Session 3- Organisational culture Flashcards
Who are the 2 writers who defined culture
Hofstede
Schein
Define culture according to Schein
set of shared,implicit ,taken for granted assumptions that a group holds which determines how it perceives, think about and react to its environment
Define culture according to Hofstede
collective programming of the mind which distinguishes members of one category from another
Give 2 words to describe culture
- Distinctive- Acceptable behaviour can differ from organisations
- Dynamic- culture can develop or change overtime or drastically due to a sudden event (takeover)
- weak v/s strong culture
Give 3 components of culture
- Norms that guide behaviour of people - about what is acceptable or not
- Symbol/ Symbolic action - buying cake for everyone for your birthday
- Set of values and beliefs- identify what is important
Give 6 factors that shape culture of an organisation
- Size
- Technological advancement
- Age
- History
5.Diversity
6.Ownership
What are the 3 writers on culture
- Schein Edgar- elements of culture
2.Charles Handy- Culture and Structure - Geert Hofstede- National culture
what does schein say
first leaders of a company create the culture of the company while attributes for later leaders are determined by the culture
What are 3 levels of culture by Schein
- Observable elements
-behaviour(what is acceptable or not)
-artefacts(visible organizational structure and process)
. attitudes(pattern of collective behaviour-greeting) - Espoused Values and Beliefs
-strategies,goals, company slogans - Underlying assumption,rules beliefs
-unseen,taken for granted, exist at the unconscious level
-unspoken rules no longer questioned and simply recognised
Define artefacts
aspects of culture that can be easily seen
What are the 4 cultural types of Charles Handy
- power culture(Zeus)
- Role culture (Apollo)
- Task Culture (Athena)
- Person culture (Dionysus)
Explain the power culture
- 1 major source of power and influence
-personal relationship with the top person matters more than any formal position
-power is direct, informal, personal
-suits small organisations where people get on well
Explain role culture
-bureaucratic- structure determines authority and reponsibility
- strong emphasis on hierarchy and status
-formalised- controlled by procedures
- slow changing- value predictability
-coordination
Explain task culture
-small team approach to achieve specific task
-emphasis is on results and getting things done
-empowerment,flexibility, adaptable
-continuous team solving
Explain person culture
-purpose is to serve the interests of the individuals who make it up
- where individuals undertake all duties themselves
-no super-ordinate objective, culture cant be transferred to another organization
what does contigency imply in this situation
it all depends
where one organization can have different cultures in different depts
what are the 5 traits according to Geert Hofstede
- Power distance
- Masculinity v/s Feminity
- Uncertainty avoidance
- Individualism v/s Collectivism
- Confucianism v/s Dynamism
Explain power distance
how subordinates respond to power and authority
high power- afraid of bosses, keep gap, paternalistic or autocratic, centralisation,supervision
low power- challenge biss, consultative mgt style
Explain individualism v/s collectivism
individualism- value autonomy, individual choice and responsibility, look out for themselves
-impersonal
-task achievement is more important than relationship
collectivist- mgt is seen in a team context
-bounded by strong personal and protective ties
-cohesive culture
training, physical condition, use of skills
Explain masculinity v/s feminity
high masculinity culture- difference between gender roles is large
masculine: high pay,recognition,advancement,challenge, competition,material success
feminine: focus on quality of working life, relationships, security
feminine culture- minimise gap between gender roles
feminine values are dominant
Explain uncertainty avoidance
Strong UA- feel threatend by unknown situations, rules and regulations, avoid risk
security,order, control are prefered
Weak UA - flexibly, innovative, open to risk,
ambiguity,uncertainty and change are valued
Define confucianism
what worked in the past should be able to bring positive results in the future
- resist change
