Organizational Culture
OS 386
Nov 21, 2002
Fisher
1
Agenda



2
What is culture?
Review culture examples
Conduct exercise on desired
organizational culture
What is culture?

Shared assumptions, values, beliefs
–
–

Can be specific to many different entities
–
–
–

3
Correct way of behaving
Defines what is important, unimportant
Countries
Organizations
Occupations
Subcultures often exist
Dimensions of culture





4
Level of control
Performance orientation
Value of relationships
Responsiveness
Can also look at values such as
individualism, power distance, etc.
Org culture examples

IBM
–
–

Apple
–
–

Rigid
White dress shirts, ties
Creative
Focus on marketing, meeting needs of educational
and graphic design markets
Accenture (formerly Andersen Consulting)
–
–
–
High profile
High work standards, high expectations
Tangible rewards
Source: Rothenberger, C. (Nov. 2000). Consulting culture: Two companies uncovered. Fast
5
Company [online version], retrieved 11/12/2002.
How do we know what the culture is?

We can look at
–
–

We can listen to
–
–

Language
Stories and legends
We can directly ask people, but must consider
–
–
–
6
Artifacts, physical structures
Rituals and ceremonies
Social desirability
Espoused values vs. enacted values
Various perceptual errors
Socialization


Process of learning the culture, reducing
uncertainty
Many ways to conduct socialization
–
–

Outcomes of socialization include
–
–
7
Collective vs. individual
Formal vs. informal
Higher motivation, loyalty
Lower stress, turnover
Meaning of cultural characteristics

8
What does the cultural descriptor “like a
family” mean to you?
Outcomes of culture

Clarifies expectations
–
–


Facilitates formation of social identity,
organizational commitment
Can limit flexibility
–
9
Decision making
Ethics
“That’s not the _______ way”
Industry culture


Can often describe common aspects of
multiple companies within an industry
Example: dotcom culture
–
–
–
–
Informal, casual dress
Autonomy, self-management
Creativity, fun
Work defining self
Source: Canabou, C. (August, 2001). The sun sets on the bohemian workplace. Fast Company
[online version], retrieved 11/12/2002.
10
Culture evolves over time





11
Natural evolution vs. guided change
New leaders
Rise in power of subculture or
counterculture
Corporate scandals
Changes in environment
Merging multiple cultures


Common issue with mergers and acquisitions
Possible outcomes include
–
–
–
–

Examples:
–
–
12
Assimilation
Deculturation
Integration
Separation
Daimler Benz and Chrysler
IBM and PwC Consulting
Person/Organization Fit


How well do individuals fit with the organizational
culture?
Compatibility with environment leads to
–
–

Attraction-selection-attrition (ASA) model
–
–

13
Higher satisfaction
Lower turnover
People are attracted to, and stay with, organizations that
fit their values and personality (Schneider, 1987)
Results in fairly homogeneous organization
Socialization can increase P/O fit (Cable & Parsons, 2001)
Assessing Fit: GE Japan

Self-assessment tool on website
(www.gejapan.com/cgi-bin/quiz.cgi)


Allows potential applicants to assess fit
with GE Japan culture and values
Receive feedback report, detailed
description of the culture
–
14
GE does not track the data
Desired org culture


Important to consider as you search for a
job
Complete assessment on page 471 of your
textbook
–

15
Scoring guidelines on page 594
What other cultural characteristics are
important to you?
Key learning points





16
Every organization has at least one
culture
Affects behavior in many ways
Culture must be learned (socialization)
Culture can change, must be re-learned
Important to consider personorganization fit
For next class

Nov. 26 will be a team work day
–
–
–


Nov. 28 – Happy Thanksgiving!
Dec. 3 topic is organizational change
–
17
Bring questions, concerns, issues regarding
your team research report
I’ll work with teams individually
Criteria are posted on my website
Read chapter 16