Coming to a new awareness of organization culture
Schein, E.H.
Kluckhohn and Strodsbeck note that Western culture tens to be oriented towards an active mastery
of nature, and is based on individualistic competitive relationships. It uses a future-oriented, linear,
monochromic concept of time, vies space and ultimately perfectible. Bases reality or ultimate truth
on science and pragmatism.
In contrast, some Eastern cultures are passively oriented towards nature. They seek to harmonise
with nature and with each other. They vies the group as more important than the individual, are
present of past oriented, see time as polychromic and cyclical, view space and resources as very
limited, assume that human nature is bad but improvable, and see reality as based more on
revealed truth than on empirical extermination.
A Given Group
A group needs to meet certain criteria to develop an own culture:
1. The group is a set of people who have been together long enough to have shared
significant problems.
2. They have had opportunities to solve these problems and to observe the effects of their
solutions.
3. The have taken in new members (proof that the culture is stable, and the solutions are
valid).
The strength of such a culture can be defined in terms of:
1. Homogeneity and stability.
2. Length and intensity of the shared experiences.
Invented, Discovered, or Developed
Two types of learning situations:
1. Positive problem solving situations (did a solution work best or not, constantly improving
when situations change)
2. Anxiety-avoidance situations (did a solution avoid anxiety, solution will sustain because
nobody face the anxiety, even if the solution isn't optimal)
Conclusion
An organisational culture is a dynamic model of learning and group dynamics. In this model a few
things are highlighted to be a success:
1. Culture is always in process of formation and change.
2. Culture tends to cover all aspects of human functioning.
3. Culture is learned around the major issues of external adaption internal integration.
4. Culture is ultimately embodied as an interrelated, patterned set of basic assumptions that
deal with ultimate issues, such as nature, humanity, et cetera.
Schein, E.H.
Kluckhohn and Strodsbeck note that Western culture tens to be oriented towards an active mastery
of nature, and is based on individualistic competitive relationships. It uses a future-oriented, linear,
monochromic concept of time, vies space and ultimately perfectible. Bases reality or ultimate truth
on science and pragmatism.
In contrast, some Eastern cultures are passively oriented towards nature. They seek to harmonise
with nature and with each other. They vies the group as more important than the individual, are
present of past oriented, see time as polychromic and cyclical, view space and resources as very
limited, assume that human nature is bad but improvable, and see reality as based more on
revealed truth than on empirical extermination.
A Given Group
A group needs to meet certain criteria to develop an own culture:
1. The group is a set of people who have been together long enough to have shared
significant problems.
2. They have had opportunities to solve these problems and to observe the effects of their
solutions.
3. The have taken in new members (proof that the culture is stable, and the solutions are
valid).
The strength of such a culture can be defined in terms of:
1. Homogeneity and stability.
2. Length and intensity of the shared experiences.
Invented, Discovered, or Developed
Two types of learning situations:
1. Positive problem solving situations (did a solution work best or not, constantly improving
when situations change)
2. Anxiety-avoidance situations (did a solution avoid anxiety, solution will sustain because
nobody face the anxiety, even if the solution isn't optimal)
Conclusion
An organisational culture is a dynamic model of learning and group dynamics. In this model a few
things are highlighted to be a success:
1. Culture is always in process of formation and change.
2. Culture tends to cover all aspects of human functioning.
3. Culture is learned around the major issues of external adaption internal integration.
4. Culture is ultimately embodied as an interrelated, patterned set of basic assumptions that
deal with ultimate issues, such as nature, humanity, et cetera.
