Chapter 16

Organizational
Culture
ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR
S T E P H E N P. R O B B I N S
E L E V E N T H
2005 Prentice Hall Inc.
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E D I T I O N

W W W . P R E N H AL L . C O M / R O B B I N S

PowerPoint Presentation
by Charlie Cook

Institutionalization:
Institutionalization: AAForerunner
Forerunner of
of Culture
Culture
Institutionalization
When an organization takes on a life of its
own, apart from any of its members, becomes
valued for itself, and acquires immortality.

2005 Prentice Hall Inc.

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162

What
What Is
Is Organizational
Organizational Culture?
Culture?
Organizational Culture
A common perception
held by the
organizations
members; a system of
shared meaning.

Characteristics:
Characteristics:
1.1. Innovation
Innovationand
andrisk
risk
taking
taking
2.2. Attention
Attentionto
todetail
detail
3.3. Outcome
Outcomeorientation
orientation
4.4. People
Peopleorientation
orientation
5.5. Team
Teamorientation
orientation
6.6. Aggressiveness
Aggressiveness
7.7. Stability
Stability

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163

Do
Do Organizations
Organizations Have
Have Uniform
Uniform Cultures?
Cultures?
Dominant Culture
Expresses the core values that are shared by
a majority of the organizations members.

Subcultures
Minicultures within an organization, typically
defined by department designations and
geographical separation.
2005 Prentice Hall Inc.
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164

Do
Do Organizations
Organizations Have
Have Uniform
Uniform Cultures?
Cultures?
(contd)
(contd)
Core Values
The primary or dominant values that are
accepted throughout the organization.

Strong Culture
A culture in which the core values are
intensely held and widely shared.
2005 Prentice Hall Inc.
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165

What
What Is
Is Organizational
Organizational Culture?
Culture? (contd)
(contd)
Culture Versus Formalization
A strong culture increases behavioral
consistency and can act as a substitute for
formalization.

Organizational Culture Versus National Culture

National culture has a greater impact on
employees than does their organizations
culture.
Nationals selected to work for foreign companies
may be atypical of the local/native population.

2005 Prentice Hall Inc.

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166

What
What Do
Do Cultures
Cultures Do?
Do?
Cultures
CulturesFunctions:
Functions:
1.1. Defines
Definesthe
theboundary
boundarybetween
betweenone
oneorganization
organization
and
andothers.
others.
2.2. Conveys
Conveysaasense
senseof
ofidentity
identityfor
forits
itsmembers.
members.
3.3. Facilitates
Facilitatesthe
thegeneration
generationof
ofcommitment
commitmentto
to
something
somethinglarger
largerthan
thanself-interest.
self-interest.
4.4. Enhances
Enhancesthe
thestability
stabilityof
ofthe
thesocial
socialsystem.
system.
5.5. Serves
Servesas
asaasense-making
sense-makingand
andcontrol
controlmechanism
mechanism
for
forfitting
fittingemployees
employeesin
inthe
theorganization.
organization.

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167

What
What Do
Do Cultures
Cultures Do?
Do?

Culture
Cultureas
asaaLiability:
Liability:
1.1. Barrier
Barrierto
tochange.
change.
2.2. Barrier
Barrierto
todiversity
diversity
3.3. Barrier
Barrierto
toacquisitions
acquisitionsand
andmergers
mergers

2005 Prentice Hall Inc.

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168

How
How Culture
Culture Begins
Begins
Founders hire and keep only employees who
think and feel the same way they do.
Founders indoctrinate and socialize these
employees to their way of thinking and feeling.
The founders own behavior acts as a role model
that encourages employees to identify with them
and thereby internalize their beliefs, values, and
assumptions.

2005 Prentice Hall Inc.

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169

Keeping
Keeping Culture
Culture Alive
Alive
Selection
Concern with how well the candidates will fit
into the organization.
Provides information to candidates about the
organization.

Top Management
Senior executives help establish behavioral
norms that are adopted by the organization.

Socialization
The process that helps new employees adapt to
the organizations culture.

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10

Stages
Stages in
in the
the Socialization
Socialization Process
Process
Prearrival Stage
The period of learning in the socialization process that
occurs before a new employee joins the organization.

Encounter Stage
The stage in the socialization process in which a new
employee sees what the organization is really like and
confronts the possibility that expectations and reality
may diverge.

Metamorphosis Stage
The stage in the socialization process in which a new
employee changes and adjusts to the work, work group,
and organization.

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11

How
How Employees
Employees Learn
Learn Culture
Culture
Stories
Stories
Rituals
Rituals
Material
MaterialSymbols
Symbols
Language
Language

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12

Creating
Creating An
An Ethical
Ethical Organizational
Organizational Culture
Culture
Characteristics of Organizations that Develop
High Ethical Standards
High tolerance for risk
Low to moderate in aggressiveness
Focus on means as well as outcomes

Managerial Practices Promoting an Ethical Culture

Being a visible role model.

Communicating ethical expectations.
Providing ethical training.
Rewarding ethical acts and punishing unethical
ones.
Providing protective mechanisms.

2005 Prentice Hall Inc.

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13

Creating
Creating aa Customer-Responsive
Customer-Responsive Culture
Culture
Key Variables Shaping Customer-Responsive
Cultures
1. The types of employees hired by the
organization.
2. Low formalization: the freedom to meet customer
service requirements.
3. Empowering employees with decision-making
discretion to please the customer.
4. Good listening skills to understand customer
messages.
5. Role clarity that allows service employees to act
as boundary spanners.
6. Employees who engage in organizational
citizenship
behaviors.
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Prentice Hall
Inc.
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Creating
CreatingaaCustomer-Responsive
Customer-ResponsiveCulture
Culture(contd)
(contd)
Managerial
ManagerialActions
Actions::
Select
Selectnew
newemployees
employeeswith
withpersonality
personalityand
and
attitudes
attitudesconsistent
consistentwith
withhigh
highservice
service
orientation.
orientation.
Train
Trainand
andsocialize
socializecurrent
currentemployees
employeesto
tobe
be
more
morecustomer
customerfocused.
focused.
Change
Changeorganizational
organizationalstructure
structureto
togive
give
employees
employeesmore
morecontrol.
control.
Empower
Empoweremployees
employeesto
tomake
makedecision
decisionabout
about
their
theirjobs.
jobs.
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Creating
CreatingaaCustomer-Responsive
Customer-ResponsiveCulture
Culture(contd)
(contd)
Managerial
ManagerialActions
Actions(contd)
(contd)::
Lead
Leadby
byconveying
conveyingaacustomer-focused
customer-focusedvision
vision
and
anddemonstrating
demonstratingcommitment
commitmentto
tocustomers.
customers.
Conduct
Conductperformance
performanceappraisals
appraisalsbased
basedon
on
customer-focused
customer-focusedemployee
employeebehaviors.
behaviors.
Provide
Provideongoing
ongoingrecognition
recognitionfor
foremployees
employeeswho
who
make
makespecial
specialefforts
effortsto
toplease
pleasecustomers.
customers.

2005 Prentice Hall Inc.

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16

Spirituality
Spirituality and
and Organizational
Organizational Culture
Culture
Workplace Spirituality
The recognition that people have an inner life
that nourishes and is nourished by meaningful
work that takes place in the context of the
community.
Characteristics:
Characteristics:
Strong
Strongsense
senseof
ofpurpose
purpose
Focus
Focuson
onindividual
individualdevelopment
development
Trust
Trustand
andopenness
openness
Employee
Employeeempowerment
empowerment
Toleration
Tolerationof
ofemployee
employeeexpression
expression

2005 Prentice Hall Inc.

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