Organizational Culture

Question 1

Organizational Culture

Answer 1

shared social knowledge within an organization regarding rules, norms, and values that shape the attitudes and behaviors of its employees
“the way things are around here”
“Culture is what people do when no one is looking”
Ex. Microsoft (works for ME) vs Apple (only the best of the best)

Question 2

Components of Organizational Culture

Answer 2

• Observable Artifacts
• Espoused Values
• Basic Underlying Assumptions

Question 3

Observable Artifacts

Answer 3

the organization’s culture that employees can see easily or talk about
(everyone can see)
- symbols
- physical structures
- language (‘The Swamp’)
- stories
- rituals (sing Won’t Back Down)
- ceremonies (homecoming)

Question 4

Espoused Values

Answer 4

beliefs, philosophies, and norms that a company explicitly states
(all employees should know)
- usually found on website
- written so accessible to ALL employees

Question 5

Basic Underlying Assumptions

Answer 5

taken-for granted beliefs so INGRAINED that employees simply act on them rather than question them
Ex. Apple (secrecy) or engineering (safety)

Question 6

Types of Organizational Culture

Answer 6

• Customer Service
• Safety
• Diversity
• Creativity

Question 7

Evaluating Culture

Answer 7

• Elevation: perception (average value)
• Strength: agree with the perception (standard deviation) very important

Question 8

Strong Culture

Answer 8

there is employee agreement about the way things are supposed to happen (high elevation, low standard deviation)

Question 9

Pros/Cons of Strong Culture

Answer 9

Pros:
- strong bonds
- more cohesion
- identify with organization
- facilitate desired behaviors
- create stability

Cons:
- less adaptive
- more complacency
- polarization
- decrease in new ideas/behaviors

Question 10

Maintaining Organizational Culture

Answer 10

tested with new employees
- Attraction-Selection-Attrition (ASA)
- Socialization

Question 11

Attraction-Selection-Attrition (ASA)

Answer 11

• Attract people with personalities that fit the culture
• Select candidates based on how well their personalities match
• Let go of people whose personalities don’t fit the culture

Question 12

Socialization

Answer 12

how employees learn the social knowledge that enables them to understand and adapt to an organizations culture
(1/3 will quit in first 90 days)

Anticipatory stage (create expectation before starting)
– reality shock
Encounter stage (actually start working)
Understanding and Adapting

Question 13

Newcomer Socialization Tactics

Answer 13

• Information and Feedback Seeking
• Relationship Building
• Positive Framing

Question 14

Changing a Culture

Answer 14

more difficult than establishing or maintaining a culture
- VERY IMPORTANT
- 86% of employees say it would require a major overhaul