Managing Organizational Culture

CHAPTER 9: MANAGING ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE

9.3 Communicating Organizational Culture

• Organizational culture usually tends to influence an orgz’s philosophy, style, & behavior
• Manager must

• Carefully consider the type of culture they want for their orgz & strive to foster it via communicating with every organizational member

• To use culture to an orgz’s advantage

• Managers must accomplish several tasks which depends on effective communication:-

• They must clearly understand the culture
• They must transmit that culture to others in the orgz
• They must sustain that culture by rewarding & promoting those who understand it & work towards maintaining it

Element of Organizational Culture

Values

• Elements which are important to us
• They are:-

• Deep-seated
• Pervasive standards that influence almost every aspect of our lives
• Moral judgements
• Responses to others
• Commitments to personal & organizational goals

• Sharing of values

• Key in developing a successful organizational culture

• Now many orgz are developing value statements that clearly state key organizational values
• Orgz must do more than just state values

• They must ensure that organizational policies are consistent with the values

• Orgz can reinforce values by tying rewards to them
• Organizational socialization

• Describe how people learn organizational culture

Symbols

• Represent / suggest something
• It might be a:-

• Natural object
• Manufactured object
• A setting / even a performer

Stories

• Narratives – usually based on facts

• There are repeated among employees

• Act as maps on how things are done & help to pass on a culture

Heroes

• Organization role models

• Who embody the values an orgz wishes to reinforce

• Main characters of the stories

• Motivator
• Someone everyone counts on when things get tough

Rituals & ceremonies

• Outward sign of what an orgz values
• Provide a forum for the orgz to communicate strategic plan
• Rituals – serve as guides to behavior in daily organizational life
• Ceremonies – similar to rituals, but more elaborate & occur less frequently

Sagas

• Historical accounts that describe the unique accomplishment of a group & its leaders
• Will feature the legendary accomplishment of the founders

• As such it is used to communicate the unique way of doing things to outsiders / newcomers

Myths

• Unproven beliefs that are accepted
• Used to justify current actions by communicating the practical benefits of certain techniques & behaviors

Functions of Organizational Culture

Cooperation

• Through shared norms & values

• Culture may enhance goodwill & mutual trust, encouraging cooperation

Decision-making

• Shared beliefs & values give organizational members a consistent set of basic assumptions & preferences
• This may lead to more efficient decision making

• Fewer disagreements on which premises should prevail

Control

• Culture functions as an informal organizational control system

• Informally approving / prohibiting certain behavior patterns

• When everyone agrees on values, fewer managers are needed

Communication

• Culture reduces communication problems in at least 2 ways

• Communication on matters for which shared assumptions already exist is less needed
• These shared assumptions provide guidelines & cues to help with interpreting messages that are received

Commitment

• Organizational members are committed to an orgz when they can identify with & are emotionally attached to it
• Strong cultures foster strong identification & attachment

Perception

• Organizational reality is socially constructed

• What an individual sees is conditioned by what others sharing the same experience say they are seeing

• Shares beliefs & values give organizational members shares interpretation of their experience

Justification of behavior

• Culture helps organizational members make senses of their behavior by providing justification for it

9.4.2 Organizational Culture & Environment

• To be effective, organizational culture has to align with the needs of the environment, both internally & externally

Adaptive & Inert Cultures

• Adaptive cultures

• Innovative cultures that encourage & reward initiative taken by middle & lower level managers

• Inert cultures

• Conservative cultures that caution & do not value middle & lower level managers who take such initiative / actions

Adaptive cultures

• Managers are able to introduce changes in organizational operations

• Including its strategy & structure
• To adapt to changes occurring in the external environment

• Three common value sets that are transmitted & maintained via strategic leadership:-

Adaptive organizations have values promoting a bias for actions

• Autonomy & entrepreneurship – employees are encouraged to take risks

Adaptive organizations stick with the nature of its mission

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