7/11/2015

TheSiren'sCall:OrganizationalCulturesAreyouinatoxicworkenvironment?
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TheSiren'sCall
Thursday,May31,2012

AboutMe

OrganizationalCulturesAreyouinatoxicwork
environment?
Culturetypically
includesthetotalityof
sociallytransmitted
behaviors,beliefs,
attitudes,human
thoughtsandcreations.
Itaffectseveryaspect
ofourlivestheway
welookatthings,the
wayweactandreact
andhowweexpressour
feelings.
Culturealsohasa
pervasiveimpacton
businesspracticesand
organizational
behaviors.Harrisonand
Huntington(2000)have
providedcompelling
evidencethatnationalculturesandvaluesshapehumanprogressandinfluence
economicprosperity.Forexample,Asianvaluesofpersonalrelationshipsandfamily
tiesservedEastandSoutheastAsiawellforoverthreedecadesbuthinderedtheir
economicdevelopmentinthelastfewyears.

DeboraDemaree
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Inspiteofthepervasiveinfluenceofnationalculture,withineachnationexist
differenttypesoforganizationalcultures,becausethepersonalityandphilosophyof
thefounder/leadermayalsoshapethecultureofeachcorporation.AccordingtoReh
(2002),"Itistheleader'sjobtoprovidethevisionforthegroup.Agoodexecutive
musthaveadreamandtheabilitytogetthecompanytosupportthatdream.Butit
isnotenoughtomerelyhavethedream.Theleadermustalsoprovidethe
frameworkbywhichthepeopleinthatorganizationcanhelpachievethedream.This
iscalledcompanyculture"(p.1).
Generally,organizationalculturereferstotheprevailingimplicitvalues,attitudes
andwaysofdoingthingsinacompany.Itoftenreflectsthepersonality,philosophy
andtheethnicculturalbackgroundofthefounderortheleader.Corporateculture
dictateshowthecompanyisrunandhowpeoplearepromoted.Leadersand
managersneedtounderstandhowdifferenttypesofcorporateculturesmayeither
facilitateorinhibitorganizationaleffortstoimproveperformanceandincrease
productivity.Theyalsoneedtohavethenecessarycompetencytofostercorporate
culturalchange.CameronandQuinn(1998)pointedouttheimportanceof
transformingorganizationalcultureinordertoadapttochangingtimes.Theyhave
developedanassessmentinstrumenttoidentifyfourtypesofcultures,namely,
marketculture,advocacyculture,clanculture,andhierarchyculture.
http://ddemaree.blogspot.com/2012/05/organizationalculturesareyouin.html

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TheSiren'sCall:OrganizationalCulturesAreyouinatoxicworkenvironment?

Toxicorganizationalcultures
Thefollowingorganizationalculturesaredescribedastoxicbecausetheyare
dysfunctioningintermsofrelationshipsandadjustmenttochangingtimes.They
underminethesocial/spiritualcapital,poisontheworkclimateandcontributeto
organizationaldecline.
(1)AuthoritarianhierarchicalcultureThebigbossalonemakesallthemajor
decisionsbehindcloseddoors.Evenwhenthedecisionsareharmfultothe
company,noonedarestochallengetheboss.Thestandardmodeofoperandumis
commandandcontrol,withnoregardtothewellbeingofemployeesorthefutureof
thecompany.Inthiskindofculture,employeesaretobecontrolled,manipulated
andoccasionallypacifiedlikelittlechildren.Workersaremotivatedbyfearrather
thanloveforthecompanyorpassionforthework.Theyareexpectedtodowhat
theyaretoldwithoutquestioning.Themaincriterionforpromotionisloyaltytothe
boss,ratherthancompetenceandcommitment.Asaresult,starperformerswho
daretoquestionsomeoftheadministration'sdecisionsaresidelinedorletgo,while
thosewhoobeythebossblindlyandwhoarewillingbehatchetmengetthenodfor
promotion.
Hierarchiesarenotnecessarilybadinandofthemselves.Somesortofhierarchyin
termsofdecisionmakingandresponsibilityisalwaysinevitable.However,when
hierarchiesareusedtocontrolandabuseworkers,problemsinevitablyoccur.
Hierarchieswithoutaccountabilitytendtohaveacorruptinginfluenceonambitious,
autocraticleaders.Whenthebossisdysfunctionalandhasthepowertoimposehis
selfish,irrationaldecisionsonothers,theentirecompanysuffers.
(2)CompetingconflictivecultureThereisalwayssomesortofpowerstrugglegoing
on.Leadersareplottingagainsteachotherandstabbingeachotherontheback.
Differentunitsandevendifferentindividualswithinaunitareundercutting,
backstabbingeachothertogainsomecompetitiveadvantage.Thereisalackof
trustandcooperation.Peopleoftenhideimportantinformationfromeachotherand
evensabotageeachother'seffortstoensurethatonlytheywillcomeupontop.
Thereisnoregardforthelargerpictureandtheoverallgoalofthecompany.Itis
everymanforhimself.Bothmanagementandworkersareobsessedwiththeirown
survivalandselfinterests.Asaconsequence,theorganizationisfragmentedand
thereisalotofwasteofvaluableresourcesbecauseofduplicationsandsabotage.
Suchintensecompetitionwithinthecompanycreatesaclimateofdivisiveness,
conflictandmistrust.Ahousedividedcannotlongsurviveinahighlycompetitive
globeeconomy.

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(3)LaissezfairecultureThereisavacuumatthetop,eitherbecausetheleaderis
incompetentandignorant,orbecauseheistoopreoccupiedwithhispersonalaffairs
topaymuchattentiontothecompany.Consequently,thereisanabsenceof
directions,standardsandexpectations.Whenthereisanabsenceofeffective
leadership,eachdepartment,infact,eachindividualdoeswhatevertheywant.The
leadershipvoidwillalsotemptambitiousindividualstoseizepowertobenefit
themselves.Chaosandconfusionaretheorderoftheday.Noonehasaclear
sensewherethecompanyisgoing.Often,employeesreceiveconflictingdirections
andsignals.Often,decisionsaremadeinthemorningonlytobenullifiedinthe
afternoon.Giventhelackofdirection,oversightandaccountabilityallacrossthe
board,productivitydeclines.Inthiskindofculture,thecompanyeitherdisintegrates
orbecomesaneasytargetforahostiletakeover.
(4)DishonestcorruptcultureInthisculture,greedisgoodandmoneyisGod.
Thereislittleregardforethicsorthelaw.Suchattitudespermeatethewhole
companyfromthetopdowntoindividualworkers.Bribery,cheating,andfraudulent
practicesarewidespread.Creativeaccountingandmisleadingprofitreportsarea
matterofroutine.Denial,rationalizationandreputationmanagementenablethem
carryontheirunethicalandoftenillegalactivitiesuntiltheyarecaughtredhandedor
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TheSiren'sCall:OrganizationalCulturesAreyouinatoxicworkenvironment?

exposedbycorrectingforcesofthemarket.Whenmanagementareblindedbygreed
andambition,theirjudgmentbecomesdistortedandtheirdecisionsbecome
seriouslyflawedasaresult,theyoftencrossthelinewithoutbeingawareofit.
Enronservesasagoodexample.
(5)RigidtraditionalcultureThereisastrongresistancetoanykindofchange.The
leadershipclingstooutdatedmethodsandtraditions,unwillingtoadapttothe
changesinthemarketplace.Theyliveinpastgloryandanychangeposesathreat
totheirdeeplyentrenchedvaluesandtheirsenseofsecurity.Workersare
discouragedorevenreprimandedforsuggestinginnovativeideas.Theiraccounting,
marketinganddeliverysystemsarenolongercompetitivewiththefastpaced
technologydrivenmarketplace.Theirproductsandserviceshavenotrespondedto
changingmarketdemands.Theirmantrais"Wehavealwaysdonethingsthisway."
Asaresult,theworldpassesthembyandeventuallytheyareleftwithanempty
shelloftheformerself.
Theabovefivetypesoftoxicculturesarenotmutuallyexclusive.Foranexample,
anorganizationmaybebothauthoritarianandtraditional.Similarly,an
organizationcanbebothauthoritarianandcorrupt.Whenacompanysuffersfroma
multipleofdiseases,drasticoperationsareneededtosaveitfromdemise.
Unfortunately,notmanymanagersarecompetentinthediagnosisandtreatmentof
toxicorganizationalcultures.
Harrison,L.E.,&Huntington,S.P.(Eds.)(2000).Culturematters:Cameron,K.S.,
&Quinn,R.E.(1998).Diagnosingandchangingorganizationalculture:Baseonthe
competingvaluesframework.Baltimore,MD:AddisonWesleyPublications.How
valuesshapehumanprogress.NewYork:BasicBooks.

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