Introducing Organizational Culture

Organizations as Culture
Environment

Structure

Culture

ORG Physical appearanc e

Technology

Exercise What is culture?

Define and describe your understanding of the concept of culture Give examples of different forms of cultures Is culture something we are and/or is it something we have? Can you change your culture? Can you choose another culture?

Organizational culture
The historical background From formal to informal structures Organizational culture is mainly about groups

The symbolic frame

A symbol is something that stands for or suggests something else

The symbolic frame

The symbolic frame interprets and illuminates the basic issues of meaning and belief that make symbols so powerful.

Symbolic frame

What is most important is not what happens but what it means.

The symbolic frame

Symbols take many forms in organizations Myths, Vision, and Values Heroes and Heroines Stories and Fairy Tales Ritual Ceremony Metaphor, Humor, and Play

The symbolic frame Bolman & Deal

Symbolic forms and activities are the basic building blocks of culture, accumulated over time to shape an organization's unique identity and character

Some Symbols

Some Symbols

Some Symbols

Some Symbols

Organizational culture A more general definition

An organization's culture is built over time as members develop beliefs, values, practices, and artifacts that seem to work and are transmitted to new recruits.

Edgar Schein
Born 1928 Sloan Fellows Professor of Management Emeritus and Senior Lecturer at Sloan School of Management in Massachusetts Institute of Technology Founding editor of Reflections - journal of the Society for Organizational Learning Author of numerous books and articles Organizational Culture and Leadership among the most notable studies of organizational culture Education: University of Chicago (undergraduate) Stanford University (MA Psychology, 1949) Harvard University (Ph.D. Social Psychology, 1952)

What is Organizational Culture?

Edgar Scheins definition: shared basic assumptions learned by the group considered as valid taught to new members the correct way

3 cognitive levels

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The concept of culture

Apart organizational cultures we also have....?

Exercise The dimensions of national culture

Describe the 6 dimensions in Gert Hofstedes culture model Chose two countries and describe how they score on one or more of the 6 dimensions? Investigate into how, when and where data were collected? What do you think about Hofstedes culture model? Is he measuring national cultures?