Week 8 - Organisational Culture

Question 1

Define Organisational culture (Robbins & Judge, 2024)

Answer 1

refers to a system of shared meaning held by members that distinguishes the organisation from other organisations in terms of its values, beliefs and assumptions

Question 2

What is the Iceberg metaphor that explains an organisations culture? (Waldman, 2020)

Answer 2

• Basic underlying assumptions and beliefs about the organisation that may be unconscious
• Norms and values that can be adopted
• Cultural artifacts like company symbols, dress, and language that are visible

Question 3

How is organisational culture a descriptive term and how does it differ from job satisfaction? (3)

Answer 3

• Organisational Culture culture is concerned with employees’ perceptions of the characteristics of the culture, not whether they like them
• Employees are concerned about whether an organisation’s culture encourages teamwork, innovation etc
• Job satisfaction is evaluative

Question 4

What are the two types of cultures an organisation could have?

Answer 4

• Dominant Culture
• Subcultures

Question 5

What is a dominant culture?

Answer 5

expresses the core values a majority of members share and that give the organisation distinct personality

Question 6

What is a subculture?

Answer 6

subcultures develop in large organisations to reflect common problems, situations, or experiences that members face.

Question 7

What are the competing values an organisation could have? (4)

Answer 7

• “The Clan.” A culture based on human affiliation. Employees value attachment, collaboration, trust, and support.
• “The Adhocracy.” A culture based on change. Employees value growth, variety, attention to detail, stimulation, and autonomy.
• “The Market.” A culture based on achievement. Employees value communication, competence, and competition.
• “The Hierarchy.” A culture based on stability. Employees value communication, formalization, and routine.

Question 8

Characteristics of a strong organisational culture (Robbins & Judge, 2024)

Answer 8

• employees largely share consistent views on the organization’s mission and values.
• Core values in such cultures are widely embraced and strongly held, increasing the culture’s influence on members’ behaviour.
• enhance organizational outcomes by fostering unity and commitment, which can decrease turnover.

Question 9

What is the main characteristic of a weak organisational culture? (Robbins & Judge, 2024)

Answer 9

This culture reflects varying opinions among employees about organizational values.

Question 10

What are the 4 main ways culture is transmitted in an organisation? (Robbins & Judge, 2024)

Answer 10

• Stories
• Rituals
• Material Symbols
• Language

Question 11

How do stories help to transmit culture within an organisation? (4) (Robbins & Judge, 2024)

Answer 11

• help connect an organization’s current practices to its origins and values, covering themes
• Employees also develop personal narratives about their fit within the organization through socialization experiences
• These emotionally resonant stories are transformative, motivating employees to embrace and carry forward the organization’s culture
• Example: Henry ford at Ford Company and Nike “just do it”

Question 12

How do rituals help to transmit culture within an organisation? (2) (Robbins & Judge, 2024)

Answer 12

• Are repetitive activities reflecting an organization’s core values that help emphasize what the organization prioritizes, such as key goals or valued individuals
• rituals are effective in reinforcing values because they provide participants with a sense of control, which can help alleviate anxiety

Question 13

How do material symbols help to transmit culture within an organisation? (2) (Robbins & Judge, 2024)

Answer 13

• Symbols include items like office layouts, executive perks, corporate vehicles, and the design of corporate spaces
• Material symbols signal who holds importance, the organization’s stance on hierarchy, and preferred behaviours, such as conservatism or creativity.

Question 14

How does language help to transmit culture within an organisation?

Answer 14

• Organizations often have unique jargon, acronyms, and terminology related to their operations. For new employees, learning this language is part of becoming integrated into the culture
• language and jargon can also hinder effectiveness, causing confusion and inefficiency. In some cases, they are misused to mask unethical practices. For example, the CEO of Away used “career development” language to justify restricting employee benefits

Question 15

How is an organisation’s cultured formed? (2)

Answer 15

• The founder hiring like-minded individuals, socializing employees to their way of thinking and modelling behaviours that employees adopt
• This combines deeply ingrained as an organisation becomes successful

Question 16

How does an organisation keep a culture alive? (2) (Robbins & Judge, 2024)

Answer 16

• Relies on consistent practices that create shared experiences for employees, reinforcing cultural alignment across the workforce (Robbins & Judge, 2020).
• Key organisational functions such as recruitment, training, and promotion are instrumental in both embedding and sustaining this culture = By focusing on cultural fit during the hiring process, performance appraisals, and progression opportunities, organisations can reward employees who uphold cultural values and marginalise those who deviate from them.

Question 17

What is the function of a culture? (4) (Robbins & Judge, 2024)

Answer 17

• Provide members with a collective identity, promotes commitment beyond individual goals, and contributes to the stability of the social structure by establishing behavioural standards that bind the organisation together
• Act as a sense-making tool, guiding employees’ attitudes and behaviours
• drives consistent employee behaviours when making strategic decisions
• Studies indicate that a positive culture fosters favourable job attitudes, attracting and retaining talented employees

Question 18

How can an organisation’s culture be an asset? (Robbins & Judge, 2020) (2)

Answer 18

• Organisational culture can significantly impact a company’s success by influencing employee attitudes and behaviours, which can, in turn, enhance financial performance
• Cultures can be ethical, sustainability and innovation focused
• positive cultures that attract talent and foster employee satisfaction. For example, Google

Question 19

How can Organisational cultures be a liability? (Robbins & Judge, 2020)

Answer 19

• negative cultures can hinder performance and morale such as stagnation, culture clashes and toxicity
• For instance, NBCUniversal faced scandals due to a toxic culture marked by harassment and bullying, which led to significant organisational challenges, such as boycotts and leadership turnover

Question 20

How can a positive organisational culture be formed? (Robbins & Judge, 2020)

Answer 20

focuses on building employee strengths, favouring rewards over punishments, and promoting individual growth

Question 21

What are the limitations of a positive culture? (Robbins & Judge, 2024)

Answer 21

• enforced positivity can lead to “toxic positivity,” where unrealistic expectations for constant positivity discourage employees from expressing natural, necessary negative emotions.
• For e.g British insurer Admiral have a “ministry of fun” despite working in a field that is fairly serious

Question 22

How can an ethical culture be developed in an organisation? (5) (Robbins & Judge, 2024)

Answer 22

• Be a visible role model
• Communicate Ethical Expectations
• Provide ethical training: Regular seminars and workshops help reinforce standards of conduct, clarify acceptable practices, and address ethical dilemmas
• Reward Ethical Acts and Sanction Unethical Ones
• Establish Protective Mechanisms: Organisations should offer formal systems for employees to discuss ethical dilemmas and report unethical behaviour without fear of repercussions

Question 23

How can an innovative culture be developed in an organisation? (4) (Robbins & Judge, 2024)

Answer 23

• Organic Structures: low levels of vertical differentiation, formalisation, and centralisation, encourage flexibility and adaptability supporting cross-functional collaboration
• Contingent Rewards
• Slack Resources: Sufficient resources allow organisations to invest in developing or acquiring new innovations
• High interunit collaboration: foster interaction between different units, facilitating the exchange of ideas across departmental boundaries