05/04/2011

The Role of Organizational Culture

Lecture #7 Monday, April 4th, 2011

Lecture Objective
Students can explain how organizational culture relates & intersects with knowledge management & business context, along with cultural enablers & obstacles to knowledge sharing

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Introduction
Myths in the field of KM:

Built it and they will come Technology will replace face-to-face Change the organizational culture to learn

What is Culture?

It refers to underlying values, beliefs, and codes of practice that make a community what it is Culture is subjective

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Organizational Culture
A pattern of basic assumptions -invented, discovered, or developed by a given group as it learns to cope with its problems of external adaptation & internal integration- that has worked well enough to be considered valid and to be taught to new members as the correct way to perceive, think and feel in relation to those problems The way we do things around here

Key Element of Organizational Behavior

Stated & unstated values Overt & implicit expectations for member behavior Customs & rituals Stories & myths about the history of the group Shop talk typical language used in & about the group Climate the feelings evoked by the way members interact Metaphors & symbols

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Organizational Culture in Business Context

The manner in which an organization solves problems to achieve its specific goals & to maintain itself overtime It is holistic, historically determined, socially constructed, and difficult to change

Different Types of Cultures

1.

Communal Culture
Can give its members a sense of belonging & it is task-driven; too much influence & rarely vocal

2.

Networked Culture
Members are treated as friends & family; cant criticize poor performance

3.

Mercenary Culture
Focuses on strict goals; poor performance treated inhumanely

4.

Fragmented Culture
Sense of belonging to the organization is weak; lack of cooperation

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Culture at the Foundation of Knowledge Management

Corporate culture is a key component of ensuring that critical knowledge & information flow within an organization Vertical flow horizontal flow Communication systems are meant as a way to disseminate culture

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Knowledge-Sharing Culture
Knowledge-sharing culture is one:

where knowledge sharing is the norm, where people are encourage to work together, to collaborate & share, where they are rewarded for doing so

Knowledge is power Sharing knowledge is more powerful

Knowledge-Sharing Culture
How to support this culture?

Reward structure recognition for knowledge sharing with peers Openness/transparency no hidden agendas Sharing supported communication & coordination between groups Trust Top management support upward & downward communication

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Cultural Transformation to Knowledge-Sharing Culture

1. 2.

3. 4. 5. 6.

People look to leaders for cues about what is important in an organization Culture is often transmitted through stories & myths that praise certain virtues held to be important to the organization In reacting to crises, leaders can telegraph the organizations values & assumption In addition to motivating behavior directly, a reward system can send powerful messages regarding what is important Important & public decisions also communicate the importance of certain values Leaders communicate the important values by what they praise & what they criticize

Creating a Knowledge-Sharing Culture

Having knowledge journalists begin interviewing key people to document projects, best practices, lessons learned Instituting KN get-togethers breakfast, lunch, learn sessions, informal gathering Producing newsletters to publicize KM initiatives Launching KM pilot projects intranets with CoP Changing performance evaluation criteria to reflect & assess knowledge sharing competencies & accomplishments Redesign workplaces to allow for gathering places

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Cultural Change
Barriers & Solutions
Cultural Barrier:
1.

Possible Solution:
1.

2.

3.

4.

Lack of time & meeting places Status & rewards to knowledge owners Intolerance of mistakes & need for help Lack of common language

2.

3.

4.

Hold seminars & emeetings Establish incentives in performance evaluation Accept & reward creativity & collaboration Establish a knowledge taxonomy & knowledge dictionary

Thank you!
This is the end of todays lecture ..