differences between the descriptive approach and the prescriptive approach?
Prescriptive approach (culture as something it HAS)
- How the org SHOULD be
- The manager can switch it out. Can be controlled and manipulated
Descriptive approach (culture as something it IS)
- It is complex, processual, and dynamic
- Can describe it; not about controlling culture, but understanding culture
Know the main points of Peters and Waterman (including the table on pg. 85)
“Excellent Cultures” in search of excellence
- Identify themes that characterized cultures of excellent orgs
- Orgs should copy the culture of succesful orgs
- Ie: Disney
- Emphasize the importance of people (relations to customers)
What are advantages and disadvantages to the prescriptive approach?
Advantages:
- Assumes mgmt can fix things easily
- Assumes that a mgr has that kind of control
- Assumes that orgs have one culture, not subcultures
Disadvantages:
- Assumes that members don’t create their own culture; top-down only.
- Assumes all cultures are the same; what works in one org is going to work at all. This is how Peters and Waterman thought; if it works at Disney, it will work everywhere.
- Oversimplifies org life
What are underlying assumptions of the descriptive approach?
Cultures are complicated
- Heroes: aren’t the same for all people
- People don’t interpret values and rituals in the same way.
Cultures are emergent
- From bottom-up
- Come into being through members everyday actions
Cultures aren’t unitary or unified
- Subcultures, due to multiple interpretations
- Ie: different majors have different subcultures, different Greeks orgs have different
- People have different aims and goals
- May be different, but can exist in harmony; don’t have to work against each other
Culture is often ambiguous
- Sometimes it’s kind of hard to “put your finger on it”
- Can be fragmented
Understand Schein’s model of culture—what’s in each level and how to observe each level.
Level 1: artifacts and creations
- Most visible of social and physical environment
- Architecture, dress, memos, decision-making
- Are there offices or cubicles?
- Are the doors closed or open? Can you see them before you knock?
- Do the professors go by first or last name?
- Communication and expression of solidarity through agreement
Level2: values
◦What ought to happen, meanings of artifacts
▸ People have values, not orgs
▸ Some values may be mor valued than others in an org
▸ Difference between what we say are values (espoused-mission statement) and actual behaviors.
•Watch–what are the rituals and rites?
Level 3: basic assumptions ◦Core assumptions about the world and the way it works ◦How does humanity relate to the world? ◦Some researchers have said that metaphors are the key to uncovering basic assumptions ▸ We can usually express values, but not assumptions ▸ Might be hard to put into words, but we understand “dog eat dog”, or “feels like a prison”
What is conflict?
The interaction of interdependent people who perceive opposition of goals, aims, and values, and who see the other party as potentially interfering with the realization of these goals. Key terms: • Interaction • Interdependent • Interference
When is conflict beneficial?
a
What are conflict styles?
Avoidance: don’t address issues. Show little concern for self than others. ◦Small issues; when talking about it would cause problems; bad time. Accommodating (doormat) ◦Issue that’s not very important, or isn’t important to you but it is to someone else; or when the relationship is more important than the issue. Competition: argue with the other person and try to get your way. ◦Urgency; if you have more info than the other person and you know they’re not really right; when the issue is more important than the relationship. Compromise: no one is privileged, both tend to lose. Winning some and losing some. ◦Don’t have time to collaborate. Collaboration: both win, most productive and time-consuming. Try to think of a solution that benefits both parties. ◦In group projects; when you have time; when the issue is important to both parties as well as the relationship.
What are some problems with conflict styles?
•Looked at one particular instance and only standpoint from one person ◦ As “self” and “other” •Time might be important, as well as relevance of issue and consequences of issue •Model privileges verbal communication, but many times in conflict we rely on nonverbal ◦ Have language of collaborating but tone of competing
How are managers often called to be 3rd parties in conflicts (i.e., mediators/arbitrators)?
a
What does it mean to go below the line?
•We’re in a conflict, and there’s an issue •There’s my position and your position •We also all have interests that underly our position; position is what we want, interest is why we want what we want
What are the four steps of Principled Negotiation?
•Separate people from the problem ◦ Ie: Focus on the fact that chores need to be done, not that you’re mad at you’re roommate for not doing them •Focus on shared interest ◦ You both want the house to look nice, and don’t want bugs. If you stop to think about it, you’ll find these common interests •Generate creative options ◦ Brainstorm. What often happens is that all we see is my position/your position. Come up with a lot of options, and it’s okay if some are stupid; this could trigger a good idea in someone’s mind. •Use objective criteria ◦ Separate emotion. Don’t think about how mad you are, but what solves the problem.
What types of goals do people have in a conflict?
•T–Topic: the substance of the agreement; what the conflict is about. •R–Relationships: how do we relate to each other ◦ Many times, the conflict is the topic goal, but it’s about the relationship goal. Ie–argument about taking out the trash, but the underlying issue was respect. •I–Identity: face-saving; who I am as a person. ◦ If we’re in a conflict and feel like we’re going to lose, like if the other person makes a good point, we shift the focus of the conflict. •P–Process: how do we argue; how do we manage the conflict. ◦ Yes, I was wrong, but you don’t need to post it on FB for all to see.
How is conflict considered in other approaches (see the table at the end of the chapter)?
a
Know the difference between rationality, bounded rationality, and bounded emotionality.
•Bounded rationally–the idea that we are mostly rational people as we work in orgs, but there are boundaries to that rationality. •Bounded emotionality–1990s saw advent of bounded emotionality within org research ◦ Mostly emotional people who sometimes use rationality. ◦ Being in an org is an emotional experience–get excited about promotions or good clients; get mad at coworkers or difficult clients. We all make decisions based on these things.
