1. Organization Culture Defining culture Does it matter? Describing culture Acquiring culture Changing culture

2. Defining Culture What is it? “...the shared patterns of thought, belief, feelings, and values that result from shared experience and common learning” “system of shared meaning” “The social glue that holds the organization together” Characteristics: Holistic Historically determined Socially constructed (perceptions) Soft Difficult to change

3. Climate vs. Culture Climate = actual events Culture = individuals’ perception of events

4. Does It Matter? Enhances group members’ ability to adapt and survive Reduces uncertainty about what to do and how to do it (and thus, reduces anxiety) Provides sense of mission Strong or widely-held culture may lead to high performance (jury’s out on this one)

5. Single or Multiple Cultures ? Multiple cultures may be a sign of conflict Mergers Top-down attempts to “manage” culture Subcultures (core culture + adaptations) Countercultures

6. What is Included? Common language and conceptual categories Group boundaries and criteria for inclusion and exclusion Power and status Intimacy, friendship, and love Rewards and punishments: what is rewarded and punished, as well as what rewards and punishments are Ideology and “religion”: that is, how to manage the unmanageable and explain the unexplainable

7. Recognizing Culture Events: Rites Ceremonials Rituals Communications Myths Sagas Legends Stories Folktales Things Symbols Language Gestures Physical setting Artifacts Really minor distinctions among these

8. Layers of Culture Symbols Rituals Heroes Values Practices

9. Cultural Dimensions (Hofstede) Process vs. results Employee vs. job Parochial vs. professional Open vs. closed Loose vs. tight Normative vs. pragmatic

10. Cultural Dimensions (another perspective) Innovation and risk-taking Attention to detail Outcome orientation People orientation Team orientation Aggressiveness Stability

11. Yet Another Perspective…. I. Managing change II. Achieving goals (how effective) III. Coordinated teamwork IV. Customer orientation V. Cultural strength

12. OCAQ Norms

13. Sources of Culture Founders Historical events Industry National culture

14. Acquiring Culture Selection process Socialization of new members Rites and ceremonies Rite of passage Rite of renewal Rite of integration

15. Changing Culture Can it be changed? In a new organization: The founder effect Maybe yes? Maybe no? Should it be changed? Strong culture can be a barrier to innovation, growth and change