Lecture 8 - Organisational Culture

Question 1

what is culture

Answer 1

“learned beliefs, values, rules, norms, symbols, and traditions that are common to a group of people” Northouse (2007: 302)

Question 2

what are some determinants of culture (4)

Answer 2

• religion
• language
• education
• philosophy

Question 3

what are 2 dangers of culture

Answer 3

• stereotyping
• unconscious bias

Question 5

what are the 3 basic functions of organisational culture

Answer 5

• provides a sense of identity for members
• enhances commitment to organisations mission
• reinforces standards of behaviours

Question 6

what are some dimensions of organisational culture (6)

Answer 6

• outcome orientation
• people orientation
• team orientation
• attention to detail
• aggressiveness
• risk taking

Question 7

advantages of a strong culture (3)

Answer 7

• creates stability
• differentiates organisation from others
• allows employees to identify themselves

Question 8

disadvantages of a strong culture (3)

Answer 8

• adapting to new environment can be difficult
• attracts similar employees so little diversity in thought
• can create extreme behaviours of employees

Question 9

what are the 3 levels of culture and according to who

Answer 9

• Schein (2004)
  1. Artefacts
  2. Espoused beliefs and values
  3. Underlying assumptions

Question 10

what 2 factors are organisations based on

Answer 10

1. Centralisation – where power is located, how much power is centred at the top of the organisation
2. Formalisation – the extent to which rules and policies are used to organise the activity of the organisation

Question 11

Harrison/Handy Culture Typology

Answer 11

Power culture - informal and centralised
Role culture - formal and centralised
Task culture - formal and decentralised
Person culture - informal and decentralised

Question 12

What are Hofstede’s 5 cultural dimensions

Answer 12

1. Power distance
2. Uncertainty avoidance
3. Individualism / Collectivism
4. Masculinity / Femininity
5. Confucian Dynamism

Question 13

define power distance

Answer 13

this measures the difference in power between manager and subordinate.

Question 14

define uncertainty avoidance

Answer 14

scoring high on this dimension means that the cultural preference is to try and predict the future. General dislike for uncertainty

Question 15

define individualism / collectivism

Answer 15

Individualism: Emphasis on personal independence and individual rights.
Collectivism: Emphasis on group cohesion and collective well-being.

Question 16

define confucian dynamism

Answer 16

this relates to the importance placed on the future, where long-term orientated countries take a pragmatic view of rewards i.e. make long term plans.