1. Understanding & Changing Organizational Culture

2. Organization culture
What it is
How it works
How to change it….maybe

3. Popular cartoons are often blunt about what is seen in some organizational cultures

6. What is culture?
What are the organizational indications of culture?
How might you “diagnose” the health of a culture?
How is organizational culture formed?
How can culture be changed?

7. Organizational Culture Individual Personality
Levels of Change
Societal Culture
“Who we are,” customs
Organizational Culture
“The way we do things here”
Team Norms
What’s (un)acceptable; “This is what we do”
Individual Personality
Values, beliefs, temperament, habits; “Who I am”

9. Level of conscious awareness Long term, difficult to change
The Culture Iceberg: 90% hidden
Shorter, easier to change
Observable symbols, ceremonies, slogans, stories, dress, physical settings, decoration, etc.
Level of conscious awareness
Values, beliefs, norms, customs, nonverbal behavior, etc.
Long term, difficult to change

10. Assessment of Corporate Culture (Schein): An anthropological approach
Norms
Expected Behavior
Standards
Chain of command
Wardrobe
Folkways
Customs
Unconscious acts
Shaking hands
Arriving early
Mores
Subclass of folkways
important to survival
right-wrong behavior
cheating on expenses
Ceremonies & Rites
Elaborate, planned events to
celebrate values
often dramatic in nature
reinforce specific values
create bond of common
understanding
anoint cultural heroes &
heroines
Languages
Jargon
terminology
Culture
Heroes & Heroines
Personify values
create role models
intuitive & visionary
ethic of creation not
competition
success attainable
symbolize company
standard of performance
motivate employees
Myths
Frequently told stories
Based on true or
imaginary events
shared & told to
newcomers
Symbols
Events & things with special
& deeply held meanings
large office with window
seating close to CEO

14. Survey/Data Feedback
Identify area of concern & associated beliefs & behaviors
Involve system in survey selection or construction
Gather data
Analyze data to contrast practice and beliefs
Present to OD group
Use Reflective Learning Model to
identify discrepancies
explore interpretations
consider interventions
Implement & evaluate
Survey feedback

15. Denison Organizational Culture Survey
Assessment of dimensions provides feedback on strengths, weaknesses, and implications for change

16. Force-Field Analysis for achieving a culture that promotes patient/client self-care in a general practice
Don’t push the drivers…
…reduce
the barriers!

17. Team discussion
Describe the artifacts of a work culture with which you are very familiar
What are the underlying values and culture that these artifacts represent?
What are the strengths and weaknesses of this culture?
Is there a gap between where the organization is and where it would like to be?
If you were to attempt culture change, how would you go about it?

18. Now the hard stuff… (culture change)
Requires a “damn good reason!” to change
Gap analysis is an important (if not essential) motivator
Culture almost always wins over strategy
Remove barriers, don’t push the river
There are usually “revenge effects” (unexpected consequences)
It takes time (4-7 years)

19. The following slides are only examples of various approaches to describing culture

20. Approaches to Understanding Organizational Culture
Deal & Kennedy’s Corporate Culture
Kilmann Saxton Culture Gap Survey
Denison Organization Culture Survey
Sonnenfeld & Peiperl’s Four Cultures
Reimann & Weiner’s Shared Values Model
Schein’s Qualitative Assessment
Hofstede’s dimensions of Culture

28. Sample Culture Change Retreat

29. Kilmann-Saxton Culture-Gap Survey (actual vs. desired norms)
+ more improvement with increased task innovation (make changes, encourage creativity)
+ Improvement with greater task support (share information & help others)
Task
Innovation
Support
Personal
Freedom
Social
Relations
Human
Concerns
Technical
Short
Term
Long
- Performance and morale improve with change toward less task support
- performance and morale improve with less task innovation
+ increase personal freedom (more discretion in following rules)
+ improvement with social relationships (participate, get to know people)
- improvement with decrease in social relations (don’t socialize as much)
- performance/morale improve with decrease in personal freedom (live for organization & its values)
A Minus (-) score (unfilled bar) is a significant culture gap & indicates a desire for less of something. An unfilled bar can be a cultural barrier to organization success

30. Schneider Culture Model

31. Cameron & Quinn Model of Culture