1. What is organisational culture?
The unwritten code that affects the attitudes and behaviours of staff, approaches to decision making and the leadership style of management.

2. Advantages: Strong Corp Culture
Identity
Teamwork
Commitment/Retention
Motivation
Orientation as to decision making
Reinforce Org Values
Helps senior mgt control/direct
‘Organisational culture is the key to organisational excellence....and the function of leadership is the creation and management of culture” (Edgar Schien)

3. Corp. Culture: Manifestations
Furniture/Clothes/Tools
Ceremonials (Co. Song vs Donut eating contest)
Courses/Culture Support
Heroes
Culture is X after it all went wrong in year Y
Language (Employee/Colleague/Subordinate)
Myths
Behavioural norms (meeting timing/greetings/deadlines)
Office layout
Rituals (Birthdays?)

4. What is Organisational Culture?
How do the theorists define culture?
Schein
“The pattern of basic assumptions that a group has invented, discovered or developed to cope with its problems of external adoption or internal integration, that has worked well and are taught to new members as the way to perceive, think, feel and behave.”
Handy
“ Deep-set beliefs about the way work should be organised, the way authority should be exercised, people rewarded, people controlled.”

5. Types of Culture Edgar Schein 3 levels Culture is formed over time
Consider:
How visual is each level to an outside observer?
Which is the most difficult to understand?
Edgar Schein 3 levels
Culture is formed over time

6. Classifying Organisational Culture
Charles Handy (1981) Classification system....
Power
Role
Task
Person

7. Prof Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions
Based on research in 1980s, 5 key variables that vary by country
Power Distance (Chinese vs Scandinavia/Israel)
Individualism vs Collectivism
Masculinity vs Femininity
Uncertainty Avoidance (Germany vs Italy?)
LT vs ST Orientation

8. “THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A RIGHT CULTURE, WHAT MATTERS IS WHETHER THE CULTURE IS RIGHT FOR THE BUSINESS CIRCUMSTANCES”
Do you agree?

9. Consolidation Questions
Reasons for changing culture?
Problems of culture?
How to change organisational culture?
Is culture important?

10. Additional Material

11. Further definitions: Organisational Culture
“The values and standards shared by people and groups within an organisation”
“The way we do things around here”
“The values, attitudes and beliefs of the people working in an organisation that control the way they interact with each other and with external groups”
“The attitudes, traits and behavioural patterns which govern the way individuals interact with others”
“Organisations have values, policies, rules and guidelines which help them create an image of their own”
“The principles, ideologies, beliefs and polices of an organisation which make it different from others”
“The collection of briefs norms and values that are shared by groups of people”
All of the above!

12. Types of Organisational Culture
Purpose... Creating a sense of “who we are”, “what we do” and “what we stand for”...
Shared meanings that helps everyone understand how to act & behave
Strong culture = internally consistent
The culture MUST be suited the environment the business operates in...allowing response & reaction to market changes....

13. Changing organisational Culture....
Possible reasons for change?
The existing culture can hinder growth, development and success.
Some examples when to change:
Product-led – respond to changing market conditions (become task- based)
Recently privatised business (become profit orientated)
Merger or takeover
Need to motivate staff (become person-based)
Can you think of any more?

14. Sources of Organisational Culture
Company routines
Formal controls
Organisational structures
Power structure
Symbols
Rituals and myths
‘Organisational culture is the key to organisational excellence....and the function of leadership is the creation and management of culture” (Edgar Schien)