ORGANIZATIONAL

CULTURE
Introduction: Just as individuals have a
personality, so, too, do organizations. We
refer to an organizations personality as its
culture.
Organizational culture is shared assumptions
a given group has developed to deal with the
problems of external adaptation and internal
integration
The way we do things around here (and
why)
Historical (transferred to newcomers)
Moral force (normative: what is right and
good)
Associated with intensity of common
problems

ORGANIZATIONAL
CULTURE.Introduction
Cultureis thesoul of theorganizationthe beliefs and
values, and how they are manifested. I think of the
structure as the skeleton, and asthe fleshand
blood.And culture is the soul that holds the thing
together and gives it life force.- Henry Mintzberg

Organizational Culture is the pattern of shared

values, beliefs and assumptions considered to
bethe appropriate way to think and act within
an organization. Thus
Culture is shared;
Culture helps members solve problems;
Culture is taught to newcomers;
Culture strongly influences behavior.

DEFINING ORGANIZATIONAL
CULTURE

Definition: Organizational culture is the

shared values, principles, traditions, and
ways of doing things that influence the
way organizational members act.
This definition implies:
1. Individuals perceive organizational
culture based on what they see, hear, or
experience within the organization.
2. Organizational culture is shared by
individuals within the organization.
3. Organizational culture is a descriptive
term. It describes, rather than
evaluates.

CULTURE : Characteristics
An innovative culture should have these
characteristics:
Challenge and involvement
Freedom
Trust and openness
Playfulness/humor
Conflict resolution
Debates
Risk taking

CULTURE :How Does Culture

Change
Natural evolution as adaptations
Managed evolution (organizational
development)

Challenges to cultural
assumptions
Scandals and disasters
Charismatic leaders as role
models
Infusion of outsiders,
merger/acquisition
Coercive persuasion

CULTURE : Elements and

Transmission

Culture is transmitted and learned by

employees principally through metaphors
(language), rituals, stories, heroes,
cultural artifacts, performances and
values.
1.MetaphorsThis language device can serve to create vivid and
memorable pictures in our head. When used well it causes us to
see the usual in unusual ways and therefore imprints the ideas in
a deeper and sometimes more meaningful way. We use military
and sports language frequently in our culture. And these terms
along with others can be used in the workplace to describe the
environment.
2.Ritualspractices that are performed regularly and with some
specific purpose in mind. May be individual actions, department
actions, or organizational actions. For example, one department
may have a tradition of holiday parties, Friday afternoon Happy
Hours, or any number of specific behaviors that help define who
this group is and what they stand for.
3.StoriesStorytelling are important indicators of the values

CULTURE : Elements and

Transmission
4.HeroesOftentimes the stories are told about the
heroes of the company. The organizational members
who have taken great strides and performed at the
highest levels that made the company what it is
today.
5.Cultural ArtifactsTangible/Physical features of the
company; ranging from colors, to design, to artwork,
to physical symbols, etc; all contributing to shaping
the personality and attitude of the company.
6.Performanceshow the members of the company
interact with each other; learning the rules on talking
with bosses, with co-workers, when to use humor or
not; how laid-back versus how structured and strict
in communication style.
7.ValuesThis is often linked the companys mission
statement; what the organization stands for and the

Organizational CultureApproaches

The Interpretative Approach : This approach is less concerned

with managers but more focused on the complex process of
organizational life.
1. All membersnot just managersare thought to create
and shape the organizations culture through everyday
communication practices.
2. It Centers on the processes through which organizational
members makes sense or create their experiences.
3.Rituals, myths, jokes, and other cultural performances are not
viewed as static entities to be transmitted from management to
employees.
4.Culture is not merely another variable that the organization has,
rather, culture is something the organization is.
5.Interpretive view is not anti-management, but rather see the
organization from multiple levels and each level having
influence on the organizations culture. This approach
provides a more in-depth understanding of corporate life.
The critics of this approach say this is a bit politically about people
and how they (and the powers they use) behave in organizations.

The Critical Approach :Extends the research

of the Interpretative Approach into the realm
of the critique and evaluation.
This approach evaluates existing cultures;
calls into question the ideologies and
power structures that underscore
organizational cultures.
This approach is grounded in the goal of
freeing people from dominance and
oppression.
This tries to look at the dark side of
otherwise excellent corporate cultures, and
suggests that managers need to be on guard

ORGANIZATIONAL CULTUREDimensions
Seven dimensions of an organizations
culture have been proposed. These are :
a. Innovation and risk taking (the degree
to which employees are encouraged to be
innovative and take risks)
b. Attention to detail (the degree to which
employees are expected to exhibit
precision, analysis, and attention to
detail)
c. Outcome orientation (the degree to
which managers focus on results or
outcomes rather than on the techniques
and processes used to achieve those

Dimensions.
d. People orientation (the degree to which
management decisions take into
consideration the effect on people within
the organization)
e. Team orientation (the degree to which
work activities are organized around
teams rather than individuals)
f. Aggressiveness (the degree to which
people are aggressive and competitive
rather than easygoing and cooperative)
g. Stability (the degree to which
organizational activities emphasize
maintaining the status quo in contrast to

Leadership Grid OD
One of the most
structured and
popular organization
wise interventions
programs in OD is
Grid OD, developed
by psychologist
Robert Blake and
Jane Mouton (1964,
1969)

1 ,9
C o u n tr y c lu b
m anagem ent

9 ,9
Team m anagem ent

7
6

Concern
for
Employees

5 ,5
O r g a n iz a tio n m a n
m anagem ent

5
4
3

1 ,1
Im p o v r is h e d
m anagem ent

2
1
1

9 ,1
A u th o r ity o b e d ie n c e
4

C o n c e r n fo r p r o d u c tio n

Leadership Grid and OD

CULTURE : STRONG -WEAK

Strong cultures are found in organizations where
key values are intensely held and widely shared.
the stronger the culture more members accept
thecore values and the greater is their commitment.
the stronger the culture and thegreater its influence
on member behavior, because the high degree of
sharing
and intensity creates a climate of high
behavioral control.
A strong culture should reduce employee turnover
because
itdemonstrates high agreement about
whatthe organization represents. Such unanimity of
purpose
builds
cohesiveness,
loyalty,
andorganizational commitment. These
qualities, in turn, lessen employees propensity to
leave.

CULTURE : STRONG -WEAK

A culture has increasing impact on what
managers do as the culture becomes
stronger.
Most organizations have moderate-tostrong cultures.
In these organizations, high agreement
exists about what is important and what
defines good employee behavior.
Culture is transmitted and learned by
employees principally through stories,
rituals, material symbols, and language.

CULTURE : For Having A Strong

And Pronounced Corporate Culture
The company tends to be more
competitive in the marketplace and leads
to increased employee satisfaction and
consequently a lower turn-over rate.
The Deal and Kennedy book Corporate
Cultures: The Rites and Rituals of Corporate
Life outlines the keys in their mind

enhancing the business environment,

stressing and living up to the company
values, recognizing its heroes, and
practicing the corporate rites and
rituals.
The Peters and Waterman book In Search of
Excellence: Lessons from Americas Best

CULTURE : Example

8 Jungle Cruise skippers fired for

veering from the companys official script
and telling their own jokes to park
guests. Official Disney statement: We
entertain our guests with quality family
entertainment and put on
performances every day. Our goal is to
deliver a consistent quality show daily.
A week ago the Disney Co. ordered John
Magness, a 65-year-old Navy veteran, to
shave off the moustache he has worn for
more than 40 years to comply with
company grooming rules or be fired from

CULTURE : Example