Organizational Culture and Change Flashcards
Organizational Culture
- the shared beliefs, values, and assumptions that exist in an organization
-determine the norms that develop and the patterns of behavour that emerge from these norms. - CULTURE → NORMS → BEHAVIOUR
- ‘way of life’
Culture is like an Icebeg
-At the surface you have behaviors, underneath are the beliefs, values, and assumptions.
- In order to change behavior, change the deeper levels (values, beliefs, assumptions underlying the behaviors).
- Fairly stable
Interpreting Culture: Artifacts
- material symbols
- rituals
- stories
- language
Material Symbols
Visible representations of values and/or beliefs
Ex - office layout, logos, clothing/uniform, decor, etc.
Rituals
- Behaviours that are engaged in repeatedly by organization members
- Ex - going out for happy hour, celebrating bdays, casual fridays, monday meetings, teasing new people, etc.
Stories
- Narritives that are shared among organization members
- Ex - stories of how the company came into being, folklore about the founder, stories about employee mistakes, etc.
Language
Shared terminology - slogans, metaphors, sayings
Why is Culture Important? What does it tell members?
Culture acts as a framework that guides the interpretation of experience and the choice of action
why is culture important - 2 primary functions
Integration
External Adaptation
Integration
Culture helps members solve problem
Culture is taught to newcomers
Culture strongly influences behavior
External adaptation
Helps guide employees to meet goals
External adaptation
Helps guide employees to meet goals
Socialization
Helps employees understand the attitudes, knowledge, and behaviors that are necessary to function in the organization.
Collective versus individual
., training in groups
Formal versus informal
formal training for newcomers vs. informal socialization for both newcomers and existing employees
Sequential versus random
The degree to which the org provide clear and identifiable steps for the socialization process
Where Does Culture Come From?
- Influential leaders are often the source of the beliefs and values
Founder or CEO - Organizations often exhibit the personality, beliefs and values of the founder
Management - What management pays attention to gets repeated and reinforced
Managers serve as role models – their behaviour gets imitated
Emergent leaders
Influential people not in formal leadership roles can shape the culture
Strong versus Weak Cutures
- Strong cultures
- Beliefs, values, and assumptions are intensely held and widely shared
- Members have high agreement on what is important
- Builds cohesiveness, loyalty, commitment
- Decreases turnover
Strenghts of Strong Organizational Cultures
- coordiantion
- conflict resolution
- financial stress
Coordination
Overarching values can facilitate communication
Conflict Resolution
Sharing core values can help resolve conflict
Financial Success
When culture supports strategy and goals of organization
Can Culture be a Liability
Culture can sometimes have dysfunctional aspects
Resistance to Change
Culture may impede change
Non-adaptive cultures can encourage rigidity and stability