Organization Culture - Organizational Behaviour - Lecture Slides, Slides of Organization Behaviour

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Organization Culture

• Defining culture
• Does it matter?
• Describing culture
• Acquiring culture
• Changing culture

Defining Culture

• What is it?
  • “...the shared patterns of thought, belief, feelings, and values that result from shared experience and common learning”
  • “system of shared meaning”
  • “The social glue that holds the organization together”
• Characteristics:
  • Holistic
  • Historically determined
  • Socially constructed (perceptions)
  • Soft
  • Difficult to change

Does It Matter?

• Enhances group members’ ability to adapt and survive
• Reduces uncertainty about what to do and how to do it (and thus, reduces anxiety)
• Provides sense of mission
• Strong or widely-held culture may lead to high performance (jury’s out on this one)

Single or Multiple Cultures?

• Multiple cultures may be a sign of conflict
  • Mergers
  • Top-down attempts to “manage” culture
• Subcultures (core culture + adaptations)
• Countercultures

Recognizing Culture

• Events:
  • Rites
  • Ceremonials
  • Rituals
• Communications
  • Myths
  • Sagas
  • Legends
  • Stories
  • Folktales
    • Things
      • Symbols
      • Language
      • Gestures
      • Physical setting
      • Artifacts Really minor distinctions among these

Layers of Culture

Symbols Rituals Heroes Values Practices

Cultural Dimensions (another

perspective)

• Innovation and risk-taking
• Attention to detail
• Outcome orientation
• People orientation
• Team orientation
• Aggressiveness
• Stability

Yet Another Perspective….

I. Managing change II. Achieving goals (how effective) III. Coordinated teamwork IV. Customer orientation V. Cultural strength

Sources of Culture

• Founders
• Historical events
• Industry
• National culture

Acquiring Culture

• Selection process
• Socialization of new members
• Rites and ceremonies
  • Rite of passage
  • Rite of renewal
  • Rite of integration