http://psychologyIace.

com/2011/06/understanding-organizational-culture/
In the daily liIe oI society is inseparable Irom cultural ties that were created. Cultural ties created
by the people concerned, both within the Iamily, organization, business or nation. Culture
distinguishes one with the other communities in how to interact and act in complete a job.
Culture binds members oI the community as one views that create uniIormity behave or act.
Along with over time, the culture must be Iormed within the organization and can also be
perceived beneIits in contributing to overall organizational eIIectiveness.

According Cushway and Lodge (GE: 2000), organizational culture is an organizational value
system and will aIIect the way work is done and the way employees behave. It can be concluded
that the reIerence to the organizational culture in this research is the value system oI organization
adopted by the members oI the organization, which then aIIect the way work and behave oI the
members oI the organization.
Sources of Organizational Culture
O eneral influence from outside the area. Covers the Iactors that can not be controlled
or only a Iew can be controlled by the organization.
O %he influence of the values that exist in society. elieIs and values are dominant Irom
the wider community such as decent compensation and cleanliness.
O actors specific to the organization. rganizations are always interacting with their
environment. In addressing both external and internal problems the organization will get
a successIul completion. The success oI overcoming these problems is the basis Ior the
growth oI organizational culture.
unction Cultural Organization
According to Robbins (1996: 294), the Iunction oI organizational culture as Iollows:
O Culture creates a clear distinction between one organization and another.
O Culture brings a sense oI identity to members oI the organization.
O Cultural Iacilitate the emergence oI a commitment to something larger than one`s
individual selI interest.
O Culture is the social glue that helps unite the organization by providing the proper
standards to be done by employees.
O Culture as meaning-making and control mechanisms that guide and shape employee
attitudes and behavior.
Characteristics of Organizational Culture
According to Robbins (1996:289), there are 7 characteristics oI organizational culture are:
O Innovation and risk aversion. The extent to which employees are supported to be
innovative and take risks.
O Attention to detail. The extent to which employees are expected to demonstrate their
accuracy, analysis and attention to detail.
O rientation results. The extent to which management Iocuses on results rather than on the
techniques and processes used to achieve these results.
O rientation people. The extent to which management decisions take into account the
eIIects on people within the organization.
O rientation team. The extent to which work activities are organized around teams rather
than individuals.
O Aggressiveness. In connection with the aggressiveness oI employees.
O $tability. The organization emphasizes the maintenance oI organizational culture that is
good.
Culture that has at least three states are:
O aniIestation oI culture as a complex oI ideas, values, norms, rules and so Iorth.
O aniIestation oI culture as a complex activity patterns oI human behavior in society.
O aniIestation oI culture as objects oI human creation.
ReIerence: From $everal $ources
ncoming search terms:
O organizational culture
O organization culture
O organizational culture images
O pictures oI organizational culture
O business culture
O picture oI organizational culture
O organisational culture
O organizational culture picture
O images oI organizational culture
O culture organization
II. The Setting of Knowledge Audits

C. Organizational Culture
10 1he prlnclpal compeLlLlve advanLage of successful organlzaLlons ls Lhelr culLure lLs sLudy ls a ma[or
consLlLuenL of organlzaLlonal developmenLLhaL ls Lhe process Lhrough whlch an organlzaLlon develops
Lhe lnLernal capaclLy Lo be Lhe mosL effecLlve lL can be ln lLs work and Lo susLaln lLself over Lhe long
Lerm CrganlzaLlonal culLure may have been forged by Lhe founder lL may emerge over Llme as Lhe
organlzaLlon faces challenges and obsLacles or lL may be creaLed dellberaLely by managemenL lL
comprlses Lhe aLLlLudes experlences bellefs and values of Lhe organlzaLlon acqulred Lhrough soclal
learnlng LhaL conLrol Lhe way lndlvlduals and groups ln Lhe organlzaLlon lnLeracL wlLh one anoLher and
wlLh parLles ouLslde lL SLandard Lypologles lnclude communal neLworked mercenary and fragmenLed
culLures 1hese are deLermlned by sundry facLors
24
LhaL flnd expresslon ln organlzaLlonal sLrucLure
maklng sLrucLure lLself an lmporLanL culLurebearlng mechanlsm 1he dlscourse on organlzaLlonal culLure
can be esoLerlc llgure 3 dellneaLes Len componenLs LhaL LogeLher lnfluence organlzaLlonal culLure
ldenLlfylng dlscernlble elemenLs of culLure allows organlzaLlons Lo deLermlne feaLures LhaL can be
managed Lo help lmplemenL and susLaln consLrucLlve organlzaLlonal change 8uL [usL as none of Lhe Len
componenLs ln Lhe flgure shapes organlzaLlonal culLure on lLs own none can lndlvldually supporL
deslred lmprovemenLs

11. Organizational culture varies more than any other corporate asset, including large and
tangible information and communications technology infrastructure. It is said to be strong
where employees respond to stimuli because of their alignment with it. Conversely, it is said
to be weak where there is little alignment, and control is exercised with administrative
orders. Regardless, if an organization is to succeed and thrive a knowledge culture must
develop to help it deal with its external environment.
25
But organizational culture is hard to
change in the best circumstances: Employees need time to get used to new ways of
organizing. Defensive routines pollute the system, more often than not unwittingly, and
undermine it. The dynamics of culture change must be considered an evolutionary process
at individual, group, organizational, and interorganizational levels, to be facilitated by
psychologically attentive leaders who do not underestimate the value of selection,
socialization, and leadership. People cannot share knowledge if they do not speak a
common language: And so there is a serious, oft-ignored need to root learning in human
resource policies and strategies.
26

12. Observers recognize a correlation between the orientation of organizational culture and
organizational learning.
27
Indeed, the inability to change organizational behavior is
repeatedly cited as the biggest hindrance to knowledge management. For this reason, even
if the need to take a hard look at an organization's culture extends the time required to
prepare knowledge management initiatives, the benefits from doing so are likely to tell.
Organizations that are more successful in implementing knowledge management initiatives
embody both operations-oriented attributes and people-oriented attributes. Typically, a
learning culture is an organizational environment that enables, encourages, values,
rewards, and uses the learning of its members, both individually and collectively. But many
cultural factors inhibit knowledge transfer. Box 2 lists the most common frictions and
suggests ways to overcome them. Most importantly, when sharing knowledge, the method
must always suit the culture as that affects how people think, feel, and act.

hLLp//wwwadborg/documenLs/sLudles/audlLlnglessonsarchlLecLure/ala2asp

hat is Corporate Culture?
Corporate culture is one of those focus areas that are not always fully
understood.




Corporate Culture Defined

Corporate culture is one of those focus areas that are not always fully understood and are
not optimally utilized either in an organization.

A basic definition of organizational culture is the collective way we do things around here. It
involves a learned set of behaviors that is common knowledge to all the participants. These
behaviors are based on a shared system of meanings which guide our perceptions,
understanding of events, and what we pay attention to. As Sun Tzu, a Chinese military
general from 3000 BC, indicated in his explanation of strategy, culture forms an integral
part of any organizational strategy. It consists of Tao - the created and shared beliefs,
values, and glue that holds an organization together, and it also involves the very nature of
the organization. Culture is about individuals in a group sharing patterns of behavior. There
is no cultural absolute. Because culture is relative, we have the power to create a culture
that is the best fit for an organizations future direction.

Observing Culture

Culture plays out in a variety of ways. We can identify the specifics of it from how
information is communicated, feedback is given, performance is managed, and projects are
co-coordinated within the organization. It is reflected in the way the corporation or
institution is structured; whether work is conducted cross-functionally or within silos, how
the hierarchical levels are set up, and the types of job titles used. Culture is often defined
by the systems that are used, the processes that are followed, and the rituals, symbols, and
stories that abound in the organization. It is even reflected in how meetings are held in an
organization.

Corporate Culture as an Obstacle

When working towards company goals or when trying to effect change in the organization,
your organizational culture can be the very thing that trips you up. If insufficient effort is
put towards identifying aspects of the culture that may impact on what you are trying to
achieve, then insufficient actions will be taken to circumvent obstacles in a timely manner or
harness the way things are done in an opportune direction. This is best explained through
an example.

An organization espouses that "people are our most important asset as part of its new
philosophy. However, employees witness a senior executive being escorted off site with his
belongings by security guards after being laid off. They receive an e-mail explaining where
they will be sitting and who they will be reporting to in the future restructure - with no fore-
warning or personal contact. Training and development opportunities for employees are
stopped in order to cut costs. Actions that consistently reflect a certain core culture will
more effectively emphasize to employees what the leaderships true values are than any
widely publicized statement. If a direction is truly desired, then all actions that will reflect
the required culture need to be considered and instituted accordingly.

Aligning Culture for Success

Once a strategy is set for the organization, the way deliverables are produced in the
organization needs to be examined and challenged. This is to ensure that every process is
geared towards achieving the strategy.

Every component of the corporate culture needs to underpin what is required from all
stakeholders in order to realize the strategic goals. There must be a reinforcing stream of
communications. All the actions in the organization need to translate into the cultural
realities. A culture can be created or reinforced through the use of socialization. Avenues for
socialization abound in functions like selection, placement on the job, job mastery, the
measurement and rewarding of performance, and recognition and promotion. Reinforcing a
culture can emerge through the stories told and the folklore propagated and, most
importantly, through the adherence to chosen important values. The key to the success of
the above is to ensure that the culture you wish to socialize others into is an ideal one,
necessary for breakthrough performance in your work area or organization. If it is not, then
you need to involve everyone in the evaluation and creation of a more suitable culture.

Strong Leadership is Required

One of the surest ways to align the culture to the organizations strategy is to apply
leadership practices that are also aligned. The leaders, at all levels, need to know what the
required culture is and then determine ways of establishing practices and procedures in all
operations that will closely reflect the desired culture. They also need to role model the very
behaviors they wish exhibited by everyone in the organization and provide the necessary
support to others that will enable them to function accordingly as well. Particular attention
also needs to be given to all communications.

Leadership needs to be front and center to create a corporate culture that works.
hLLp//wwwsergaygroupcom/SmarL1alk/WhaLlsCorporaLeCulLurehLml

Take CARE of your Urganizational Culture: Engage tbe Frontline Personnel
1sL !une 2009

In the pursuit oI achieving success in service marketing, it is necessary to incorporate the culture
oI excellent quality assurance in the organizational culture. However, it is very likely to be
encountered with resistance within the organization at the verge oI introducing a new culture.
ut it is also necessary that it is done- because in a service organization the contact between the
Irontline employees and the consumers is obvious and hence the culture oI communication plays
a vital role in assuring quality service.
It is very natural Ior people to resist any change- especially in the culture. An organizational
culture is something in which every employee has to adapt to. $o the change or the introduction
oI a culture should be injected in the existing system in such a way that- its Iavorable Ior the
employees to adopt and at the same time it is eIIective in ensuring quality service marketing.
A popular approach to this objective is called: CARE.
O C commun|cat|on
When communlcaLlon ls absenL rumors and mlsleadlng lnformaLlon seem Lo flll Lhe place noL
surprlslngly ln such cases negaLlve lnformaLlon abouL Lhe leaders flow from employee Lo
employee Cf course Lhls cannoL be Lhe ldeal slLuaLlon for a leader Lo enforce lmporved
organlzaLlonal culLure
oreover, a properly designed communication channel is THE tool Ior bridging
employee perception with the organizational culture. A good start can be re-emphasizing
the cornerstones oI the organization i.e. the mission and vision. It must be remembered
that- communication is no one way path. When inIormation should Ilow towards the
employees at the same time their Ieedbacks oI perIormance, their grievances everything
should be taken in concern and they $H&LD reach the authority along the proper
channel.
O ccountab|||ty
lf you are Lo planL Lhe culLure ln Lhe organlzaLlon every employee needs Lo sLay accounLable for
Lhelr respecLlve behavlors As Lhe leader has Lo sLlck Lo Lhe mlsslon and vlslon conslsLenLly so
should Lhe employees sLrlve Lo play Lhelr parLs WlLhouL conslsLency Lhe change can never be
enforced
The basis Ior accountability has to be created by communication. The mission vision has
to be clearly deIined to each oI the employees along with their respective parts those are
to be played, how the long term strategic goal can be broken down into their day to day
jobs etc.
Leaders should also coach the employees as per their expectations. Hence, the leader has
to play a diplomatic role in hearing out the employees.
O ard and cogn|t|on
8ewards and recognlLlon wlll relnforce Lhe duLles of Lhe employees WlLhouL Lhese Lhe
employees wlll noL have any moLlvaLlon or wlll be demoLlvaLed Lo adapL Lo Lhe newly enforced
culLure Lspeclally for Lhe fronLllne employees lL ls necessary Lo recognlze Lhelr roles played
Lowards Lhe organlzaLlon and Lhelr servlces need Lo be acknowledged
O nv|ronmnt of Innovat|on
LeL your fronLllne employees explore Lhelr creaLlvlLy Slnce Lhey are Lhe mosL connecLed Leam
wlLh Lhe end cusLomers Lhey have Lhe clearesL ldea of Lhe expecLaLlon and Lhe frusLraLlon of
Lhe cusLomers LeL Lhese employees have a say abouL Lhe handllng of cusLomers leL Lhem come
up wlLh an effecLlve plan 1hus Lhey wlll also have a feellng of belonglngness wlLh Lhe
organlzaLlon and lLs culLure
hLLp//wwwmysLeryshopplngllvecom/LakecareofyourorganlzaLlonalculLureengageLhefronLllne
personnel/
nderstanding Urganizational Culture
An organization's culture is comprised oI the set oI values, belieIs, assumptions, principles,
myths, legends, and norms that deIine how people actually think, decide, and perIorm. In his
book Organi:ational Culture & Leadership (2nd Edition, 1992, Jossey-ass), Edgar $chein
deIines culture as . . ."a basic set oI assumptions that deIines Ior us what we pay attention to,
what things mean, and how to react emotionally to what is going on, and what actions to take in
various kinds oI situations" (p. 22).
$chein's deIinition suggests that leaders who hope to implement a radical departure Irom the
"norm" in an organization will need to inIluence and Iinally change the culture beIore leading a
successIul organizational change eIIort.
%he our Components of Every Organization
rganizations are comprised oI Iour major components: physical (the visible aspects oI the
organization), inIrastructure (the systems and processes Ior directing and managing work),
behavioral (the daily actions and reactions oI employees), and cultural (the underlying
assumptions, values, belieIs and norms that shape daily behavior). While implementing change
at the "higher" levels is possible, as the Iollowing graphic suggests, the durability oI the change
is short-lived without change at the underlying cultural level.

Strategies for Changing an Organization's CuIture
In the article "Connecting Culture to rganizational Change" (Human Resources agazine,
arch 1996, pp. 84-90), T. Galpin suggests that because changing the basic assumptions and
belieIs oI the underlying cultural is very diIIicult, the best approach Ior inIluencing speciIic
aspects oI a culture that you want to change involves targeting only those components that are
most critical Ior implementing and sustaining the changes that concern you.
Galpin suggests targeting one or more oI the Iollowing cultural components that will help bring
about the change that you seek:
O 8ules and pollcles
O oals and measuremenLs
O CusLoms and norms
O 1ralnlng
O Ceremonles and evenLs
O ,anagemenL behavlors
O 8ewards and recognlLlon
O CommunlcaLlons
O 9hyslcal envlronmenL
O CrganlzaLlonal sLrucLure
Assessing the Current and Desired Organizational Culture
eIore intervening in the culture to eIIect the desired change, it is important that organizational
leaders Iirst document the current organizational culture. This is typically done by exploring
leader and employee perceptions oI the current organizational practices, norms, customs, and
belieIs within Galpin's ten cultural components.
In addition, while assessing the current culture, it is just as important to assess employee
expectations and aspirations oI the desired culture. The overall "gap" between the current and
desired culture represents the perceived need Ior change.
hLLp//wwwrussellconsulLlnglnccom/docs/whlLe/culLurehLml

Urganizational culture
rganizational culture is the sum oI how eIIectively all layers in an organization interact to reach
business goals; "the way you do business". It consists oI internal processes, procedures and
behaviours guided by underlying values and assumptions. Combined the layers make up the
behaviour oI organizations; aIIecting collaboration, productivity and the bottom-line. We provide
tools to track internal organizational eIIectiveness.
O CrganlzaLlonal leadershlp and Leam culLure
O ,erglng and lnLegraLlng organlzaLlonal culLures
O uman resource developmenL pro[ecLs
O nowledge managemenL and fuLure compeLence audlL
IneIIectiveness and territorial disputes exists to some extent within and between the layers in all
organizations. We help to determine development areas and initiate change.

hLLp//wwwmlkanderfl/en/culLurephp

Jat |s Crgan|zat|ona| Cu|tur"

CrganlzaLlonal culLure ls a common phrase LhaL one encounLers ln Lhe buslness world CrganlzaLlonal
culLure ls noL Langlble lL can be besL undersLood by sLudylng Lhe behavlor Lhe aLLlLudes Lhe values and
bellef sysLem of Lhe employees lL characLerlzes and colors our percepLlon of Lhe buslness enLlLy Any
employee however efflclenL wlll be a mlsflL lf he ls unable Lo adapL hlmself Lo Lhe work culLure
CrganlzaLlons are laylng emphasls on culLure slnce growLh and success depends on Lhe klnd of culLure
prevalenL ln Lhe company uo employees feel LhreaLened or cherlshed ls Lhere a deslre Lo work and
grow do Lhey wanL Lo evolve as a group or go Lhelr separaLe ways? 1hese quesLlons can be answered by
a careful examlnaLlon of Lhe organlzaLlonal culLure

Dndrstand|ng Crgan|zat|ona| Cu|tur

uo employees feel secote os fot tbelt job ls coocetoeJ ? ls tbe moooqemeot petcelveJ os o botJ
toskmostet? Answerlng Lhese quesLlons can help us appreclaLe Lhe culLure of an organlzaLlon Some
organlzaLlons encourage employees Lo sLarL aL Lhe base and work Lowards Lhe Lop Such organlzaLlons
are characLerlzed by Lhe presence of a large number of employees who have been wlLh Lhe company for
many years ln Lhese organlzaLlons senlorlLy plays a very lmporLanL role and [ob securlLy ls somewhaL
guaranLeed 1he culLure encourages worklng and growlng LogeLher as a famllyln some organlzaLlons
people work for a shorL perlod of Llme before qulLLlng for good 1he managers are percelved as hard
LaskmasLers 1he employees are expecLed Lo adhere Lo sLrlcL deadllnes All work and no play ls Lhe
culLure of such organlzaLlons naLurally lnLeracLlon among employees ls also llmlLed 1he work place
may noL be very frlendly or comforLable 1here may be sLlff compeLlLlon and people would Lry Lo dellver
Lhelr besL ,oreover people may burn ouL because of sLress

1he ouLlook of Lhe people ln Lhe organlzaLlon would also reflecL Lhe organlzaLlonal culLure Ate people
opeo to cbooqe ooJ expetlmeot? uo tbey bove Joqmotlc coovlctloos? Ate tbey wlllloq to teloveot
tbemselves? Answerlng Lhere quesLlons would agaln help ln assesslng Lhe organlzaLlonal culLure
Companles LhaL prefer Lo sLlck Lo old values provlde a semblance of comforL Lo Lhe employees Such
companles may however sLlfle creaLlvlLy and growLh by dlscouraglng people from experlmenLlng A
culLure LhaL fosLers a sense of unlLy mlghL resulL ln [udglng people harshly ln case Lhey are unable Lo
adapL Lhemselves Lo Lhe rlgld envlronmenL lnLeracLlon beLween Lhe managemenL and Lhe employees
would also be ln conformlLy wlLh rules and regulaLlons ln facL Lhe dress code would also provlde
valuable hlnLs abouL Lhe organlzaLlonal culLure

CrganlzaLlonal culLure can also be undersLood from Lhe deallngs of an organlzaLlon wlLh Lhe exLernal
world uoes tbe otqoolzotloo qootootee ptompt Jellvety to tbe costomet? uoes lt ptomlse teqolot
poymeots to tbe soppllet? 1hese quesLlons lf answered can provlde valuable clues LhaL mlghL help
undersLand Lhe organlzaLlonal culLure An organlzaLlon whlch can provlde an afflrmaLlve answer Lo Lhe
above querles ls mosL llkely a company where people sLlck Lo deadllnes Work ls Laken serlously and
work earn and relnvesL are a parL of Lhe organlzaLlonal culLure WheLher Lhls organlzaLlon ls one LhaL
encourages personal growLh or wheLher Lhe [ob ls so demandlng LhaL people qulL would agaln depend
on Lhe answers Lo Lhe flrsL 2 quesLlons

1hls wrlLe up ls meanL Lo provlde a few guldellnes LhaL mlghL be helpful ln assesslng Lhe culLure of an
organlzaLlon ln addlLlon Lo Lhese quesLlons a number of oLher querles need Lo be answered before
undersLandlng Lhe culLure of an organlzaLlon
hLLp//wwwbuzzlecom/arLlcles/whaLlsorganlzaLlonalculLurehLml

% Measuring Urganizational Culture
earning Objectives
1. &nderstand diIIerent dimensions oI organizational culture.
2. &nderstand the role oI culture strength.
3. Explore subcultures within organizations.
Dimensions of Culture
Which values characterize an organization`s culture? Even though culture may not be
immediately observable, identiIying a set oI values that might be used to describe an
organization`s culture helps us identiIy, measure, and manage culture more eIIectively. For this
purpose, several researchers have proposed various culture typologies. ne typology that has
received a lot oI research attention is the rganizational Culture ProIile (CP) where culture is
represented by seven distinct values.
|347|

igure 8.5. Dimensions of Organizational Culture Profile (OCP)

Innovative Cultuies
According to the CP Iramework, companies that have innovative cultures are Ilexible,
adaptable, and experiment with new ideas. These companies are characterized by a Ilat hierarchy
and titles and other status distinctions tend to be downplayed. For example, W. L. Gore &
Associates is a company with innovative products such as GRE-TEX (the breathable Iabric
that is windprooI and waterprooI), Glade dental Iloss, and Elixir guitar strings, earning the
company the distinction as the most innovative company in the &nited $tates by ast Company
magazine in 2004. W. L. Gore consistently manages to innovate and capture the majority oI
market share in a wide variety oI industries, in large part because oI its unique culture. In this
company, employees do not have bosses in the traditional sense, and risk taking is encouraged by
celebrating Iailures as well as successes.
|348|
Companies such as W. L. Gore, Genentech, and
Google also encourage their employees to take risks by allowing engineers to devote 20 oI
their time to projects oI their own choosing.
YYiessive Cultuies
Companies with aggressive cultures value competitiveness and outperIorming competitors; by
emphasizing this, they oIten Iall short in corporate social responsibility. For example, icrosoIt
is oIten identiIied as a company with an aggressive culture. The company has Iaced a number oI
antitrust lawsuits and disputes with competitors over the years. In aggressive companies, people
may use language such as 'we will kill our competition. In the past, icrosoIt executives made
statements such as 'we are going to cut oII Netscape`s air supply.Everything they are selling,
we are going to give away, and its aggressive culture is cited as a reason Ior getting into new
legal troubles beIore old ones are resolved.
|349|

igure 8.6.

icrosoIt, the company that ill Gates co-Iounded, has been described as having an aggressive
culture.
utcome-iienteu Cultuies
The CP Iramework describes outcome-oriented cultures as those that emphasize achievement,
results, and action as important values. A good example oI an outcome-oriented culture may be
the electronics retailer est uy. Having a culture emphasizing sales perIormance, est uy
tallies revenues and other relevant Iigures daily by department. Employees are trained and
mentored to sell company products eIIectively, and they learn how much money their department
made every day.
|350|
In 2005, the company implemented a Results riented Work Environment
(RWE) program that allows employees to work anywhere and anytime; they are evaluated
based on results and IulIillment oI clearly outlined objectives.
|351|
utcome-oriented cultures
hold employees as well as managers accountable Ior success and use systems that reward
employee and group output. In these companies, it is more common to see rewards tied to
perIormance indicators as opposed to seniority or loyalty. Research indicates that organizations
that have a perIormance-oriented culture tend to outperIorm companies that are lacking such a
culture.
|352|
At the same time, when perIormance pressures lead to a culture where unethical
behaviors become the norm, individuals see their peers as rivals, and short-term results are
rewarded, the resulting unhealthy work environment serves as a liability.
|353|

table Cultuies
$table cultures are predictable, rule-oriented, and bureaucratic. When the environment is stable
and certain, these cultures may help the organization to be eIIective by providing stable and
constant levels oI output.
|354|
These cultures prevent quick action and, as a result, may be a misIit
to a changing and dynamic environment. Public sector institutions may be viewed as stable
cultures. In the private sector, KraIt Foods is an example oI a company with centralized decision
making and rule orientation that suIIered as a result oI the culture-environment mismatch.
|355|
Its
bureaucratic culture is blamed Ior killing good ideas in early stages and preventing the company
Irom innovating. When the company started a change program to increase the agility oI its
culture, one oI its Iirst actions was to Iight bureaucracy with more bureaucracy: The new position
oI vice president oI 'business process simpliIication was created but was later eliminated.
|356|

People-iienteu Cultuies
People-oriented cultures value Iairness, supportiveness, and respecting individual rights. In these
organizations, there is a greater emphasis on and expectation oI treating people with respect and
dignity.
|357|
ne study oI new employees in accounting companies Iound that employees, on
average, stayed 14 months longer in companies with people-oriented cultures.
|358|
$tarbucks is an
example oI a people-oriented culture. The company pays employees above minimum wage,
oIIers health care and tuition reimbursement beneIits to its part-time as well as Iull-time
employees, and has creative perks such as weekly Iree coIIee Ior all associates. As a result oI
these policies, the company beneIits Irom a turnover rate lower than the industry average.
|359|

Team-iienteu Cultuies
Companies with a team-oriented culture are collaborative and emphasize cooperation among
employees. For example, $outhwest Airlines Iacilitates a team-oriented culture by cross-training
its employees so that they are capable oI helping one another when needed. The company also
emphasizes training intact work teams.
|360|
In $outhwest`s selection process, applicants who are
not viewed as team players are not hired as employees.
|361|
In team-oriented organizations,
members tend to have more positive relationships with their coworkers and particularly with
their managers.
|362|

igure 8.7.

The growth in the number oI passengers Ilying with $outhwest Airlines Irom 1973 until 2007
when $outhwest surpassed American Airlines as the most Ilown &.$. airline. While price has
played a role in this, their emphasis on service has been a key piece oI their culture and
competitive advantage.
etail-iienteu Cultuies
igure 8.8.

Remember that, in the end, culture is really about people.
rganizations with a detail-oriented culture are characterized in the CP Iramework as
emphasizing precision and paying attention to details. $uch a culture gives a competitive
advantage to companies in the hospitality industry by helping them diIIerentiate themselves Irom
others. For example, Four $easons and Ritz Carlton are among hotels who keep records oI all
customer requests such as which newspaper the guest preIers or what type oI pillow the customer
uses. This inIormation is put into a computer system and used to provide better service to
returning customers. Any requests hotel employees receive, as well as overhear, might be entered
into the database to serve customers better.
Strength of Culture
A strong culture is one that is shared by organizational members
|363|
that is, a culture in which
most employees in the organization show consensus regarding the values oI the company. The
stronger a company`s culture, the more likely it is to aIIect the way employees think and behave.
For example, cultural values emphasizing customer service will lead to higher-quality customer
service iI there is widespread agreement among employees on the importance oI customer-
service-related values.
|364|

It is important to realize that a strong culture may act as an asset or a liability Ior the
organization, depending on the types oI values that are shared. For example, imagine a company
with a culture that is strongly outcome-oriented. II this value system matches the organizational
environment, the company may perIorm well and outperIorm its competitors. This is an asset as
long as members are behaving ethically. However, a strong outcome-oriented culture coupled
with unethical behaviors and an obsession with quantitative perIormance indicators may be
detrimental to an organization`s eIIectiveness. Enron is an extreme example oI this dysIunctional
type oI strong culture.
ne limitation oI a strong culture is the diIIiculty oI changing it. In an organization where certain
values are widely shared, iI the organization decides to adopt a diIIerent set oI values, unlearning
the old values and learning the new ones will be a challenge because employees will need to
adopt new ways oI thinking, behaving, and responding to critical events. For example, Home
Depot had a decentralized, autonomous culture where many business decisions were made using
'gut Ieeling while ignoring the available data. When Robert Nardelli became CE oI the
company in 2000, he decided to change its culture starting with centralizing many oI the
decisions that were previously leIt to individual stores. This initiative met with substantial
resistance, and many high-level employees leIt during Nardelli`s Iirst year. Despite getting
Iinancial results such as doubling the sales oI the company, many oI the changes he made were
criticized. He leIt the company in January 2007.
|365|

igure 8.9.

Walt Disney created a strong culture at his company that has evolved since its Iounding in 1923.
A strong culture may also be a liability during a merger. During mergers and acquisitions,
companies inevitably experience a clash oI cultures, as well as a clash oI structures and operating
systems. Culture clash becomes more problematic iI both parties have unique and strong
cultures. For example, during the merger oI Daimler-enz with Chrysler to create
DaimlerChrysler, the diIIering strong cultures oI each company acted as a barrier to eIIective
integration. Daimler had a strong engineering culture that was more hierarchical and emphasized
routinely working long hours. Daimler employees were used to being part oI an elite
organization, evidenced by Ilying Iirst class on all business trips. However, Chrysler had a sales
culture where employees and managers were used to autonomy, working shorter hours, and
adhering to budget limits that meant only the elite Ilew Iirst class. The diIIerent ways oI thinking
and behaving in these two companies introduced a number oI unanticipated problems during the
integration process.
|366|

Do Organizations Have a Single Culture?
$o Iar, we have assumed that a company has a single culture that is shared throughout the
organization. In reality there might be multiple cultures within the organization. For example,
people working on the sales Iloor may experience a diIIerent culture Irom that experienced by
people working in the warehouse. Cultures that emerge within diIIerent departments, branches,
or geographic locations are called subcultures. $ubcultures may arise Irom the personal
characteristics oI employees and managers, as well as the diIIerent conditions under which work
is perIormed. In addition to understanding the broader organization`s values, managers will need
to make an eIIort to understand subculture values to see their eIIect on workIorce behavior and
attitudes.
$ometimes, a subculture may take the Iorm oI a counterculture. DeIined as shared values and
belieIs that are in direct opposition to the values oI the broader organizational culture,
|367|

countercultures are oIten shaped around a charismatic leader. For example, within a largely
bureaucratic organization, an enclave oI innovativeness and risk taking may emerge within a
single department. A counterculture may be tolerated by the organization as long as it is bringing
in results and contributing positively to the eIIectiveness oI the organization. However, its
existence may be perceived as a threat to the broader organizational culture. In some cases, this
may lead to actions that would take away the autonomy oI the managers and eliminate the
counterculture.
hLLp//wwwwebbookscom/eLlbrary/nC/80/838/031,838hLml

URCANIZATIUNAL BEHAVIUR + NATIUNAL AND URCANIZATIUNAL CLTRE



(hLLp//naLyrpoblogspoLcom/2010_03_01_archlvehLml SepLember 2010)

uman behavlor ls a deeper sub[ecL and as nelson uebra L and Culck !ames Campbell sald ls complex
and ofLen dlfflculL Lo undersLand" Slnce Lhe perspecLlve of human behavlors we can see Lwo Lhe
lnLernal and exLernal perspecLlve 1he lnLernal perspecLlve has glven rlse Lo a wlde range of
moLlvaLlonal and leadershlp Lheorles" (nelson uebra L and Culck !ames Campbell 2010) ln a few
words Lhe lnLernal perspecLlve ls lnslde Lhe person versus Lhe exLernal LhaL ls focuses on facLors
ouLslde Lhe person Lo undersLand behavlor" (nelson uebra L and Culck !ames Campbell 2010) 1hose
alLernaLlves gave as an alLernaLlve explanaLlon of human behavlor Also human and organlzaLlonal
behavlor can be looked as clockwork" or snake plL" Lhose meLaphors can show Lhe dlfflculL LhaL can be
undersLand human behavlor
CrganlzaLlonal culLure are a serles expecLaLlons norms goals common Lo a group lnslde of an
organlzaLlon lnsLlLuLlon company or group of people and usually lL may change beLween organlzaLlons
ln Lhe organlzaLlonal culLure ls common Lo see symbols sLorles power sLrucLures rlLuals and rouLlnes
conLrol sysLems and organlzaLlonal sLrucLures all Lhls as organlzaLlonal values and culLure Also lnslde
Lhe organlzaLlonal culLure ls very lmporLanL Lo undersLand Lhe naLlonal culLure and as ,ehrl Lzadl
?eganeh sald ln hls documenL 1he lmpacL of naLlonal and organlzaLlonal culLure on lnformaLlon
Lechnology (l1)" noLlon of culLure as mulLlple and lncluslve deflnlLlons SomeLlmes Lhe descrlpLlon
culLure ls applled excluslvely Lo whaL ls observable or recordable An alLernaLlve concepLlon of culLure ls
sub[ecLlve or lmpllclL As a whole CulLure ls a paLLern of Lhlnklng felllng and acLlng LhaL ls learned
LhroughouL a person's llfe beglnnlng ln early chlldhood roeschl and uoherLy polnLed ouL LhaL culLure ls
more complex and dlfflculL Lo deflne CulLure conslsLs of several elemenLs of whlch some are lmpllclL
and oLhers
are expllclL ,osL ofLen Lhese elemenLs are explalned by Lerms such as behavlor values norms and
baslc assumpLlons Several recenL sLudles have suggesLed LhaL values are lmporLanL caLegory of culLure
values and pracLlces are acqulred early ln llfe Lhrough chlldhood soclallzaLlon and educaLlon Lhen sLable
ln naLure buL Lhey can change over Llme and Lhese changes can reflecL ln Lhe culLure 9racLlces develop
ln llfe by acLlvlLles ln socleLy and Lhey more llkely Lo change Lhan values ofsLede deflned naLlonal
culLure as Lhe collecLlve programmlng of Lhe mlnd whlch dlsLlngulshes Lhe members of one group or
people from anoLher
All Lhose elemenLs culLure organlzaLlons naLlonal and organlzaLlonal culLure gave us Lhe key Lo
undersLand preLLy much Lhe human behavlor were Lhe exLernal and lnLernal facLors are very lmporLanL
1hls vldeo can show us a llLLle blL of human behavlor hLLp//wwwdallymoLloncom/vldeo/x2uaw_b[ork
humanbehavlour_muslc (8!C8 uman behavlor)

8LAL LllL LxA,9LLS
lmpllcaLlons of naLlonal and organlzaLlonal culLure may affecL buslness one case can be a Colomblan
enLerprlse and !apanese as we know Colomblan culLure ln Lerms of Llme ls very relaxed and flexlble
manner 9uncLuallLy ls noL essenLlal and plannlng Lhlngs Lo Lhe mlnuLe ls noL common also Colomblans
Lend Lo communlcaLe ln an lndlrecL and subLle manner lL ls lmporLanL Lo noL offend oLhers and always
be as dlplomaLlc as posslble Colomblan companles Lend Lo have verLlcal hlerarchles 1hls hlerarchy ls an
lmporLanL parL of Colomblan buslness culLure and should be respecLed whenever posslble ln Colomblan
buslness culLure culLlvaLlng close personal relaLlonshlps and bulldlng LrusL are consldered vlLal
componenLs for a successful worklng envlronmenL Colomblans prefer Lo do buslness wlLh people whom
Lhey know/LrusL and lL ls noL uncommon Lo flnd many famlly members worklng for Lhe same buslness
(hLLp//wwwcommunlcaldcom/access/pdf/llbrary/culLure/dolngbuslness
ln/uolng208uslness20ln20Colomblapdf AugusL 23 2010) ln oLher hand !apanese culLure deals
wlLh lLs rooLs ln Confuclanlsm hlerarchlcal sLrucLures classlfy an lndlvlduals poslLlon wlLhln a group
and ln socleLy SLaLus ls deLermlned by facLors such as age employmenL company and famlly
background 1he hlerarchlcal sysLem dlcLaLes LhaL due respecL be afforded Lo Lhose of hlgher sLaLus
When dolng buslness ln !apan be aware of hlerarchy and adapL your behavlor accordlngly When dolng
buslness ln !apan a successful relaLlonshlp wlLh a !apanese colleague or cllenL ls based on Lhree facLors
slncerlLy compaLlblllLy and LrusLworLhlness SlncerlLy means LhaL you are compromlslng undersLandlng
and you wanL Lo conducL buslness on a personal level CompaLlblllLy ls esLabllshed when you are seen Lo
be concerned abouL Lhe personal relaLlonshlp Lhe well belng of Lhe company and noL [usL focused on
flnanclal galn 1rusLworLhlness relaLes Lo Lhe falLh puL ln you Lo proLecL from loss face"
(hLLp//wwwkwlnLessenLlalcouk/eLlqueLLe/dolngbuslness[apanhLml AugusL 23 2010) lor all Lhose
Lhlngs ls very lmporLanL Lo undersLand and Lo know each of Lhe culLures and ln Lhls speclflc case
Colombla !apan organlzaLlon also Llme zone can affecL relaLlons
AnoLher example can be Lhe buslness negoLlaLlons wlLh Saudl Arabla has several lmpllcaLlons because Lo
Lhelr culLure ls Lo flrsL creaLe Lhe LrusL wlLh poLenLlal buslness parLner have several lunches meeLlngs
and meeLlngs before closlng a buslness 1hey use Lo glve greaL lmporLance Lo words raLher Lhan Lhe
documenLs ln Lhe negoLlaLlons ulalogue ls usually very slow slnce lL musL lnvolve Lhe famlly and frlends
because Lhey are an lmporLanL parL of Lhelr culLure and of Lhe day by day Lo Lhe polnL of parLlclpaLlon
and volce ln Lhe negoLlaLlons
negoLlaLlons and Lalks are quleL and slow as menLloned above are lndlrecL people never go sLralghL Lo
Lhe polnL llke Lo know abouL ln vlslLors famlly culLure eLc buL keeplng Lhe dlsLance and respecL as
mlghL be done by asklng abouL Lhelr llves never lnLerrupL a meeLlng lf Lhere ls a clrcle of people musL
make a deLour Lo pass noL by Lhe medlum lL ls forbldden for men Lo wear shorLs and go ouL ln publlc
wlLh a woman unless Lhere ls a famlly relaLlonshlp wlLh her
AL lunchLlme you musL flrsL Lhank on behalf of Allah you should always eaL or drlnk wlLh your rlghL
hand never lefL because LhaL ls consldered unclean uo noL re[ecL or make negaLlve commenLs abouL
food you musL eaL everyLhlng and ls ln poor LasLe Lo repeaL a loL

uC ?Cu 1ln 1L8L lS A CC89C8A1L CuL1u8L ln LvL8? C8AnlZA1lCn?
ll WL ASSu,L 1L8L lS CAn l1 8L ,CulllLu?

CrganlzaLlonal culLure ls Lhe seL of operaLlng prlnclples LhaL deLermlne how people behave wlLhln Lhe
conLexL of Lhe company underlylng Lhe observable behavlors of people are Lhe bellefs values and
assumpLlons LhaL dlcLaLe Lhelr acLlons ( han Aslm 2003,aLchlng 9eople wlLh CrganlzaLlonal
CulLure") 1he organlzaLlonal culLure may exlsL ln every organlzaLlon because slnce Lhe organlzaLlon ls
esLabllshed or LhoughL Lhe Llme of Lhe organlzaLlon ls because lL was creaLed wlLh Lhe born of Lhe
organlzaLlon or lL was creaLed for each behavlor value or aLLlLudes of Lhe human resources Lhls ls an
essenLlal Lhlng for an organlzaLlon because lL ls necessary LhaL everybody goes ln Lhe same way wlLh
parLlcular goals and lL ls necessary LhaL Lhey work as a Leam even lf Lhey are ls dlfferenL areas
Accordlng Lo Ld 9eLry (LLhlkos urafL) Lvery organlzaLlon has an exlsLlng culLure lor mosL Lhe good
news ls LhaL Lhelr exlsLlng culLure whlle conLalnlng a few bad elemenLs ls largely ln good shape 1he
Lask Lherefore ls noL Lo creaLe or lnvenL a new culLure buL Lo ldenLlfy whaL exlsLs assess where
lmprovemenLs are needed develop an acLlon plan and lmplemenL 1hls may seem obvlous and yeL Lhe
LempLaLlon may be sLrong Lo sklp Lhe prellmlnarles and [ump rlghL lnLo acLlon plans and
lmplemenLaLlon 1oo many organlzaLlons assume Lhey know whaL Lhelr culLure ls and LhaL lL can be
summed up ln a slogan llke we have a culLure of lnnovaLlon" or we're an acLlonbased culLure"
CLhers assume Lhelr values sLaLemenL adequaLely represenLs Lhelr unlque culLure ldeally your values
sLaLemenL should be an expresslon of your shared values" and as such a conclse descrlpLlon of your
corporaLe culLure buL don'L assume LhaL lL ls
AfLer all of Lhls we can geL deeper ln Lhe quesLlon Can lL be modlfled? lL ls posslble Lo say lL can be
modlfled buL some culLures are more lnflexlble Lhan oLhers and Lhe changes ln Lhose culLures are harder
Lo do lor lnsLance organlzaLlons wlLh older people are meanL Lo be more relucLanL Lo changes because
Lhelr behavlors bellefs and aLLlLudes are so dlfferenL and someLlmes Lhey don'L accepL Lhe lnnovaLlon
and Lhe LecnlflcaLlon of Lhe process and procedures also ,anagers and employees allke are challenged
Lo meeL change ln poslLlve and opLlmlsLlc way change ln how work geLs done change ln psychologlcal
and legal conLracLs beLween lndlvlduals and organlzaLlons change ln who ls worklng ln Lhe organlzaLlon
and change ln Lhe basls for organlzaLlon" (nelson uL Culck !C 2010)
hLLp//[ullanagllblogspoLcom/2010/09/organlzaLlonalbehavlornaLlonaland_09hLml

Elements of Corporate Cultures
onday Feb 2010
Posted by $teve Nguyen in Leadership, rganizational Psychology, Teams
Comments Off
%ags
Leadership, rganizational Psychology, Teams

In 'Culture by DeIault or by Design? Edmonds and Glaser (2010) talk about the challenge oI
describing the culture oI an organization. In the article, the authors maintain that the impact oI
your corporate culture can spell success or disaster Ior the organization.
The culture oI your company is its personality, it`s 'how things are done around here (Edmonds
& Glaser, 2010, p. 37). Culture can be the company`s values, belieIs, attitudes and behaviors
both oI the overall system itselI and oI the individual members who make up the organization.
Asking employees to describe their corporate culture is akin to asking a Iish to describe what
water is like. Neither the employee nor the Iish can do it properly because they`re both immersed
in it (Edmonds & Glaser, 2010). It`s even more challenging Ior new employees as they
sometimes stumble onto and violate unwritten norms and rules embedded in the organization.
$chermerhorn, Hunt, and sborn (2005) assert that the function of the organizational culture
is to serve both as an external and internal role to help the organization adapt. &nder the
external role, questions asked include, 'What exactly needs to be accomplished and how do we
do this? For the internal role, the question is 'How do members oI the organization work
together, get along, and work out conIlicts?
n the surIace it may seem apparent, but it can take years to Iully understand some corporate
culture ($chermerhorn, Hunt, & sborn, 2005). The reason is that corporate culture is highly
complex and multi-layered, composed of an observable culture, the shared values, and
common cultural assumptions. The observable culture is the 'how we do things around here.
The shared values link employees oI a company together. Finally, common cultural assumptions
are those 'truths that will come up aIter analyzing the culture ($chermerhorn, Hunt, & sborn,
2005).
Elements of Strong Corporate Cultures ($chermerhorn, Hunt, & sborn, 2005):
O A wldely shared real undersLandlng of whaL Lhe flrm sLands for ofLen embodled ln slogans
O A concern for lndlvlduals over rules pollcles procedures and adherence Lo [ob duLles
O A recognlLlon of heroes whose acLlons lllusLraLe Lhe company's shared phllosophy and concerns
O A bellef ln rlLual and ceremony as lmporLanL Lo members and Lo bulldlng a common ldenLlLy
O A wellundersLood sense of Lhe lnformal rules and expecLaLlons so LhaL employees and
managers undersLand whaL ls expecLed of Lhem
O A bellef LhaL whaL employees and managers do ls lmporLanL and LhaL lL ls lmporLanL Lo share
lnformaLlon and ldeas
ReIerences
Edmonds, C. & Glaser, . (2010). Culture by deIault or by design? %alent anagement, 6(1),
36-39.
$chermerhorn, J.R., Hunt, J.G., & sborn, R.N. (2005). Organi:ational Behavior (9th ed.). New
York: John Wiley & $ons, Inc.
hLLp//workplacepsychologyneL/2010/02/01/elemenLsofcorporaLeculLures/








LlemenLs of Lhe CulLural Web

1he CulLural Web ldenLlfles slx lnLerrelaLed elemenLs LhaL help Lo make up whaL !ohnson and Scholes
call Lhe paradlgm Lhe paLLern or model of Lhe work envlronmenL 8y analyzlng Lhe facLors ln each
you can begln Lo see Lhe blgger plcLure of your culLure whaL ls worklng whaL lsnL worklng and whaL
needs Lo be changed 1he slx elemenLs are
SLorles 1he pasL evenLs and people Lalked abouL lnslde and ouLslde Lhe company Who and whaL Lhe
company chooses Lo lmmorLallze says a greaL deal abouL whaL lL values and percelves as greaL behavlor
8lLuals and 8ouLlnes 1he dally behavlor and acLlons of people LhaL slgnal accepLable behavlor 1hls
deLermlnes whaL ls expecLed Lo happen ln glven slLuaLlons and whaL ls valued by managemenL
Symbols 1he vlsual represenLaLlons of Lhe company lncludlng logos how plush Lhe offlces are and Lhe
formal or lnformal dress codes
CrganlzaLlonal SLrucLure 1hls lncludes boLh Lhe sLrucLure deflned by Lhe organlzaLlon charL and Lhe
unwrlLLen llnes of power and lnfluence LhaL lndlcaLe whose conLrlbuLlons are mosL valued
ConLrol SysLems 1he ways LhaL Lhe organlzaLlon ls conLrolled 1hese lnclude flnanclal sysLems quallLy
sysLems and rewards (lncludlng Lhe way Lhey are measured and dlsLrlbuLed wlLhln Lhe organlzaLlon)
9ower SLrucLures 1he pockeLs of real power ln Lhe company 1hls may lnvolve one or Lwo key senlor
execuLlves a whole group of execuLlves or even a deparLmenL 1he key ls LhaL Lhese people have Lhe
greaLesL amounL of lnfluence on declslons operaLlons and sLraLeglc dlrecLlon

1hese elemenLs are represenLed graphlcally as slx semloverlapplng clrcles (see llgure 1 below) whlch
LogeLher lnfluence Lhe culLural paradlgm


uslng Lhe CulLural Web

We use Lhe CulLural Web flrsLly Lo look aL organlzaLlonal culLure as lL ls now secondly Lo look aL how we
wanL Lhe culLure Lo be and Lhlrdly Lo ldenLlfy Lhe dlfferences beLween Lhe Lwo 1hese dlfferences are
Lhe changes we need Lo make Lo achleve Lhe hlghperformance culLure LhaL we wanL
1 Analyzlng CulLure As lL ls now

SLarL by looklng aL each elemenL separaLely and asklng yourself quesLlons LhaL help you deLermlne Lhe
domlnanL facLors ln each elemenL LlemenLs and relaLed quesLlons are shown below lllusLraLed wlLh Lhe
example of a bodywork repalr company

SLorles
WhaL sLorles do people currenLly Lell abouL your organlzaLlon?
WhaL repuLaLlon ls communlcaLed amongsL your cusLomers and oLher sLakeholders?
WhaL do Lhese sLorles say abouL whaL your organlzaLlon belleves ln?
WhaL do employees Lalk abouL when Lhey Lhlnk of Lhe hlsLory of Lhe company?
WhaL sLorles do Lhey Lell new people who [oln Lhe company?
WhaL heroes vlllalns and maverlcks appear ln Lhese sLorles?

Lxamples (car bodywork repalr company)
We are known as havlng hlgh cusLomer complalnLs shoddy work
SLaff members Lalk abouL Lhe founder sLarLlng Lhe company wlLh a $1000 loan
1he message ls LhaL we do Lhlngs Lhe cheapesL way we can

8lLuals and 8ouLlnes
WhaL do cusLomers expecL when Lhey walk ln?
WhaL do employees expecL?
WhaL would be lmmedlaLely obvlous lf changed?
WhaL behavlor do Lhese rouLlnes encourage?
When a new problem ls encounLered whaL rules do people apply when Lhey solve lL?
WhaL core bellefs do Lhese rlLuals reflecL?

Lxamples
CusLomers expecL a newspaper and coffee whllsL Lhey walL or a rlde Lo work
Lmployees expecL Lo have Lhelr Llme cards examlned very carefully
1heres loLs of Lalk abouL money and especlally abouL how Lo cuL cosLs

Symbols
ls companyspeclflc [argon or language used? ow well known and usable by all ls Lhls?
Are Lhere any sLaLus symbols used?
WhaL lmage ls assoclaLed wlLh your organlzaLlon looklng aL Lhls from Lhe separaLe vlewpolnLs of cllenLs
and sLaff?

Lxamples
8rlghL red shuLLle vans
8rlghL red courLesy cars compacL economy cars
1he boss wears overalls noL a sulL

CrganlzaLlonal SLrucLure
ls Lhe sLrucLure flaL or hlerarchlcal? lormal or lnformal? Crganlc or mechanlsLlc?
Where are Lhe formal llnes of auLhorlLy?
Are Lhere lnformal llnes?

Lxamples
llaL sLrucLure Cwner ead ,echanlc ,echanlcs 8ecepLlon
1he recepLlonlsL ls Lhe owners wlfe so she goes sLralghL Lo hlm wlLh some cusLomer complalnLs
lLs each mechanlc for hlmself no sharlng Lools or supplles llLLle Leamwork

ConLrol SysLems
WhaL process or procedure has Lhe sLrongesL conLrols? WeakesL conLrols?
ls Lhe company generally loosely or LlghLly conLrolled?
uo employees geL rewarded for good work or penallzed for poor work?
WhaL reporLs are lssued Lo keep conLrol of operaLlons flnance eLc?

Lxamples
CosLs are hlghly conLrolled and cusLomers are bllled for parLs down Lo Lhe lasL screw
CuallLy ls noL emphaslzed eLLlng Lhe work done wlLh Lhe leasL amounL of dlrecL cosLs ls Lhe goal
Lmployees docked pay lf Lhelr quoLes/esLlmaLes are more Lhan 10 ouL

9ower SLrucLures
Who has Lhe real power ln Lhe organlzaLlon?
WhaL do Lhese people belleve and champlon wlLhln Lhe organlzaLlon?
Who makes or lnfluences declslons?
ow ls Lhls power used or abused?

Lxample
1he owner belleves ln a low cosL hlgh proflL model and ls prepared Lo lose repeaL cusLomers
1he LhreaL of docked pay keeps mechanlcs worklng wlLh Lhls model

As Lhese quesLlons are answered you sLarL Lo bulld up a plcLure of whaL ls lnfluenclng your corporaLe
culLure now you need Lo look aL Lhe web as a whole and make some generallzed sLaLemenLs regardlng
Lhe overall culLure

1hese sLaLemenLs abouL your corporaLe culLure should
uescrlbe Lhe culLure and
ldenLlfy Lhe facLors LhaL are prevalenL LhroughouL Lhe web

ln our example Lhe common Lheme ls LlghL cosL conLrol aL Lhe expense of quallLy and aL Lhe expense of
cusLomer and employee saLlsfacLlon
2 Analyzlng CulLure as ?ou WanL lL Lo 8e

WlLh Lhe plcLure of your currenL culLural web compleLe nows Lhe Llme Lo repeaL Lhe process Lhlnklng
abouL Lhe culLure LhaL you wanL

SLarLlng from your organlzaLlons sLraLegy Lhlnk abouL how you wanL Lhe organlzaLlons culLure Lo look
lf everyLhlng were Lo be correcLly allgned and lf you were Lo have Lhe ldeal corporaLe culLure
3 ,applng Lhe ulfferences 8eLween Lhe 1wo

now compare your Lwo CulLural Web dlagrams and ldenLlfy Lhe dlfferences beLween Lhe Lwo
Conslderlng Lhe organlzaLlons sLraLeglc alms and ob[ecLlves
WhaL culLural sLrengLhs have been hlghllghLed by your analysls of Lhe currenL culLure?
WhaL facLors are hlnderlng your sLraLegy or are mlsallgned wlLh one anoLher?
WhaL facLors are deLrlmenLal Lo Lhe healLh and producLlvlLy of your workplace?
WhaL facLors wlll you encourage and relnforce?
Whlch facLors do you need Lo change?
WhaL new bellefs and behavlors do you need Lo promoLe?


hLLp//www[oeorg/[oe/2004aprll/a7php