Chapter 16

Barriers to change

Culture is a liability when shared values don't agree with those that further the organization's environment is undergoing rapid change, and its entrenched culture may no longer be appropriate. Consistency of behavior, an asset in a stable environment, may then burden the organization and make it difficult to respond to changes.

Barriers to diversity

Management wants to demonstrate support for the differences that these employees bring to the workplace, but newcomers who wish to fit in must accept the organization's core culture

Ethical culture

Organizational cultures are not neutral in their ethical orientation, even when they are not openly pursuing ethical goals. ______ develops over times as the shared concept of right and wrong behavior in the workplace. The ethical culture reflects the true values of the organization and shapes the ethical decision making of its members. Research indicates that ________ espouse clear ethical standards, and ethical behavior modeled by leadership and with employees who are capable of and committed to behaving ethically. Employees and managers are open to discuss ethical issues and are reinforced for their ethical behavior

Rewarding more than punishing

Part of creating a positive organizational culture is "catching employees doing something right". Many managers withhold praise because they're afraid employees will coast or because they think praise is not values. Employees generally don't ask for praise, managers usually don't realize the costs of failing to give it.

Social sustainability

Practices address the ways social systems are affected by an organization's actions over time, and in turn, how changing social systems may affect the organization.

Sustainability

Refers to maintaining practices over very long periods of time because the tools or structures that support the practices are not damaged by the processes. One survey found that a substantial majority of executives saw _______ as an important part of future success. Concepts of ______ management have their origins in the environmental movement, so processes that are in harmony with the natural environment are encouraged.

Top management

The actions of _______ have a major impact on organization's culture. Through words and behavior, senior executives establish norms that filter through the organization about, for instance, whether risk taking is desirable; how much freedom managers give employees; appropriate dress; and what actions earn pay raises, promotions, and other rewards.

Toxicity and dysfunctions

The consensus can create powerful forward momentum. However, coherence around negativity and dysfunctional management systems in a corporation can produce downward forces that are equally powerful yet toxic. Dominating cultures (i.e., encouraging active confrontation and aggressive competition among employees when there is conflict) tend to reduce branch cohesion and customer service performance.

Adaptability

The degree to which employees are encouraged to be innovative and flexible as well as to take risks and experiment

Detail orientation

The degree to which employees are expected to exhibit precision, analysis, and attention to detail.

People/customer orientation

The degree to which management decisions consider the effect of outcomes on people within and outside the organization

Results/outcome orientation

The degree to which management focuses on results or outcomes rather than on the techniques and processes used to achieve them.

Integrity

The degree to which people exhibit integrity and high ethical standards in their work

Collaboration/team orientation

The degree to which work activities are organized around teams rather than individuals

Material symbols

The layout of corporate headquarters, the types of automobiles top are given, and the presence or absence of corporate aircraft are a few examples of ______, sometimes also known as artifacts. Others include the size of offices, the elegance of furnishings, perks, and attire. These convey to employees who is important; the degree of egalitarianism top management desires; and the kinds of behavior that are appropriate, such as risk taking, and conservative, authoritarian, participate, individualistic, or social behavior. Material symbols also offer a sense of connection and stir emotions in employees who make sense of the symbols.

Institutionalization

When an organization undergoes _______ - that it, it becomes values for itself and not for the goods or services it produces - it takes on a life of its own, apart from its founders or members. Institutionalized organizations often don't go out of business even if the original goals are no longer relevant. Acceptable modes of behavior may become largely self-evident to members; although this isn't entirely negative, it does mean behaviors and habits go unquestioned, which can stifle innovation and make maintaining the organization's culture an end in itself.

Stories

______ such as these circulate through many organizations, anchoring the present in the past and legitimizing current practices. They typically include narratives about the organization's founders, rule breaking, rags-to-riches successes, workforce reductions, relocations of employees, reactions to past mistakes, and organizational coping. Employees also create their own narratives about how they came either to fit or not to fit with the organization during the process of socialization, including first days on the job, early interactions with others, and first impressions of organizational life.

Rituals

are repetitive sequences of activities that express and reinforce the key values of the organization - what goals are more important, and/or which people are important versus which are expendable. Some companies have non traditional rituals to help support the values of their cultures.

Culture

defines "the rules of the game". First, it has a boundary-defining role: it creates distinction between organizations. Second, it conveys a sense of identity for organization members. Thire, it facilitates commitment to something larger than individual self-interest. Fourth, it enhances the stability of the social norms. It is the social glue that helps hold the organization together by providing standards for what employees should say and do. Finally, it is a sense-making and control mechanism that guides and shapes employees' attitudes and behavior. This last function is of particular interest to us.

Dominant culture

expresses the core values that a majority of members share and that give the organization its distinct personality.

Organizational culture

refers to a system of shared meaning held by members that distinguishes the organization from other organizations. The system of shared meaning includes values, beliefs, and assumptions that characterize the organization. Six primary characteristics seem to capture the essence of an organization's culture

Organizational climate

refers to the shared perceptions that organizational members have about their organization and work environment. These perceptions are directed at the policies, practices, and procedures experiences by the employees. When everyone has the same general feelings about what's important or how well things are working, the effect of these attitudes will be more than the sum of the individual parts.

Subcultures

tend to develop in large organizations in response to common problems or experiences that a group of members face in the same department or location. Most large organizations have a dominant culture and numerous ______. Sometimes the _______ can be so strong, however, that they subtly reject the "official" culture and do not conform.

Strong culture

the organization's core values are both intensely helb and widely shared. The more members who accept the core values and the greater their commitment, the stronger the culture and the greater its influence on member behavior. Should more directly affect organizational outcomes because it demonstrates high agreement about what the organization represents.