Chapter Two
Organizational Culture,
Socialization, and
Mentoring
Chapter Two Outline
•Foundation of Organizational Culture
•Layers of Organizational Culture
•Four Functions of Organizational Culture
•Types of Organizational Culture
•Outcomes Associated with Organizational Culture
•How Cultures are Embedded in Organizations
•Embedding Organizational Culture Through
Socialization Processes and Mentoring.
•A Three-Phase Model of Organizational Socialization
•Practical Application of Socialization Research
•Attitudes
•Using Mentoring to Your Advantage
Organizational Culture Is
“The set of shared, taken-for-granted implicit
assumptions that a group holds and that
determines how it perceives, thinks about, and
reacts to its various environments.”
- Edgar Schein
Conceptual Framework for
Understanding Organizational
Culture
Figure 2-1 (p43) shows the
building blocks of
organizational culture and its
outcomes
The Layers of Organizational Culture
Observable
Artifacts
Espoused
Values
Basic
Underlying
Assumptions
Source: Adapted from E H Schein, Organizational Culture and
Leadership, 2nd ed (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1992), p 17.
Four Functions of Organizational Culture
Organizational
identity
Sense-making
device
Organizational
culture
Social system
stability
Collective
commitment
Types of Organizational Culture
Type of
Culture
Normative
Belief
Characteristics
Constructive
Achievement
Goal and achievement oriented
Constructive
Self-actualizing
Value self-development
and creativity
Constructive
Humanisticencouraging
Participative, employee
centered, and supportive
Constructive
Affiliative
High priority on constructive
interpersonal relationships,
and focus on work group
satisfaction
Types of Organizational Culture (cont)
Type of
Culture
Normative
Belief
Characteristics
PassiveDefensive
Approval
PassiveDefensive
PassiveDefensive
Conventional
Conservative, bureaucratic, and
people follow the rules
Dependent
Nonparticipative, centralized
decision making, and employees
do what they are told
PassiveDefensive
Avoidance
Negative reward system and
avoid accountability
Avoid conflict, strive to be liked
by others, and approval oriented
Types of Organizational Culture (cont)
Type of
Culture
AggressiveDefensive
AggressiveDefensive
Normative
Belief
Characteristics
Oppositional
Confrontation and negativism
rewarded
Power
Nonparticipative, take charge of
subordinates and responsive to
superiors
AggressiveDefensive
Competitive
Winning is valued and a winlose approach is used.
AggressiveDefensive
Perfectionistic
Perfectionistic, persistent, and
hard-working
Embedding Organizational Culture
•
•
•
•
•
•
Formal statements of organizational
philosophy, mission, vision, values, and
materials used for recruiting, selection
and socialization
The design of physical space, work
environments, and buildings
Slogans, language, acronyms, and sayings
Deliberate role modeling, training programs,
teaching and coaching by managers and
supervisors
Explicit rewards, status symbols (e.g.,
titles),
and promotion criteria
Stories, legends, and myths about key
people and events
Embedding Organizational Culture
(cont)
•
•
•
•
•
The organizational activities, processes, or
outcomes that leaders pay attention to,
measure, and control
Leader reactions to critical incidents and
organizational crises
The workflow and organizational structure
Organizational systems and procedures
Organizational goals and the associated
criteria used for recruitment, selection,
development, promotion, layoffs, and
retirement of people
A Model of Organizational Socialization
Phases
1. Anticipatory
socialization
Learning that occurs
prior to joining the
organization
Perceptual and Social
Processes
• Anticipating realities
about the organization
and the new job
• Anticipating organization’s
need for one’s skills
and abilities
• Anticipating organization’s
sensitivity to one’s needs
and values
A Model of Organizational Socialization
(cont.)
Phases
2. Encounter
Values, skills and
attitudes start to shift
as new recruit
discovers what the
organization is truly
like
Perceptual and Social
Processes
• Managing lifestyleversus-work conflicts
• Managing intergroup
role conflicts
• Seeking role definition
and clarity
• Becoming familiar
with task and group
dynamics
A Model of Organizational Socialization
(cont.)
Phases
3. Change and acquisition
Recruit masters skills and
roles and adjusts to work
group’s values and norms
Perceptual and Social
Processes
• Competing role demands
are resolved
• Critical tasks are
mastered
• Group norms and values
are internalized
A Model of Organizational Socialization (continued)
Phases
Outsider
1. Anticipatory socialization
2. Encounter
3. Change and acquisition
Behavioral Outcomes
• Performs role assignments
• Remains with organization
• Spontaneously innovates
and cooperates
Socialized
Insider
Affective Outcomes
• Generally satisfied
• Internally motivated to
work
• High job involvement
Have you Been Adequately Socialized?
• Have you been adequately socialized in
this College?
• Does your school adequately socialize
employees?
• How do high levels of socialization impact a
new student’s satisfaction? Explain.
• What is a new student’s role in the socialization
process?
Mentoring
The process of forming and maintaining intensive and
lasting developmental relationships between a variety
of developers (i.e., people who provide career and psychosocial
support) and a junior person (the protégé, if male; or
protégée if female).
Functions of Mentoring
•
Career Functions
- Sponsorship
- Exposure and visibility
- Coaching
- Protection
- Challenging assignments
•
Psychosocial Functions
- Role modeling
- Acceptance and confirmation
- Counseling
- Friendship
Developmental relationship diversity
Developmental Networks Associated with
Mentoring
Developmental relationship strength
Strong ties
Weak ties
•D2
Low
range
•D2
D1•
D1•
•P
•P
Receptive
D1•
High
range
D3•
Traditional
•D2
•P
•D4
Opportunistic
Key: D, developer; P, protégé.
D1•
•D2
D3•
•P
•D4
Entrepreneurial
Source: M Higgins and K Kram, “Reconceptualizing Mentoring at
Work: A Developmental Network Perspective,” Academy of
Management Review, April 2001, p. 270
Building an Effective
Mentoring Network
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Become the perfect protégé
Engage in 360-degree networking
Commit to assessing, building, and
adjusting the mentor network
Develop diverse, synergistic
connections
Realize that change is inevitable