Local Leaders, Local Culture

Culture is the way a group behaves, it is what shapes the individuals within a group to be
similar. Organizations all have different cultures that influence the way it functions. An
organizations culture is created and reinforced by the people in the organization and the
environment surrounding the organization. In the television series Parks and Recreation, there is
a clear culture within the organization. This series uses documentary style filming to follow a
parks and recreation department in small town Pawnee, Indiana. Although the employees all
have wildly different personalities, they still have a similar understanding of how things are done
in the department and how to communicate within their organization. Many aspects of their
organizational culture are shown throughout the series but the two that stand out are the influence
of leadership and the ethnocentric attitude throughout the department.

Influence of Leadership
An organization's culture is created and reinforced by the people within the organization.
The people with the most influence in an organization are usually the ones at the top, the leaders.
According to the textbook Organizational Communication for Survival by James C McCroskey,
Larry Powell and Virginia P. Richmond (2013) the kinds of people who are at the top tend to
define what kinds of people the organization values, and often what kinds of people are hired and
retained(p.138). This is important because in order to understand an organizations culture, the
type of leaders must be known.
In Parks and Recreation, there are two main leaders in the show: Leslie Knope and Ron
Swanson. Knope acts more as a supervisor while Swanson acts as an administrator. Supervisors
have more frequent, personal contact with subordinates while administrators facilitate the

operations of the organization (Richmond et al., p. 52). This difference is key to how Knope and
Swanson reinforce the culture within the parks and recreation department.
Leslie Knope acts as a supervisor. She is very involved in her subordinates lives as the
parks department director. As a supervisor Knope offers support, advice and assistance to her
employees. She fosters plenty of informal communication throughout the department which
takes away from the stress that tags along with too much formal communication. She could be
described as a balanced leader, one who has a high concern for task and a high concern for
people (Richmond et al., 2013, p. 111). This type of open environment fostered by Knopes
leadership influences the culture of the parks department to be more open. In an open climate
supervision and administration are needed for success. Richmond, McCroskey and Powell state
(2013) in this climate, the employees, as well as management, are expected to do their jobs well
and to be open to new ideas and change(p. 58). Knope encourages personal growth for both
herself and her subordinates. This is one of the reasons she planned a weekend camping trip for
her department to bond and brainstorm (Schrub & Muharrar, 2011). Knope always puts her
subordinates best interests first and this informal communication fosters a positive culture
throughout the department. As Knope says we need to remember whats important in life:
friends, waffles and work. . or waffles, friends, work. . it doesnt matter. But work is third
(Randall Einhorn & Amy Poehler, 2011). By caring about her subordinates as people, Knope
creates a culture for friendships and careers to both blossom.
On the other side, Ron Swanson acts as an administrator. Administrators spend more time
with paperwork than subordinates. They may be much less visible and less
accessible(Richmond, et al., 2013, p. 53). He would be considered by Richmond, McCroskey
and Powell (2013) as a leaderless leader, with a low concern for task and people (p. 111).

Swanson is much less disposed to change than Leslie is. Part of this reason is his very private
personality. Swanson prefers to not be listed or on the books anywhere and stays away from
showing more emotion than needed. Another reason that he is a leaderless leader is due to the
long time he has worked at the parks department. He is settled in his position and knows what
the minimum workload is. When a new town policy requires public officials to deal more
directly with the public, Swanson has to answer complaints from residents. He describes this
change as "my hell. He begins the search for a new assistant when office intern April Ludgate
volunteers (Dippold & Miller, 2010). Ludgate began the series as the office intern and grew
through the seasons. This can be attributed to her mentor relationship with Swanson. Ludgate
and Swanson have a special understanding of each other's personality types. While Knopes style
of supervising helps support many employees, Ludgate prefers to be lead by a different
approach: to be left alone. Swanson, as an administrator, never forced communication on
Ludgate. Ludgate flourished under Swansons leadership and eventually became the Deputy
Director of Animal Control for Pawnee. Swansons stand off style of leadership balanced out
Leslies compulsive communication leadership style.
Both styles of leadership were needed in Parks and Recreation to create the successful
culture within the department. Richmond, McCroskey and Powell (2013) discuss a theory that
viewed the behavior of people in organizations as being driven by their traits, which he believed
were learned through their experiences while working in organizations (p. 82). Each of the
characters picked up traits from Knope and Swanson that led to their individual, and
departments, success. Over seven seasons the department accomplished many different goals
together, with skills learned from their leadership. This list of goals achieved included the main
goal of the series: the park Leslie Knope decided she wanted to build in the first episode.

Ethnocentric View: Culture of Locality

Throughout the series filmed at the Pawnee, Indiana parks and recreation department,
there are blatant displays of an ethnocentric culture. Ethnocentrism literally refers to the view
that ones country is the center of the universe(Richmond, et al., 2013, p.140). According to
Richmond, McCroskey and Powell (2013) this view can be applied to a small but identifiable
subgroup within an organization such as a branch of a larger organization, or a division or
department within the branch (p. 140). In this case, the parks and recreation department of
Pawnee, Indianas government has a strong ethnocentric culture. This type of view can promote
positive and effective communication among people within the organization(Richmond, et al.,
p. 143).
The majority of the employees in the department are from Pawnee and if not, they live
around Pawnee. They are not only proud of their town but proud of their department. The
culture of locality in which an organization exists can significantly impact the culture of the
organization (Richmond, et al., 2013, p. 9). All of the employees are knowledgeable about
Pawnee and passionate about the traditions in the town. Such as local Pawnee celebrity mini
horse Lil Sebastian. He is featured in a few episodes, but talked about in many. The characters
all had a special place in their hearts for Lil Sebastian and openly grieved the local celebrity
when he died. (Goor & Holland, 2011). The department even put on a memorial service in his
honor.As Richmond, McCroskey and Powell (2013) state organizations are a lot like people.
Where they grow up makes a big difference in how they are acculturated (p. 138). The Pawnee
local culture was a strong part of their departments culture. The strong local influence developed
a sense of collective identity and group pride leading to a high ethnocentric attitude.

According to Richmond, McCroskey and Powell (2013), there are problems that come
with a strong ethnocentric attitude such as prejudice and excessive cohesiveness (p. 145). While
this attitude created a culture within the office that bonded the employees together, it also created
a negative attitude towards other cultures. As Richmond, McCroskey and Powell (2013) states,
some of the most ethnocentric people complain the most about being victims of prejudice. They
deny their own ethnocentrism loudly while decrying this very evil in other people and
organizations around them (p.144). This central view of the department and Pawnee is
especially displayed when the neighboring city of Eagleton is mentioned. The employees of the
parks department and residents of Pawnee say many negative thoughts about Eagletonians
throughout the series. Leslie Knope trys to reject a park design just because the designer came
from Eagleton. She then claimed on camera that Eagletonians are evil, snobby and obsessed with
themselves (Sackett & Rushfield, 2012). She was prejudice against the designer because of
where he was from. Knope highly valued members of her own group, while members of other
groups were seen as enemies. This is an example of excessive cohesion and a direct result of
high levels of ethnocentrism (Richmond et al., 2013, p.145). Although the relations with
Eagleton was strained by this view, ethnocentrism created a tight-knit culture within the parks
and recreation department.

Conclusion
Parks and Recreation ran for seven seasons and showed many ups and downs of the
Pawnee, Indiana local government. The parks and recreation department of Pawnee, Indianas
government had its own culture that was created by the department leadership and culture of
locality. With Leslie Knope as a caring supervisor and Ron Swanson as the discrete
administrator, the department subordinates learned how to remain positive and get, at least, the

minimum amount of work done. This balance created a successful and energetic department
culture. The leaders, specifically Knope, also fostered an ethnocentric office culture. Knopes
passion about Pawnee passed down to her subordinates. Their culture of locality within the
organization created a positive and effective communication environment. The parks and
recreation departments diverse leadership and unanimous passion for the town of Pawnee,
Indiana created and reinforced an open, successful and entertaining culture.

References
Daniels, G., & Schur, M. (Writers). (2009, April 9). Parks and Recreation[Television
series]. Los Angeles, California: NBC.

Dippold, K. (Writer), & Miller, T. (Director). (2010, January 14). The Set Up [Television
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Goor, D. (Writer), & Holland, D. (Director). (2011, May 19). Li'l Sebastian [Television
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Muharrar, A. (Writer), & Schrub, R. (Director). (2011, March 24). Camping [Television
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Poehler, A. (Writer), & Einhorn, R. (Director). (2011, May 12). The Fight [Television
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Richmond, V., McCroskey, J., & Powell, L. (2013). Organizational Communication for
Survival (5th ed.). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Education.

Sackett, M. (Writer), & Rushfield, A. (Director). (2012, November 29). Pawnee

Commons [Television series episode]. In Parks and Recreation. Los Angeles, California: NBC.