TOPIC 6 – ORGANISATIONAL
CULTURE
DEFINITION
= The set of common beliefs, values within an organisation that largely determines how
employees act. Often "unwritten" rules.
Can be influenced + observed in behaviour of employees
Expressed in values, symbols, rituals, stories, language
Constantly involving
Is created and maintained by people of the company
is hard to change
makes difference between feeling at home and going to work reluctantly
is passed individually by your direct manager and by your colleagues
Structure skeleton, formal
Culture ‘atmosphere’, the DNA of a company
LAYERS IN A CULTURE
Material artefacts and symbols
Heroes and stories
Rituals and traditions
Norms and
values
, Norms and values - what connects people
- What do we consider important?
Who-what do we highlight?
- To be influenced by example
behaviour ("walk the talk“, live adn
act according to those principles)
Rituals and traditions - Activities repeated in a fixed
order
- Rituals old style versus new style
Rewarding salespeople and their
performance at set times
Celebrating staff members (while
retiring)
Give people credit for individual
and group achievements
Heroes and stories Heroes
Stories
- Often inspiring stories/anecdotes
about the founders, their dreams,
their (heroic) deeds, their
ambitions and successes, breaking
rules, reactions to past mistakes.
- Stories are often a link between
past and present. They explain or
legitimise current approaches.
Material artefacts, symbols and language Material artefacts
- size and design of buildings and
offices
- enclosed spaces or enclosed areas,
common areas?
- use of certain exclusive,
expensive/electric cars (no cars)
- parking spaces reserved or not
- cheap-exclusive clothing
- fringe benefits for executives...
language
- Use of unique terms for machines,
key people, customers, products or
certain tasks.
- Purpose: mastery of these terms
forges a bond between members of
CULTURE
DEFINITION
= The set of common beliefs, values within an organisation that largely determines how
employees act. Often "unwritten" rules.
Can be influenced + observed in behaviour of employees
Expressed in values, symbols, rituals, stories, language
Constantly involving
Is created and maintained by people of the company
is hard to change
makes difference between feeling at home and going to work reluctantly
is passed individually by your direct manager and by your colleagues
Structure skeleton, formal
Culture ‘atmosphere’, the DNA of a company
LAYERS IN A CULTURE
Material artefacts and symbols
Heroes and stories
Rituals and traditions
Norms and
values
, Norms and values - what connects people
- What do we consider important?
Who-what do we highlight?
- To be influenced by example
behaviour ("walk the talk“, live adn
act according to those principles)
Rituals and traditions - Activities repeated in a fixed
order
- Rituals old style versus new style
Rewarding salespeople and their
performance at set times
Celebrating staff members (while
retiring)
Give people credit for individual
and group achievements
Heroes and stories Heroes
Stories
- Often inspiring stories/anecdotes
about the founders, their dreams,
their (heroic) deeds, their
ambitions and successes, breaking
rules, reactions to past mistakes.
- Stories are often a link between
past and present. They explain or
legitimise current approaches.
Material artefacts, symbols and language Material artefacts
- size and design of buildings and
offices
- enclosed spaces or enclosed areas,
common areas?
- use of certain exclusive,
expensive/electric cars (no cars)
- parking spaces reserved or not
- cheap-exclusive clothing
- fringe benefits for executives...
language
- Use of unique terms for machines,
key people, customers, products or
certain tasks.
- Purpose: mastery of these terms
forges a bond between members of
