Primer on Organizational Culture

6 Pages Posted: 21 Oct 2008

See all articles by Joseph Harder

Joseph Harder

affiliation not provided to SSRN; Spirit of the New Workplace, LLC

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Abstract

This note discusses organizational culture, distinguishing among surface-level artifacts, formal and informal practices and norms, and deep-seated assumptions and values. The typology can be used to perform a cultural audit of a group or organization.

Excerpt

UVA-OB-0675

PRIMER ON ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE

The notion of culture in organizations is not new, but there is much disagreement among managers, consultants, and academics about (1) what organizational culture is, and (2) to what extent it can be managed. This note is intended to provide a basis for understanding some important aspects of organizational culture and to present a framework that allows for developing a cultural understanding of an organization or group.

A Brief History of Organizational Culture

Culture as a concept originated largely in the disciplines of anthropology, sociology, and political science. Some of the first mentions of organizational culture were in the early 1980s with the publication of In Search of Excellence, by Tom Peters and Robert Waterman, Corporate Cultures, by Terrence Deal and Allen Kennedy, Theory Z, by Bill Ouchi, and The Art of Japanese Management, by Richard Pascale and Tony Athos. The early approaches distinguished between “strong” and “weak” cultures and were largely oriented toward top-management's stated values of what was important or desired for the organization.

Later approaches went beyond explicit statements of desired culture to focus on underlying elements as well. Similarly, an awareness that along with a dominant culture there might exist subcultures—or even countercultures began to emerge. Finally, a focus on symbolic interactionism emerged: the idea that cultural artifacts don't have meaning until human beings attach meaning to them.

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Keywords: change implementation, leadership, values management, culture

Suggested Citation

Harder, Joseph, Primer on Organizational Culture. Darden Case No. UVA-OB-0675, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=910756 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.910756

Joseph Harder (Contact Author)

affiliation not provided to SSRN

Spirit of the New Workplace, LLC ( email )

445 Mallard Lake Drive
Earlysville, VA 22936
United States
434-249-4939 (Phone)

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