Organizational Culture Flashcards
1
Q
What is organizational culture?
A
- Metaphor: organizations operate like cultures
- easily understood at societal level, then translated into organizations
2
Q
3 variables to measure strength of cultures
A
- Consensus
- Consistency
- Clarity
3
Q
Concerns: strong cultures that require adherence to values
A
- reduction of diversity
- challenges to these values
- personal costs to individuals when having to ‘fit in’
4
Q
Iron fist inside a velvet glove
A
- Velvet glove: offers feelings of stability, belonging, autonomy
- Iron fist: these feelings were designed to demand commitment and enactment of behaviors
5
Q
Problems with team-family culture (Casey, 1999)
A
- infantilizes employees
- creates sense of guilt, anxiety and dependence
6
Q
Examples of strong cultures
A
- Mary Kay Cosmetics (Biggart, 1989)
- Sunray Call Centre (Fleming and Spicer, 2007)
7
Q
How to study organizational cultures
A
- see through their eyes but remain a stranger (insider/outsider)
- participant observation
- recording then reflecting
