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