eleventh

organizational
ior

editi
on

behav

stephen p. robbins

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.
All rights reserved.

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

OBJECTIVES
LEARNING

After studying this chapter,

you should be able to:
1. Describe institutionalization and its
relationship to organizational culture.
2. Define the common characteristics making up
organizational culture.
3. Contrast strong and weak cultures.
4. Identify the functional and dysfunctional
effects of organizational culture on people and
the organization.
5. Explain the factors determining an
organizations culture.
2005 Prentice Hall Inc. All rights reserved.

163

O B J E C T I V E S (contd)
LEARNING

After studying this chapter,

you should be able to:
6. List the factors that maintain an organizations
culture.
7. Clarify how culture is transmitted to
employees.
8. Outline the various socialization alternatives
available to management.
9. Describe a customer-responsive culture.
10. Identify characteristics of a spiritual culture.

2005 Prentice Hall Inc. All rights reserved.

164

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. All rights reserved.

165

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

2005 Prentice Hall Inc. All rights reserved.

166

Contrasting
Contrasting Organizational
Organizational Cultures
Cultures
Organization A
This organization is a manufacturing firm. Managers are expected to fully document
all decisions; and good managers are those who can provide detailed data to
support their recommendations. Creative decisions that incur significant change or
risk are not encouraged. Because managers of failed projects are openly criticized
and penalized, managers try not to implement ideas that deviate much from the
status quo. One lower-level manager quoted an often used phrase in the company:
If it aint broke, dont fix it.
There are extensive rules and regulations in this firm that employees are
required to follow. Managers supervise employees closely to ensure there are no
deviations. Management is concerned with high productivity, regardless of the
impact on employee morale or turnover.
Work activities are designed around individuals. There are distinct departments
and lines of authority, and employees are expected to minimize formal contact with
other employees outside their functional area or line of command. Performance
evaluations and rewards emphasize individual effort, although seniority tends to be
the primary factor in the determination of pay raises and promotions.
E X H I B I T 161
E X H I B I T 161
2005 Prentice Hall Inc. All rights reserved.

167

Contrasting
Contrasting Organizational
Organizational Cultures
Cultures (contd)
(contd)
Organization B
This organization is also a manufacturing firm. Here, however, management
encourages and rewards risk taking and change. Decisions based on intuition are
valued as much as those that are well rationalized. Management prides itself on its
history of experimenting with new technologies and its success in regularly
introducing innovation products. Managers or employees who have a good idea are
encouraged to run with it. And failures are treated as learning experiences. The
company prides itself on being market-driven and rapidly responsive to the changing
needs of its customers.
There are few rules and regulations for employees to follow, and supervision is
loose because management believes that its employees are hardworking and
trustworthy. Management is concerned with high productivity, but believes that this
comes through treating its people right. The company is proud of its reputation as
being a good place to work.
Job activities are designed around work teams, and team members are
encouraged to interact with people across functions and authority levels. Employees
talk positively about the competition between teams. Individuals and teams have
goals, and bonuses are based on achievement of these outcomes. Employees are
given considerable autonomy in choosing the means by which the goals are attained.
E X H I B I T 161 (contd)
E X H I B I T 161 (contd)
2005 Prentice Hall Inc. All rights reserved.

168

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. All rights reserved.

169

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. All rights reserved.

1610

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. All rights reserved.

1611

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.
2005 Prentice Hall Inc. All rights reserved.

1612

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. All rights reserved.

1613

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. All rights reserved.

1614

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.

2005 Prentice Hall Inc. All rights reserved.

1615

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.
2005 Prentice Hall Inc. All rights reserved.

1616

AASocialization
Socialization Model
Model

E X H I B I T 162
E X H I B I T 162
2005 Prentice Hall Inc. All rights reserved.

1617

Entry
Entry Socialization
Socialization Options
Options

Formal
Formalversus
versusInformal
Informal
Individual
Individualversus
versusCollective
Collective
Fixed
Fixedversus
versusVariable
Variable
Serial
Serialversus
versusRandom
Random
Investiture
Investitureversus
versusDivestiture
Divestiture

Source: Based on J. Van Maanen, People Processing: Strategies of Organizational

Socialization, Organizational Dynamics, Summer 1978, pp. 1936; and E. H. Schein,
Organizational Culture, American Psychologist, February 1990, p. 116.

2005 Prentice Hall Inc. All rights reserved.

E X H I B I T 163
E X H I B I T 163
1618

How
How Organization
Organization Cultures
Cultures Form
Form

E X H I B I T 164
E X H I B I T 164
2005 Prentice Hall Inc. All rights reserved.

1619

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

2005 Prentice Hall Inc. All rights reserved.

1620

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. All rights reserved.

1621

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.
2005 Prentice Hall Inc. All rights reserved.

1622

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.
2005 Prentice Hall Inc. All rights reserved.

1623

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. All rights reserved.

1624

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. All rights reserved.

1625

Reasons
Reasons for
for the
the Growing
Growing Interest
Interest in
in Spirituality
Spirituality

As a counterbalance to the pressures and stress of a turbulent

pace of life and the lack of community many people feel and
their increased need for involvement and connection.

Formalized religion hasnt worked for many people.

The desire to integrate personal life values with ones

professional life.

An increasing number of people are finding that the pursuit of

more material acquisitions leaves them unfulfilled.

Job demands have made the workplace dominant in many

peoples lives, yet they continue to question the meaning of
work.

E X H I B I T 165
E X H I B I T 165
2005 Prentice Hall Inc. All rights reserved.

1626

How
How Organizational
Organizational Cultures
Cultures Have
Have an
an Impact
Impact
on
on Performance
Performance and
and Satisfaction
Satisfaction

E X H I B I T 166
E X H I B I T 166
2005 Prentice Hall Inc. All rights reserved.

1627