CRITICAL PERPECTIVES
ON
ORGANIZATION THEORY
Postmodernism and
Culture
Learning Objectives
1.
2.
3.
4.
Discuss the contribution of
postmodernism to organizational theory
List the strengths and shortcoming of
postmodernism with the design and
management of organizations
Understand the main tenets of
organizational culture
Discuss the strengths and weakness of
the cultural approach to organizations
The Postmodernism
Perspective
Postmodernism is something that
carries on from, succeeds or takes its
frame of reference from modernism.
Modernism is a term used to describe
the values, rationale and institutions
that dominate Western society.
Comparison of Modernist and
Postmodernist Organizational Forms
Modern
Organizations
Postmodernist
Organizations
Structure
Rigid bureaucracies
Flexible networks
Consumpti
on
Mass Markets
Niche markets
Technology
Technological
determinism
Technological choice
Jobs
Differentiated,
demarcated and
deskilled
Highly dedifferentiated, dedemarcated, and multi
skilled
Employmen Centralized and
t relations
standardized
Complex and
fragmentary
The Implications for
Organizations
Postmodernism has 3 important
implications for organization theory
and practices :
1. Concern the nature of
organizational culture
2. Concerns of how a particular view
or reality comes to the fore and is
maintained in an organization
3. Relates to organizational choice
The Cultural Perspective
The continuing fascination of business
with organizational culture began in
1980s
Eldridge and Crombie said, culture
refers to the unique configuration
norm, value, belief, ways of behaving
and so on
Much attention has been paid to role
of ceremonies, rites and rituals.
As Trice and Beyer (1984) found the role
was divided :
1. Rites of passage
2. Rites of questioning
3. Rites of renewal
Schein (1985) suggested a 3 level model
to identify and categorize the
elements of culture :
1. Basic assumptions (deepest level)
2. Beliefs, value, and attitudes
(intermediate level)
3. Artifacts (surface level)
According to Handy (1986), typology
of culture are :
1. A power culture
2. A person culture
3. A role culture
4. Task cultures
The most comprehensive work on
the differences between national
cultures was carried out by
Hofstede (1980);
He said national cultures can be clustered across
a range of dimension :
1.
The prevailing sense of individualism or
collectivity in each country
2.
The power distance accepted in each country
3.
The degree to which uncertainty is tolerated
or avoided
Hofstede’s research also found that industrial
country could classified into 4 broad clusters
:
1.
Scandinavia
2.
West Germany
3.
UK, Canada, USA, Australia and Netherlands
4.
Japan, France, Belgium,Spain and Italy
Changing Organizational
Culture
Dobson identified a 4 step approach to culture
change :
1.
Change recruitment, selection and
redundancy policies to alter the
composition of the workforce
2.
Reorganize the workforce
3.
Effectively communicate the new values
4.
Change system, procedures, and personnel
policies, especially concerned with rewards
and appraisal
Cummings and Huse (1989)
identified crucial steps to cultural
change :
1. A clear strategic vision
2. Top management commitment
3. Symbolic leadership
4. Supporting organizational change
5. Organizational membership
Summary
In summary, postmodernism perspective :
1.
Concern the nature of reason and reality
2.
Reason and logic have proved illusory and
reality is for social construct
3.
Organization has create the own view of the
world
Main conclusions of culture perspective :
1.
In the absence of unambiguous guidelines on
organizational culture, manager must make
their own choice based on circumstances
2.
In the absence of strong cultures, manager
may find difficult either to agree among
themselves or to gain agreement from others