Weeks 2 & 3 Book - Culture
1. Introduction
The idea of 'culture' in relation to organisations has grown in
significance, both in the academic literature and in management
practice. In an attempt to manage people in organisations, managers
have increasingly moved from more mechanistic forms of control to the
management of culture.
Outcomes - By the end of this session, you should be able to:
Explain what culture is;
Account for the popularity of the concept of organisational
culture among managers and researchers;
Identify and distinguish between the different levels at which
culture operates;
Explain how the organisational culture shapes the behaviour of
organisational members;
Assess the link between organisational culture and
organisational performance;
Analyse whether managing through culture represents greater
freedom or increased control.
2. Organisational Culture
What do we mean by 'Culture'?
In simple terms, culture is “the way things are done, the values the
organisation holds and the characteristics that make the organisation
unique. Culture shapes how people think and behave.” (King & Lawley,
2019220)
When we join any new organisation (workplaces, university, clubs,
friendship groups), we try to make sense of the place and how to fit in –
the rules of behaviour.
, The appearance of buildings, organisational reputation, how people
come across in the interview, policy documents, websites and dress
codes all provide us with cultural clues. There are also indications
buried within more informal, less visible ways, such as the jokes and
stories, the subtle put-downs, or the praise people receive.
Popular management writers and consultants who
Tom Perters &
spearheaded interest in organisational culture as a
Robert
management resource. They argued that
Waterman
organisations need a 'strong culture' to be successful
Schein provided one of the first real models of
organisational culture. His model presents
organisational culture at three levels which are
progressively harder to access, but are more
Edgar Schein significant the deeper down they are. He believes
organisational culture is significantly influenced by
the founder and leadership, and that by following
the ten-step programme it is possible to change an
organisation's culture.
Business guru and writer Handy us well known for
Charles Handy developing a typology that proposes four types of
culture
Smircich sees culture as something that the
organisation either
- has - something that is a possession of the
Linda Smircich
organisation that managers (and others) can
control, or
- is - an integral part of the organisation.
A critical management theorist who argues that
Hugh Willmott there is a dark side of organisational culture - a form
of slavery and control.
When organisations are in difficulty, culture is often blamed. But is
culture really the problem? Please read this interesting viewpoint:
