Organisational Culture

At the end of this unit you should be able to

1. Define organisational culture2. Identify organisational norms that exist in

different workplaces3. Discuss the impact of organisational practices

on employees, customers and other stakeholders

4. Outline organisational values that work towards organisational goals and meet the needs of all key stakeholders

What is Organisational Culture?

What is Organisational Culture?

• The set of shared, taken-for granted implicit assumptions that a group holds and determines how it perceives, thinks about and reacts to its various environments’

(Schein 1996: 236)

• The way things get done around here!

Culture’s Overall Function

Culture is the social glue that helps hold an organization

together by providing appropriate standards for

what employees should say or do.

Dwivedi, 1995

Task: How would you describe or depict the Irish

Culture.

Prentice Hall, 2001 Chapter 17 9

How EmployeesLearn Culture/

How it is “reinforced”

How EmployeesLearn Culture/

How it is “reinforced”

MaterialMaterialSymbolsSymbolsMaterialMaterialSymbolsSymbols

LanguageLanguageLanguageLanguage

StoriesStoriesStoriesStories RitualsRitualsRitualsRituals

Johnson & Scoles, 1992

Exercise: What’s the Culture?

1. List different organisations that you are familiar with

2. Describe key characteristics of the organisation. (Formal/informal, friendly, customer orientation, authoritarian/democratic…..)

3. What is the impact of these characteristics on the organisation, the employees, the customers

NORMS

Codes of conduct and rules, explicit and implicit, regarding

what behaviours are acceptable or not

acceptable.

Norms

Think about a place where you have worked or currently work:

• Give 2 examples of Explicit Norms

• Give 2 examples of Implicit Norms

Culture embodies

the attitudes, values, behavioural norms and expectations shared by an organisation’s

members.

FastCompany: The Wrong Stuff

1. What communication practices contribute to a negative culture?

2. What would you define as the key characteristics of a healthy culture?

3. If you were a manager of an organisation, what communication norms would you encourage to promote a healthy or wholesome culture?

Cultural Styles

3 broad categories1.Constructive2.Aggressive/defensive3.Passive/defensive

Cultural Styles - Constructive

• Achievement• Self-actualising• Humanistic-Encouraging• Affiliative

Cultural Styles - Aggressive/defensive

• Oppositional• Power• Competitive• Perfectionistic

Cultural Styles – Passive/defensive

• Approval• Conventional• Dependent• Avoidance

Exercise: Cultural Styles

What cultural styles have you experienced in your work places - describe them.

See following slide for exercise for the next day.You will need to prepare

Workshop group exercise

• Prepare a short profile of an organisation• Explain the culture of the organisation and

how you believe it may impact on the communication

• How do you think employees feel about the culture

• Use the handout• See page 107 -108 in book

Hibernian Group (HG)1. Define organisational culture2. How does an organisations culture develop?3. Why is an established culture hard to change?4. List the traditional values of the insurance

industry and why HG felt it necessary to change.

5. Summarise the main initiatives undertaken by HG to encourage the development of a new culture.

Espoused versus Enacted Values

Espoused• Mission Statement• Vision• Values• Code of Ethics

Enacted• Work practicces• Communication practices• Physical environment• Empowerment