Class 18: Organizational Culture

Culture

The way we do things around here

• a way of life of a group of people

Cognitive order

A set of beliefs and assumptions about how the world works

Normative order

A set of beliefs and assumptions about what the correct behavior is in a given circumstance

Beliefs

Are justifications that we would articulate when asked to explain something

Assumptions

What insiders take for granted. Are things that we would not articulate when asked to explain, because we take them for granted and think that others do, too. Deeply held beliefs that guide behavior and tell members of an organization how to organize and think about things

Levels of Organizational Culture

• Artifacts

• Norms

• Beliefs

• Values

• Assumptions

Artifacts

What outsiders notice. Symbols of culture in the physical and social work environment

Norms

Unwritten rules and expectations that guide behavior and interactions within the organization

Values

• Espoused: what members of an organization say they value

• Enacted: reflected in the way individuals actually behave

Types of artifacts

The artifacts of culture show up in different practices: The stories we tell each their

• Stories maintain the beliefs

  • About the boss

  • About getting fired

  • About relocating, promotions

  • About getting hired

  • About status considerations

The ceremonies and rites we reenact

The symbols we display

The actions we reward and punish

What is culture good for?

• coordination

• Motivation

• Control

Coordination

Employees understand what they are expected to do

Motivation

Employee have string identification with organization

Control

Employees are constrained by norms and reward/punishment mechanisms (formal and informal)

Functions of culture

• provides sense of identity

• Generates commitment

• Enhances sense-making for members by reinforcing norms (Allows people to make sense of what’s going on)

• Acts as a means of social control