Organizational Culture Theory Developed in 1982 by Michael Pachanowsky and Nick O’Donnell Trujillo, with the addition of Clifford Geertz’s methods in 1983

What is Organizational Culture? Organizational culture represents the collective values, beliefs and principles of organizational members An organization is defined as a group of individuals who have shared interests

What is organizational culture made of? Core Values Symbols Perception

Core Values Shared principles and standards among the people of an organization These shared values are essential to defining an organization Vision and mission statements must connect with the actions of the organization

Symbols Physical – Slogans, logos, a visual identity, choices in clothing Behavioral – Rituals, social ques, customs, rewards and punishments Verbal – Jokes, stories, metaphors and all other communication shared by members of the organization

Thoughts on Perception Actions and activities in the culture helps build diversity in the culture An individual’s perception and participation may differ from those of others In order to understand the culture, one must be a part of it

The Spider Web Metaphor The spiderweb is intricate and unique – so is any given organizational structure. Employees and managers, spin this complex web within their organization through communication, and therefore create a “culture” Clifford Geertz started building upon the Symbolic Interactionism framework to construct this theory. His contributions matter because they refined the final theory

What is Ethnography Ethnography is a qualitative methodology that uncovers and interprets artifacts, stories, rituals, and practices to reveal meaning in a culture. Ethnography is… Modular Hand’s on Reliant on the researcher’s presence This is important because:

The Communicative Performance Ritual performances: the regular, reoccurring actions at work. They include personal, task, organizational, social actions. Political performances: organizational behaviors that demonstrate power or control. Authority, leadership, etc. Enculturation performances: organizational behaviors that assist in employees discovering what it means to be a member of an organization

Criticism Explained In large organizations critics argue there cannot be just one culture One may not want to participate in the culture if they feel they’re going against their own personal morals/values There are too many variables, dimensions and perceptions to be effective If leaders of the culture do not follow the values of their culture, the members will not either

Clarifying Quotes “Culture is not something that an organization has; a culture is something that an organization is.” Pacanowsky & O’Donnell-Trujillo ‘Culture is communicatively constructed by organizational practices and is distinct to each organization.’ Page 276, Chap 16, of the textbook.

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