Cultural Approach

Confessional Tale

A very personal account of the researcher's experiences in the culture under investigation

Fragmentation Perspective

Ambiguous culture is normal and unavoidable in today's organizations.

Grounded Theory

Undersstanding built from intense observations of a particular social group or situtation

What are the two approaches of Organizational Culture?

Understanding culture as something an organization HAS or something an organization IS

4 Key Components of "Strong Cultures"

1. Value 2. Heros 3. Rites and Rituals 4. Cultural Network

Ethnography

A research technique with the goals of representing a detailed depiction of a culture/

Contextual

A defining feature of cultural performances. Cultural performances are embedded in organizational situations and organizational history

Episodic

A defining feature of cultural performances. Cultural performances are nameable as distinct events.

Improvisational

A defining feature of cultural performances. Cultural performances are not guided by a script.

Interactional

A defining feature of cultural performances. Cultural performances require the participation of multiple organizational actors/

Critical Tale

A narrative told with the goal of uncovering the deep power structures implicit in organizational functioning

Impressionist Tale

A narrative with information about the culture woven into a story that could stand on its own dramatic merits

Realist Tale

A relatively objective account of what was observed in the organization

HAS Perspective/Approach

Approaches culture as a thing that an organization has. Is risky because when we objectify culture, we de-emphasize the complex processes through which organizational culture is created and sustained. Having the right kind of culture can make or break an organization

Excellent Cultures Theme: Simple Form, Lean Staff

Avoid complex structures and divisions of labor

Organization Cultures are: Emergent

Created through social interactions

Excellent Cultures Theme: Autonomy and Entrepreneurship

Encourage employees to take risks in the development of new ideas

Excellent Cultures Theme: Productivity through people

Encourage positive and respectful relationships among management and employees

Excellent Cultures Theme: Simultaneous loose-tight properties

Exhibit both unity of purpose and the diversity necessary for innovation

Cultural Network

The communication system through which cultural values are instituted and reinforced

Artifacts

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

Excellent Cultures Theme: Close relations to the customer

Gear decisions and actions to the needs of customers

Organization Cultures are: Complicated

Hard to measure culture because it constantly varies

Excellent Cultures Theme: Hands-on, Value-Driven

Have employees and managers who share the same core value of productivity and performance

Organization Cultures are: Not Unitary

Impossible to characterize organizations as having one culture

Differentiation Approach

Inconsistencies among cultural views are expected and often are seen as desirable

Heros

Individuals who come to exemplify an organization's values

Organization Cultures are: Often Ambiguous

Not always a clear picture of the culture

Organizational Culture

Organizations as complex arenas of stories and values rather than entirely rational institutions

IS Perspective/Approach

Rather seen as a thing that can/should be managed, these researches see culture as the emerging and sometimes fragmented values, practices, narratives and artifacts that make a particular organization what it is

Excellent Cultures Theme: A Bias for Action

React quickly and do not spend excess time planning and analyzing

Espoused Values

Second level of Schein's model. They represent preferences of what should happen.

Excellent Cultures Theme: Stick to the Knitting

Stay focused on what they do best and avoid radical diversification

Peter and Waterman's: "Excellent Cultures"

Studied organizations deemed to have this by their employees and extracted themes Criticized for being highly prescriptive in nature (Value engineering)

Culture

Symbols, values, rites, rituals and daily practices

Values

The beliefs and visions that members hold for an organization

Rites and Rituals

The ceremonies through which an organization celebrates its values

Basic Assumptions

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