Chapter Four: Culture, Subcultures, and Organizational Socialization

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Chapter Four Culture, Subcultures, and
Organizational Socialization

• What we will cover
• Meanings and elements of organizational culture
• Practical implications for culture change
• Steps to effective organizational socialization

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Chapter Four What is Culture?

• Origins of the Metaphor
• Culture as something an organization has versus
  something an organization is
• Key elements
• --values, beliefs, attitudes, rituals, myths,
  narratives/stories/sagas, artifacts, uniforms,
  other defining practices

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Chapter Four Edgar Scheins Three Levels (or
Processes) of Organizational Culture

• Demarcation
• Setting boundaries
• Identification
• Expressing priorities and connections
• Control
• Maintaining order and predictability

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Chapter Four Perspectives on Organizational
Culture

• Functionalist versus Symbolist
• Contained versus Contextual (National)
• Unitary versus Diverse or Disorganized
• Permanent versus Changeable
• Culture in contrast with other metaphors for the
  whole organization
• --machine --network --climate
• --organism --system

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Chapter Four Organizational Vocabularies

• Particular to an organization (e.g., IBM Talk)
• Particular to a profession (i.e., legal jargon)
• As indicating currency, being hip or on the
  cutting edge (e.g., the latest labels)
• As reflecting and contributing to the larger
  society/culture (e.g., change management)

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Chapter Four Émile Durkheims Organic and
Mechanical Solidarity

• Mechanical Solidarity largely unitary social
  systems, as seen in tribal or pre-industrial
  societies
• Organic Solidarity largely differentiated and
  individualized social systems, as seen in
  industrial and post-industrial societies

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Chapter Four W. Charles Reddings Ideal
Managerial Climate (or Culture)

• Trust
• Openness
• Supportiveness
• Participative Decision Making
• Emphasis on High-performance Goals

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Chapter Four Organizational Subcultures

• Q How do they form?
• Q Why are they often denied?
• Q What useful purposes do they serve for
  individuals? For organizations?
• Think of sub-cultures within the contexts of
  slavery (hidden transcripts), international
  religious denominations (sects), large
  corporations (Dilbert), and professions
  (reformers)

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Chapter Four Geert Hofstedes Dimensions of
National and Organizational Culture

• Individualism-Collectivism
• Uncertainty Avoidance
• Power Distance
• Masculinity-Femininity
• Q How are these dimensions useful?
• What are there limitations?

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Chapter Four Interrogating Organizational
Socialization

• Q How is socialization viewed by the
  organization?
• Q How is socialization seen by the new
  employee?
• Q How is it useful to temper the emphasis on
  assimilation or even conformity with
  individualization or adjustment of the
  organization by the newcomer?

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Chapter Four Stages of Organizational
Socialization

• Anticipatory Phase
• Before entry into the organization
• Encounter Phase
• The initial experiences of the new member in the
  organization
• Metamorphosis Phase
• Becoming a regular member of the organization

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Chapter Four Steps to Effective
SocializationTips for Organizations

• Pre-entry Realistic job preview
• Entry Seeing the big picture
• Learning Follow through
• Negotiation Two-way feedback
• Mutuality Acceptance
• Commitment Planning together

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Chapter Four Focus on Memorable Messages,
Critical Junctures, and Turning Points

• Q How do certain messages and events stand out
  in memory?
• Q Do individuals and organizations always notice
  the same things?
• Q How do these come to punctuate our life/work
  narratives?
• Q Think of memorable messages in your own
  experiences?