Culture - Handy

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Managing Ghange Toolkit

Culture - HandY
recent years. culture consists of the shared values organisational culture has been given a lot.of attention in every aspeit of work life, from how people greet each of an organisation - tne uetieis ,id nor*, ttrat aitect oi a culture determines how difficult or easy it is to other to how major policy decisions are *r0". ih" itrunglh, know how to behave in the organisation' the 4 main types of corporate culture, taken from This note is a summary of Charles Handy,s model describing his book "Gods of Management".

Handy - Gods of Management

broad range of four cultures The formation of Handy suggests that we can classify organisations into a ,culture, will depend upon a whole host of factors including company history, ownership' organisation etc' structure, technology,' critical business incidents and environment, 'Task'and'People'' The purpose o-f the analysis is to The four cultures he discusses are Power', 'Role', the real needs and constraints of the assess the degree to *friif, tfre predominant culture reflects to illustrate his ideas: oigrni..tion. fianOy uies Olagrdmmatic representation

The power culture,

Power culturc (the web)

this reflects the concentration of power of a Handy describes the power culture as a 'web'. He suggests that strict either be extreme[-large or small. The family operation with family-owneO Ousiness, which personalities rather than expertise creates the giv6n to responsibilities going to family members res[onsibitity power structure of the 'web'' in the USA, run as a smallfamily business at Examples to which Handy refers include the massive institutions iroon"r barons'. power is concentrated in a small area, the centre of which is the wheel the top and known ,. centre, usually a key personality' to others in the family or the centre of the web. Power radiates out from the units' who send information down to either departments, functions or is concentrated in so few hands' the The important point to note is that, because power and decisi.on-making others havi to implement. lt is difficult for others strategists and key family members create s:rtuations which displays this culture with ,famity network,to influence i'baflas', the long running TV soap outside the "renii. the Ewing familY.) environment is very much determined by the The ability of the power culture to adapt to changes in the power within it The power culture has more faith perception and ability of those who occupy ir'," p"*ltions of iapidty and adapt or'fail to see the need for in individuals than committees and can eltrer cf,;;G very change' and die.

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The role culture,

Role culturc (Graek tcmPle)

Culture - Handy

stereotyped as portraying bureaucracy in its This has been typified as a Greek temple and has often been ta(es place, the pillars of the temple reflect purest form. The ,p"* oi tre tempte is'where tre decision making t-r,e oecliions from the apex The strength,of the functional units of the organisation which r',ru" io implement takes place between the functional specialism by the culture lies in specialisation within its pillars. lnteraction organisation culture run by a paper job descriptlons, procedures, rules and systems. This is very much an job descriptions' ty"1.*. ffi iutfidrity is not based on perional initiative but is dictated by only coordination required as the system co-ordination is by a narrow band of senior staff. This is the provides the necessary integration. than the skiils and abirities of those who people the Handy states that the job description is more important not required or encouraged' culture. performance 6"VonO thb role prescription is power is not This reflects weber's pure theory of The authority of position power is legitimate. Personal to principres rather than personalities' bureaucracy. system Ln,i"tir"n"rs iepends upon aorr'erence

which are not subject to constant change' The Handy suggests that this culture is appropriate in organisations is rnsecure in times of change. The role culture is curture functions weil in a steady-state environment,"out utilities and the public sector in general' This sort typified in government'o"piitr"nts, locar ,rir,oriti"i,-public rolg culture is typiiied by rationality and size' You of culture finds it extremety difficutt to cnangi i"piJrv. rne with a large, state enterprise' will have experienceJt6['cutture if you haie ever worked The task culture,

Task culturc

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in extensive research and development activities This is characteristic of organisations which are involved to cha,nge and have to create temporary task they are much more dynamic. They -are .on.lrntty iubjegt are.thJ skills that are of value here' The culture is teams to meet their fuiure needs. lnformatio-n "rp6rtir" between departments' functions and represented best by , n"i or lattice work. Th;; ii ctose liaison means whereby the organisation can anticipate specialities, liaison, communication and inteiration are the and adapt to change quicklY. in and.upto-date information where the culture is most rnfruence in this team curture is based upon expertise to there is a restriction in resources causing it tune with results. rne oangers tor tnis cuttur" eiist when become more power' or'role' orientated'

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The person culture,

Pcl:on culturt (clustcr)

where the individuars within the structure This is characteristic of the consensus moder of management, rf there is a formarised structure' it tends to determine coilectivery the path which the orgrnir.t'on organisaiions which portray this culture reject formal service the needs of the individuals within tti" itruitrrrl. ,getting things done, and e*irisoierv to mee[the needs of theii mem-bers. The rejection of hierarchies for a ,management contro' and ,reporting ilirii;i.hips' suggests that this may b9 a suitable culture for formar 'nrt organisations' it is not appropriate iol business self-help group or,

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olture - HandY

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