ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE PROJECT

Organizational Culture Project

for Lanstuhl Elementary Middle School
Sarah J. Hanson
University of Northern Iowa

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This report provides an analysis of the organizational culture at Landstuhl Elementary

Middle School (LEMS) in Landstuhl, Germany. Methods of analysis stem from organization
culture interview questions developed by a research team in Belgium under the leadership of
Roland Vandenberghe (Hall & Hord, 2014, p. 271). Three teachers were selected for interviews
in the following positions: Carol, sixth and seventh grade math teacher, Adam, an elementary
special education teacher for primary grades, and Karin, a fourth grade classroom teacher. The
subsequent list is the selected questions for the interviews:

Can you tell me what is of great importance to your principal?

What does your principal expect from you as a teacher?

What does your principal expect from you as a member of the team?

What does the staff consider as very important in this school? Why is this considered

important?

How would you characterize your school during a conversation with parents?

What exactly makes your school different from other schools?

How often is there a staff meeting in your school? What themes are discussed at these

meetings?

Do you ever look in on a colleagues classroom? How often does that happen? What makes

you do that? Do you discuss it afterwards?

Are there ever conflicts between staff members? What are they about?
The questions are broken down into three categories; the first being how teachers

perceive their principal, which encompasses the first three questions listed above. Overall, the
responses were positive. The interviewees took different routes when responding to what is of
great importance to the principal: from communication and efficiency to trying new things and

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making sure students are learning. Principal expectations for teachers had more of a theme: try
new innovations, dont be scared to fail (within reason) and teachers have support from
administration (Adam, personal communication, September 15 , 2014). Other topics included
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care and compassion for students and families, learning from students, integrity, and creating a
positive environment. From Karin and Adam, principal expectations for a group included
answers about efficiency, resolving issues on a team level, and sharing ideas. Carol explained her
viewpoint as a member of a team: It is easy to work with other 6 grade teachers but harder to
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work with other math teachers. We are very strong-willed. Also, sometimes decisions are made
without the right people being consulted (Carol, personal communication, October 9 , 2014).
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The second category of questions is discovering the existence of a shared vision.

Questions four through six listed above were asked in reference to a shared vision. When asked
what staff considers as important in the school, Adam and Carol mentioned school climate and
truly caring about the students and families. Karin discussed the importance of academic
excellence across the board: Students coming to us are well-prepared and we want to send
students off ready to handle whats next because you are more inclined to work and take pride in
your school if everyone is working toward a common goal. I dont want to let my colleagues or
students down (personal communication, September 23 , 2014). Carol noticed that people
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from other schools acclimated to LEMS and fit right in. The negative energy from their old
school disappeared. The interviewees characterized the school as a great place to be, a tight
community, supportive administration, and strong in academics. The school is different from
other schools because it is kindergarten-8 grade, small class sizes (kids dont get lost- when
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sent to the office, they really know you), staff genuinely likes each other, and there is a semi-

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flexible budget for resources. Karin and Adam spoke of the professional parenting with students
that have more focus and less discipline issues stemming from LEMS being on a medical base.
For the last category, discovering the values and norms among teachers, interviewees
were asked questions seven through nine from the above list. Staff meetings are held once a
month, some being flipped meetings online with a social to follow after school. The meetings
begin with celebrations, tech tips, and important upcoming dates. The rest of the allotted time is
spent discussing data, district guidelines, and local concerns. When the interviewees were asked
if they had looked in on any classes, Adam said just in passing, Karin answered no, and Carol
said, I would enjoy looking in on other classes, but there is no time. I would have to use my
prep period, which I need to grade these (holds up writing samples). The question regarding
conflict between staff members resulted in vague answers. Carol mentioned scheduling conflicts,
Adam stated conflicts arising from lack of skill or personality differences, and Karin touched on
petty conflicts which could be avoided with better communication between staff.
With the information gathered from the interviews, Landstuhl Elementary Middle School
can be identified as a Professional Organization. The principal has high expectations for teachers
and they are expected to be a part of the team (Hall & Hord, 2014, p. 271). Also, teachers feel
they can always call on the principal for help with their professional problems, and the principal
puts forward his/her own ideas (p. 271). LEMS has a positive school environment where staff
and students feel confident to take risks. However, there is room to grow when it comes from
teachers learning from one another. There are little to no classroom observations among
colleagues taking place, with some teachers showing a lack of enthusiasm to do so in the first
place. Staff meetings are well-organized and positive, but some faculty members are unclear as
to the main idea of some meetings. Overall, the staff at LEMS has a clear vision of the

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importance of caring for the students, communicating with family and the community, and
providing students a positive and rigorous learning environment.

References

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Hall, G., & Hord, S. (2014). Implementing change: Patterns, principles, and potholes.
Boston: Pearson.