Chapter 5

Cultural Values

They represent preferences of what should happen - Second levels of Schein's model

Ethnography

A research technique with the goal of representing a detailed depiction of a culture

Excellent Cultures

Include cultural characteristics of successful organizations: a bias for action, close relations for the customer, autonomy and entrepreneurship, productivity through people, hands-on and value-driven, stick to the knitting, simple form and lean staff, and simultaneous loose-tight properties

Prescriptive view of culture

Looks at organizational culture as something an organization has. Having the "right" culture can make or break an organization

Descriptive View of Culture

Looks at organizational culture as something as organization is

Organizational subcultures

Organizations are characterized by a multitude of subcultures that can be harmonious, in conflict, or indifferent to each other

Strong Cultures

Recommendations for an effective culture include having clearly communicated organizational values, identified organizational heroes, organizational rites and rituals, and a cultural network to communicate this information

Cultural Assumptions

Represents "core" beliefs about the world and how is operates - Third level of Schein's model

Cultural Tales

Stories told about an organization's culture. - Includes realist tales, impressionist tales, and critical tales

Cultural Artifacts and Behaviors

THe physical and social environment that organizational members have created - First level of Schein's model

Cultural Performances

The communication processes through which culture is created. They are interactional, contextual, episodic, and improvisational

High Reliability Cultures

These cultures are part of organizations that produce products or services such that if something major goes wrong, the organization and/or the larger public could be destroyed. These cultures must focus on error-free behavior

Markers of Organizational Culture

These include such things as rites, ceremonies, values, belief systems, metaphors, stories, communication rules, and hallway talk

Schein's definition of culture

a group phenomenon in which the group shares basic assumptions that developed over time and members are socialized to