Cultural Approaches Chapter 5

1. Cultural ApproachesChapter 5 Marina Santana

2. A Definition of Culture • “… a pattern of shared basic assumptions that the group learned as it solved its problems of external adaptation and internal integration, that has worked well enough to be considered valid, and, therefore, to be taught to new members as the correct way to perceive, think and feel in relation to those problems.” pg. 105

3. Cultural Approaches Overview • Prescriptive Views of Culture • Deal & Kennedy’s “Strong Cultures” • Peters & Waterman’s “Excellent Cultures” • Alternative Approaches to Culture • Four types of Organizational Cultures • Schein’s Model of Organizational Culture • Three levels of cultural elements • Methods for Studying Organizational Culture

4. Prescriptive Views of Culture • Deal and Kennedy’s “Strong Cultures” • Four components of a strong culture: • (1) Values • (2) Heroes • (3) Rites and rituals • (4) Cultural networks • Peters and Waterman’s “Excellent Cultures” • Themes (see pg. 98)

5. 1. A Bias for Action 2. Close Relations to the Customer 3. Autonomy and Entrepreneurship 4. Productivity through People 5. Hands-On, Value-Driven 6. Stick to the Knitting 7. Simple Farm, Lean Staff 8. Simultaneous Loose-Tight Properties Excellent organizations react quickly and do not spend excess time planning and analyzing. Excellent organizations gear decisions and actions to the needs of customers. Excellent organizations encourage employees to take risks in the development of new ideas. Excellent organizations encourage positive and respectful relationships among management and employees. Excellent organizations have employees and managers who share the same core value of productivity and performance. Excellent organizations stay focused on what they do best and avoid radical diversification. Excellent organizations avoid complex structures and divisions of labor. Excellent organizations exhibit both unity of purpose and the diversity necessary for innovation. Pg. 98 Peters & Waterman’s Themes for Excellent Organizations Theme Description

6. Alternative Approaches to Culture 1. Organizational Cultures Are Complicated • “Markets” • Rites • Ceremonies • Values • Beliefs systems • Metaphors • Stories • Communication rules • Hallway talk

7. Alternative Approaches to Culture 2. Organizational Cultures Are Emergent • Cultural performances • (1) interactional • (2) contextual • (3) episodic • (4) improvisational

8. Alternative Approaches to Culture 3. Organizational Cultures Are Not Unitary • Sites of cultures and cultural penetration • Differences in power and interests 4. Organizational Cultures Are Often Ambiguous • Fragmentation

9. Schein’s Model of Organizational Culture • A Definition of Culture • (1) group phenomenon • (2) pattern of basic assumptions • (3) emergent and developmental • (4) socializing • “learning the ropes”

10. Schein’s Model • A Model of Culturepg. 107 • Level 1: Artifact • Most visible level • Level 2: Espoused Values • (a) Organizations do not have values, individuals do. • (b) Values and behaviors do not always match. • Level 3: Basic Assumptions • “taken for granted” • Six areas of basic assumptions that are typically revolve pg. 110.

11. Levels of Culture & Their Interaction Visible but often not decipherable Greater level of awareness Taken for granted' Invisible Preconscious

12. Cultural Artifacts & Behaviors • Art • Is public art classical? Modern? Impressionistic? Do employees decorate their own spaces with posters and photos? What do those personal spaces look like? • Forms of address • Are titles or first names used? Do forms of address vary by job level? Do forms of address change over time? Does everyone follow the same rules for address? • Network configuration • Who talks to whom? Does the network pattern vary for work and social communication? Has the network pattern changed over time?Pg. 108

13. Methods for Studying Organizational Culture • Ethnography= Writing of culture • The goal is to minimize the distance between the researcher and the culture being investigated. • Through personal experience • Creates a mini-theory • Then the culture can be written • Three kinds of cultural tales • (1) realist tale • (2) confessional tale • (3) impressionist tales • Addition critical tale