Lecture 8: Organisational Culture

Question 1

what came to be realised in the 1980 re culture?

Answer 1

that companies (often found in japan) with strong cultures were very successful during this time

Question 2

what is kiazen?

Answer 2

japanese for quality, and workers going above and beyond for quality in the company

Question 3

what is organisational culture? define

Answer 3

“the way we do things around here…”

• customary and traditional way of thinking and doing things which is shared to a greater or lesser degree by all members and which new members must learn in order to be accepted into the services of the firm

Question 4

how is shared meaning related to culture?

Answer 4

members share understandings about the organisation which relate to values, beliefs and assumptions and these are reflected in the rituals, practices etc that the workers carry out

Question 5

how do you identify a culture? list features from most to least visible

Answer 5

observable symbols 
physical layout
communication patterns 
stories 
practices and behaviours 
values, assumptions, feelings and beliefs

Question 6

what are observable symbols when it comes to identifying culture?

Answer 6

logos, uniforms, rituals, ceremonies

these are deliberate as they are meant to be observed and they are usually clear

Question 7

what is physical layout when it comes to identifying culture?

Answer 7

dress code, decor, furniture, physical appearances

open plan office and having dog in office, usually an indicator of level of formality in the company’s culture

Question 8

what are communication patterns when it comes to identifying culture?

Answer 8

jargon, acronyms, metaphors, special words or phrases that only insiders know
frequently used and can be observed by listening to who colleagues talk, and will require some interpretation

Question 9

what are stories when it comes to identifying culture?

Answer 9

legens, myths, anecdotes,
well known, come from the orgs past, and tell us how the org operates, often about other members
to observe them, have to talk to different people, can give insight as to whether or not the culture is supported or rejected as stories can be form of resistance

Question 10

what are practices and behaviours when it comes to identifying culture?

Answer 10

• how the org regularly does things, what people in the business actually do eg, work late/weekends? hold meetings? have coffee breaks?
  to observe this, must hang around and observe, but meaning may not be immediately obvious.

Question 11

what are values, beliefs, assumptions and feelings when it comes to identifying culture?

Answer 11

• can be deeply held but individuals may be unaware of how it affects behaviour
• may be espoused rather than in use…. stated but not enacted
  have to find it by looking at and interpreting the 4 previous areas

Question 12

what are the 3 models of culture

Answer 12

• integrationist
• differentiationist
• critical

Question 13

what are the basic assumptions of the integrationist view on culture?

Answer 13

orgs have uniform cultures and that this is good as it is functional to influencing the orgs effectiveness, and ensures stability of the company

Question 14

through the integrationist lens, why is there a reduced need for policy?

Answer 14

because the strong uniform culture ensures that staff all know the rules

Question 15

through the integrationist lens, why is a strong culture ought to be adopted and how is this culture passed on?

Answer 15

to cope with external adaptation and internal integration, and is taught to new members for them to understand how they should perceive, think and feel in relation to problems

Question 16

regarding external adaptation, what is there consensus on in orgs?

Answer 16

• how orgs operate in its environment
• specific goals
• means to accomplish goals
• criteria for measuring results
• repair strategies

Question 17

regarding internal integration, what is there consensus on in orgs?

Answer 17

• common language
• core values
• boundaries (who is inside v who is outside the org culture)
• criteria for allocation of status, power and authority
• criteria for friendships and relationships
• criteria for allocation of resources

Question 18

how is an integrationist culture engineered?

Answer 18

• founders often play integral role
• selecting people into the org who culturally fit
• leadership
• socialisation - how are people told what the culture is? training? unofficial lunches?
• rewards and punishment

Question 19

what are some issues regarding the integrationist theory?

Answer 19

• there is no empirical ev. for relationship between culture and performance
• successful companies do not always have strong cultures
• strong cultured businesses can fail
• strong integrationist cultures can be dysfunctional

Question 20

what is at the core of differentiationist theory?

Answer 20

• orgs are a cluster of sub cultures that are driven by department heads as opposed to CEO etc
• relationships between subcultures can be complimentary, conflicting or independent - can compete

Question 21

T or F, there is less of a boundary between inside the org and outside because of the different subcultures in a differentiationist culture compared to an integrationist?

Answer 21

True

Question 22

why is differentiationist approach still a functionalist approach?

Answer 22

as it is still used to drive org effectiveness

Question 23

what is at the core of the critical theory of culture?

Answer 23

looks at how employees are affected by culture, investigates the uses of power and how culture can be used to control employees

Question 24

how does the critical approach differ to the integrationist and differentiationist approaches?

Answer 24

I and D approaches are functional theories, they are tools for mgmt to increase org effectiveness, whereas C approach is a way of looking at culture in an org, it is not a tool that can be used

Question 25

what are the strengths and weaknesses of the integrationist theory?

Answer 25

S:

• patterns are easy to look for
• convergence may lead to commitment - it is easy to get on bord
• top down mgmt style

W:

• convergence can be dysfunctional
• strong culture may not bring success
• not all orgs can have a single culture

Question 26

what are the strengths and weaknesses of the differentiationist theory?

Answer 26

S:

• emphasises commitment to the work group/department
• might be better/more meaningful for workers to align to smaller group
• allows for more adaptation
• allows for more middle mgmt and for them to manage culture

W:

• can breed conflict between sub cultures
• movement between sub cultures might be difficult
• balkanisation: sub cultures begin to work for self interest rather than common interest of the company

Question 27

what are the strengths and weaknesses of the critical theory?

Answer 27

S:

• considers negative effects
• shows the hidden ways in which culture affects individuals
• not having culture or sub culture is not necessarily bad - can be liberating for employees

W:

• not everyone perceives the same culture as a negative thing
• some control is inevitable - culture is going to exist, sometimes better to control it
• cultural controls may be less oppressive than other controls like formal rules or processes