Organizational Culture and Organizational Change

Companies tend to hire ______, and people who do not like the culture tend to _______

Similar, Leave

Does every employee experience the same perception of the company?

Not everyone has the same perception, but employees are exposed to a lot of common experiences, and to an extent, have a similar understanding towards the processes that go on in the organization

What are the levels of organizational culture? (3)

1) Artifacts & physical characteristics
2) Espoused values and values-in-use
3) Fundamental assumptions
* From highest to lowest in terms of visibility

When just visiting a company, we can only see the _______.

Physical characteristics

Physical characteristics make up ___% of the company culture. The other ___% you must dig deeper and discuss with someone on the inside

10, 90

What are some things that you could learn about a company when discussing with someone on the inside? What level of visibility is this?

#NAME?

Is it difficult to learn of the fundamental assumptions as an outsider of the organization?

Yes, because even if you speak to someone on the inside, they may not be able to tell you

What are some examples of artifacts that on may observe in an organization (5)

1) Architecture
2) Technology
3) Styles of dress, speech, social interaction
4) Office layout and design
5) Rites, rituals, stories

What are company values defined as? (3)

1) Behavioural norms, belief systems, and embraced values.
2) Written or unwritten rules
3) A sense of what "ought" to be

What are some examples of company values? (4)

1) Rules about behaviour
2) Preferences for certain goals
3) Preferences for certain methods of accomplishing goals
4) What people say is important to them

What happens if people stray from the norm?

People are subtly to overtly punished for violating norms

How important are company values?

Values are so important, that some people are willing to sacrifice profit to protect it

What are fundamental assumptions?

They are the deeply held, unconscious beliefs about reality

What are some examples of underlying assumptions? (5)

1) The nature of reality and truth
2) The nature of time
3) The nature of human nature
4) The nature of human relationships
5) Relation to the environment

What is the nature of reality and truth?

#NAME?

What is the nature of time?

The view of the company in terms of time. Over time, is the company static or dynamic? Does it stay the same, or is there constant change?

What is the nature of human nature?

How the company views its members. Do they assume everyone is good, or everyone is evil?

What is the nature of human relationships?

Does the company encourage competition or cooperation?

Are fundamental assumptions easy to find out?

No, they have very low visibility, and require extensive interviews and research to understand

What is a strong culture?

A culture of intense beliefs, values, and assumptions that are shared among employees

Can strong cultures lead to blind conformity?

Although it may, not necessarily. A culture can still encourage questioning and arguments, and once that is shared, it can become a strong culture

What affect on employees does a strong culture possess?

Strong cultures have a greater impact on employee behaviour and leads to reduced turnover

A strong culture can build...(3)

1) Cohesiveness
2) Loyalty
3) Organizational commitment

Strong cultures demonstrate high ________ among employees about what the organization _______

Agreement, stands for

What are some benefits to a strong culture? (3)

1) Coordination
2) Conflict resolution
3) Financial success

What are some drawbacks to a strong culture? (3)

1) Resistance to change
2) Culture clash
3) Pathology

What is organizational culture?

The shared belief, values, and assumptions that exist in an organization

What does organizational culture represent?

It represents a true "way of life" for organizational members. Tends to be stable over time

How do people know an organizational culture exists?

Although it is invisible, it really becomes obvious when compared with other companies, or when the company undergoes changes

In this unit, we bring everything we've learned on an individual level to an ____________ level

Organizational

What are the factors that lead to the failure of start-ups?

Money, people, and corporate culture

What are some examples of organizations where how you look or act is critical?

1) Club med
2) Stewardesses
3) Sales
4) Police officer

What are the 6 forces for organizational change?

1) People (workforce diversity)
2) Technology (more computers for example)
3) Info processing & communication (video conferencing)
4) Competition (global competitors, mergers)
5) World politics (leadership changes)
6) Economic shocks (market crashes, foreign currency fluctuations)

What is Lewin's 3 step change model?

Unfreezing --> Change --> Refreezing

What occurs during the 'unfreezing' stage of Lewin's 3 step change model?

Recognizing that the current state of affairs is unsatisfactory

What occurs during the 'change' stage of Lewin's 3 step change model?

Implementing a program or plan to move the organization and/or its members from the old way of doing things to the new way

What occurs during the 'refreezing' stage of Lewin's 3 step change model?

Stabilizing the change, done by introducing conditions to maintain and reinforce there newly developed behaviours and attitudes

Why is an unfreezing stage necessary? When does it occur?

#NAME?

What are 6 sources of resistance to change?

1) Politics/self interest?
2) Low tolerance
3) Strong emotions
4) Lack of trust
5) Different assessments
6) Resistant culture

How does politics/self interest resist change?

When there are changes, there tends to be a relocation of power. Sometimes people are scared to implement change because it will impact their status

Who has low tolerance for change?

People with low self-advocacy, and short term focus

How are strong emotions a source of resistance to change?

Because change relates to uncertainty, and uncertainty relates to stress, changes can induce strong emotional reactions

Why is 'different assessments' a source of resistance to change?

Some people just think it may not be necessary, or not attainable

Why is 'lack of trust' a source of resistance to change?

Some people may agree with the change, but do not trust the abilities and/or the intentions of the people implementing the change

Why is 'resistant culture' a source of resistance to change?

Bigger companies tend to prefer stability and tradition, naturally resisting the urge to change

How do organizations overcome resistance that comes from people with self-interest (politics)?

#NAME?

How do organizations overcome resistance that comes from people with general low tolerance for change?

#NAME?

How do organizations overcome resistance that comes from people who have a lack of trust in those implementing the change?

#NAME?

What are other ways organizations can overcome resistance to change?

#NAME?

What are some refreezing strategies after change has been implemented in an organization?

1) Reward desired behaviour
2) Develop structures to institutionalize the change

What are good and bad ways to reward desired behaviour when refreezing after an organizational change has been made?

#NAME?

How do you develop structures to institutionalize change when refreezing after an organizational change has been made?

#NAME?

If change doesn't work out, you should revert back to the old ways. True or False?

FALSE. Always make change work, don't revert back

When you change something, make sure you have other functions that are ___________ __________.

Modified accordingly