Module 4.9 – Organizational Culture Shapes the Message

 

Module Introduction

Organizational culture is the shared values, customs, traditions, rituals, behaviors, and beliefs shared in common by the members of that organization.  Just as a nation generally has its own language or dialect, so too does an organization have its own language; that language consists of the jargon and ways of speaking that are particular to the people who work there.

      An organization’s culture is composed of the project/programme purpose environment, values, heroes, rites and rituals, communication networks, cultural messages, norms, stories, myths, and legends, and climate.

Just as a nation generally has its own language or dialect, so too does an organization have its own language: the jargon and ways of speaking that are particular to the people who work there.  Most of us have encountered this in our own organizations, but are generally unaware of it because we use the jargon all of the time and know what it means. 

A strong organizational culture has a significant impact on people’s behavior on the job.  In the most general sense a strong organizational culture provides organizational identity, a sense of uniqueness, and sense of connection for all members within the organization.

 


1.      Overview

Organizational culture is the shared values, customs, traditions, rituals, behaviors, and beliefs shared in common by the members of that organization.  Just as a nation generally has its own language or dialect, so too does an organization have its own language; that language consists of the jargon and ways of speaking that are particular to the people who work there.

      An organization’ culture is composed of the following:

·        The project/programme purpose Environment

·        Values

·        Heroes

·        Rites and Rituals

·        Communication Networks

·        Cultural Messages

·        Norms

·        Stories, Myths, and Legends

·        Climate

Learning a organizational culture is a process of watchfulness and imitation. We see what others around us are doing, and how they do it, and we make a conscious effort to emulate the way they operate and the attitudes that lead to it. 

An organization’s culture has a great impact on people’s willing to work hard on their jobs.  Strong cultures create a willingness for people to be effective because people understand what is expected of them and because they feel better about what the job that they do.

2.      Defining Organizational Culture

Any culture is comprised of the shared values, customs, traditions, rituals, behaviors and beliefs shared by a social group (national, ethnic, organizational, and so forth.).  Cultures also share languages, or ways of speaking.  From a communication perspective, cultures are made and remade through the words we use to describe our world.  Organizational culture is the shared values, customs, traditions, rituals, behaviors, and beliefs shared in common by the members of that organization, whether it is a major international organization, a non-profit agency, a government department, or a small family owned project/programme purpose. 

Just as a nation generally has its own language or dialect, so too does an organization have its own language: the jargon and ways of speaking that are particular to the people who work there.  Most of us have encountered this in our own organizations, but are generally unaware of it because we use the jargon all of the time and know what it means.  It is when someone unfamiliar with our way of speaking confronts our “language” that we realize it is different.  Conversely, when we are in a situation where we don’t know the “language” of the organizational or organizational culture, we are often completely befuddled.  When confronted by the myriad acronyms and numbers used by government agencies, we quickly realize that their organization, while speaking the same national language as we do, that they are actually speaking a very different “language.”

If you want to get an idea of organizational or organizational culture attend a board meeting, a holiday party, a management seminar, or the organization picnic.  A organization’s culture does not end or go into stasis after working hours. It permeates the way everyone within the organizational structure acts, on and off the job, with other stakeholders and with people who have no connection to the organization. It also often influences the way their spouses and families act, especially at organization functions.

 

 

 

 


3.      Strong Organizational Culture

Terrence Deal and Allen Kennedy, pioneers in the study of organizational culture, feel that a strong organizational culture has a significant impact on people’s behavior on the job.  In the most general sense a strong organizational culture provides organizational identity, a sense of uniqueness, and sense of connection for all members within the organization.

Both internal and external stakeholders benefit from a strong organizational culture.

Internal stakeholders benefit from a strong organizational culture because people are a organization’s greatest resource and the way to manage them is by the subtle cues of culture; strong culture helps employees do their jobs better.  A strong culture fosters better employee motivation because internal stakeholders are better able to understand what is expected of them and are able to more strongly identify with the organization when the culture is strong.

            Deal and Kennedy note that a strong organizational culture has an impact on how people do their jobs:  “A strong culture is a system of rules that spells out how people are to behave most of the time.”  Knowing the rules of behavior allows employees to act without wasting time trying to figure out what is expected of them.  The clearer the expectations of how we are to behave, the easier it is to act.

            Also, according to Deal and Kennedy: “A strong culture enables people to feel better about what they do, so they are more likely to work harder.”  This aspect of a strong organizational culture also has a powerful influence on employees.  Most people find it much easier to work—and to work hard and effectively—when they feel good about the job that they perform, the people they are working with, and the organization they are working for.

 


4. Strong Organizational Culture (Continued)                   

            A strong organizational culture is created, in part, by the adoption and maintenance of values shared by internal and external agents. Terrence Deal and Allen Kennedy observe that organizations with strong cultures place a great emphasis on values and have three characteristics in common:

The organization stands for something.  They have a clear and explicit philosophy about how they go about accomplishing their project/programme purpose objectives.  The values explicit in their philosophy help create the identity of the organization and characterize and differentiate it from others organizations.

Management focuses a great deal of attention to determining and fine-tuning these values.  This is done so that the organization’s values conform to its project/programme purpose environment.  Such a focus also helps communicate these values to people who work in the organization.

Values are understood and shared by all people who work for the organization. Everyone from production workers to the senior management team is familiar with and accepts the values of the organization.  The organization’s values create a reality for those who work in the organization.  This reality allows employees to cooperate and collaborate to make the shared values effective in their interactions and how they perform their jobs.

Strong cultures foster better employee motivation because employees are better able to understand what is expected of them and are more able to strongly identify with the organization. They are “part of” something bigger than themselves. Not only that, but they know what it is they are “part of,” and how they contribute to its overall operations and goals. It gives them a sense of purpose and importance within the organization because they adopt the organization’s values.

 


5. Elements of Organizational Culture

Learning a organizational culture is a process of watchfulness and imitation. We see what others around us are doing, and how they do it, and we make a conscious effort to emulate the way they operate and the attitudes that lead to it. We do that to learn what is acceptable behavior when we meet a superior or a subordinate in the hallway, or at a co-worker’s retirement party.

Terrence Deal and Allen Kennedy posit the following elements of organizational culture:

·        The project/programme purpose Environment

·        Values

·        Heroes

·        Rites and Rituals

·        The Cultural Network

The cultural network can be divided into two separate elements: communication networks and cultural messages.  Other important elements of organizational culture are:

·        Norms

·        Stories, Myths, and Legends

·        Climate

            To understand the culture in any organization, let’s look at the identified elements:

  1. Values: The goals, views, and philosophies that members of the organization share. What does the organization stand for? What is its goal? What will it do to achieve it? In a organization, these are often spelled out in the mission statement.

6. Elements of Organizational Culture

  1. The project/programme purpose Environment: Ever organization exists in a specific and particular project/programme purpose environment or marketplace.  This environment includes an organization’s products or services, its beneficiaries and consumers, its competitors, its relationship with government and regulatory agencies—at the local, regional (state or provincial), national level, and even multinational and international levels—and any other people or entities it does project/programme purpose with or interacts with.  Some organizations are in a effective selling environment, others in a regulated monopoly; some sell products, others offer services; the possibilities are nearly endless.   Deal and Kennedy feel that: “This project/programme purpose environment is the single greatest influence in shaping a organizational culture.” 
  2. Rites and Rituals: Celebrations, performances, and activities that foster and reinforce teamwork, esprit de corps, and a sense of inclusion. They are what make employees feel part of something bigger than themselves, that that something is worth being a part of. These can include annual parties, sales meetings, organizational retreats, or any other group activities.
  3. Communication Networks: Informal channels that relay both work and social messages.  These networks not only convey information necessary to get the job done, but also provide for necessary social interaction among employees.  Even though the primary task in any organization is to do our jobs, the organization is also a social outlet.  It is important to acknowledge and even nurture the social interaction that is part of any organizational or organizational culture.  Communication networks also indoctrinate new members into the culture, and reinforce the cultural messages in the organization.

 


7. Elements of Organizational Culture (Continued)

  1. Cultural Messages:  These include all levels and types of communication, formal and informal—from the office grapevine to the boardroom chain of command.  These messages are often nonverbal in nature and often tell us about a person’s status in the organization.  The size of someone’s office, the type of furniture it has, and the ability to park their car close to their office are such nonverbal cultural messages. 

Titles are also fundamental aspects cultural messages in organizations.  Senator and Aide, Chief Executive Office and Administrative Assistant, General and Private, Professor and Teaching Assistant are titles that give us a very good indication about who has power in an organization.  And just as we can often tell who has political power by seeing who stands near important politicians, like a president, prime minister, or governor at major political events, so too we can often tell who has power in any organization by observing who “has the ear” of important organization officers like the chief executive or chairman of the board.

  1. Norms: The way the organization operates—how we are supposed to behave in the organization. How the organization works on a day-to-day basis. This includes dress codes—written or tacit—as well as which policies and procedures are emphasized over others, how people address their superiors and subordinates. Military services are obvious examples of having well-defined “norms” of dress and behavior. Numerous organizations have more subtle but still equally well-defined norms. How many software designers wear suits to the office? How many bankers wear jeans to the boardroom?

8. Elements of Organizational Culture (Continued)

  1. Heroes: These are the people others look up to because they personify goals, dedication, and achievement.  They also embody the norms and behaviors that others in the organization want to emulate.  To the military, heroes are usually decorated veterans. To the Roman Catholic Church, it’s the pope and saints, its early martyrs and missionaries. National heroes are usually a mix of war heroes, founders, and explorers. project/programme purposees also have their heroes.
    1. At Microsoft, for example, it’s Bill Gates, who dropped out of college to become the richest man in the world.
    2. Jack Welch is credited with reshaping General Electric and was consistently referred to as America’s most admired CEO.
    3. The main heroes at Sony are Akio Morita and Masaru Ibuka, who took a small radio repair shop in a bombed-out Tokyo building and turned it into one of the largest electronics organizations in the world.
    4. Giovanni Agnelli, an ex-cavalry officer who had $400 and a dream, and in 1899 and he turned that dream into Fiat.
  2. Stories, Myths, and Legends: The organizational history and other stories that embody the organizational culture and emphasize what the organization values.  Examples include how Walt Disney opened his first theme park; how Lee Iacocca turned Chrysler around; how Betty Nesmith Graham developed Liquid Paper; and how Arthur Fry and Spencer Silver invented the Post-it Note.


9. Elements of Organizational Culture (Continued)

  1. Climate: The atmosphere of either supportiveness or defensiveness that people feel within the organization itself. Do they feel safe? Protected? Appreciated? Are they confidant that their opinions count? Do they know that when they have something to say, they have a way to say it so that it will be heard, and that people will listen and take their ideas or comments seriously?  The overall organizational climate also includes the organization’s communication climate—how free people feel to communicate at work, especially about bad news or negative information.  When people feel they cannot communicate bad news for fear of reprisal, the organization loses valuable information about how it operates.

According to communication scholar, W. Charles Redding the communication climate in any organization is composed of five components.  You can create a positive organizational and communication climate through:

·        Supportiveness: To build a supportive communication climate you need to send messages that acknowledge effort, creativity, and teamwork.  A supportive communication climate allows for a better exchange of information and a more positive work environment. 

 

·        Participative Decision Making: To create a positive communication climate you need to engage people in the decision making process.  You can do this by having employees participate in identifying and solving problems that affect them and their working conditions.  Participative decision-making means that you assist your employees in setting standards and goals for the work they do. 

10. Elements of Organizational Culture (Continued)

 

·        Trust: Before there can be effective employee communication, there must be a climate of trust (the feeling that another’s motives are what he or she says they are).  An employee trusts in superiors when they have confidence in the superior’s intentions and motives, when the superior has proven to keep his or her word, when they are sincere not only in their dealings with themselves but with other people, and when the employees are not afraid that they will be met with retaliation for supplying negative information.

 

·        Openness: Openness refers to the candid disclosure of information, particularly negative information and the sharing of feelings and opinions regarding the organization and its activities. Open communication in terms of expressing your ideas and feelings through verbal channels in organizations has led to higher production and better performance within the organization. However, simply “showing” feelings and not discussing them openly, is viewed as dysfunctional and can be very counter productive.

 

·        Emphasis on High Quality Goals: Placing importance on high quality and high performance goals has to do with the content of the communication that you have with your employees.  Such an emphasis is the most important focus of the content of your messages to your employees.  It is not enough to be a nice manager and create a nice environment in which to communicate and work.  You must also communicate a sense of challenge to your employees. 

 

 

 

 

           

 


Assignments

 

Matching the Columns

1. Values                                                         A. Shared values, customs, traditions,

rituals, behaviors, and beliefs

2. Organizational culture                                   B. Process of watchfulness and imitation

3. Heroes                                                         C. Often spelled out in a mission statement

4. Learning a organizational culture                   D. Single greatest influence in shaping a

                                                                       organizational culture

5. Rites and rituals                                            E. Celebrations, performances, and activities

that foster teamwork.

6. The project/programme purpose environment                             F. Embody norms and values to emulate

 

Answers:

1.)    C

2.)    A

3.)    F

4.)    B

5.)    E

6.)    D

 

 

 

 

 

 

Multiple Choice

 

1. An organization has its own ways of ________ that are particular to the people who work there.

a.       singing

b.      working

c.       speaking

d.      laughing

2. The clearer the _______ of how we are to behave, the easier it is to act.

a.      expectations

b.      jargon

c.       ceremony

d.      myths

3. Both _______ and _______ stakeholders benefit from a strong organizational culture.

a.       weak, powerful

b.      internal, external

c.       friendly, mean

d.      poor, rich

4. Management focuses a great deal of attention to determining and fine-tuning _______.

a.       raises

b.      organization parties

c.       legends

d.      values

 

True/False

1. _______ Strong organizational cultures foster better employee motivation.

2. _______ Learning a organizational culture requires reading the organization manual.

3. _______ An organization’s mission statement often spells out the values of the organization.

4. _______ Rites and rituals have little importance in fostering teamwork.

5. _______ Communication networks convey important job information as well as provide social interaction among employees.

6. _______ Organizational cultural messages are often non-verbal.

 

Answers:

a.        T

b.       F

c.        T

d.       F

e.        T

f.         T

 

 


Summary

 

Organizational culture is the shared values, customs, traditions, rituals, behaviors, and beliefs shared in common by the members of that organization.  Just as a nation generally has its own language or dialect, so too does an organization have its own language; that language consists of the jargon and ways of speaking that are particular to the people who work there.

      An organization’s culture is composed of the project/programme purpose environment, values, heroes, rites and rituals, communication networks, cultural messages, norms, stories, myths, and legends, and climate.

Just as a nation generally has its own language or dialect, so too does an organization have its own language: the jargon and ways of speaking that are particular to the people who work there.  Most of us have encountered this in our own organizations, but are generally unaware of it because we use the jargon all of the time and know what it means. 

A strong organizational culture has a significant impact on people’s behavior on the job.  In the most general sense a strong organizational culture provides organizational identity, a sense of uniqueness, and sense of connection for all members within the organization.

 


Test

1. _______ project/programme purposees have heroes such as Bill Gates, Jack Welch, Akio Morita, Masaru Ibuka and Giovanni Agnelli.

2. _______ Stories, myths and legends embody the organizational culture and its values.

3. _______ When people feel they cannot communicate bad news for fear of reprisal, the organization benefits by losing negative information that could be damaging.

4. _______ Sending messages that acknowledge effort, creativity, and teamwork help to build a supportive communication climate.

5. _______ Trust means the feeling that another’s motives are what they say they are.

6. _______ The most important content in your messages is the importance you place on doing the job your way.

7. _______ Openness refers to the candid disclosure of positive and negative information.

8. _______ Reading the organization manual is the best way to absorb the organizational culture.

9. _______ Organizational jargon is very similar from organization to organization.

10. ______ A organization’s culture permeates the way everyone within the organizational structure acts, on and off the job.

 

Answers:        1.) T

                        2.) T

                        3.) F – organization loses valuable information about how it operates

                        4.) T

                        5.) T

                        6.) F – high goals and high performance

                        7.) T

                        8.) F – takes conscious effort to emulate those around us

                        9.) F – jargon is particular to people who work there.

                        10.) T

Bibliography

 

Argenti, Paul (1997) Organizational Communication, Irwin/McGraw-Hill, New York, New York.

 

Drucker, Peter (2001) 1st edition, Management Challenges for the Twenty-First Century,

Harperproject/programme purpose, New York, New York.

 

Fortini-Campbell, L., May, M., Kangas, M., and Bailey, P. (1978). A Communicator's Handbook.  Seattle, WA: Western States Technical Assistance Resource.

 

McWhorter, John H. (2002). The Power of Babel: A Natural History of Language, W. H.

Freeman & Co.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Glossary

 

Jargon: language that is used by a particular group, in this case organizational culture, that is particular to the people who work there.

 

Stasis: a state of being where there is neither motion nor development.

 

Stakeholders: person or group of people with a direct interest, involvement or investment in the organization or organization.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Learning Objectives

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Q & A

 

1. Doesn’t a organization’s culture end after working hours?

A organization’s culture permeates the way everyone within the organizational structure acts, both on and off the job, with stakeholders and with people who have no connection to the organization. It also influences the way spouse and families act, especially at organization functions.

 

2. Why is a strong organizational culture so important?

A strong organizational culture has a significant impact on people’s behavior on the job. In the most general sense, it provides organizational identity, a sense of uniqueness and sense of connection for all members within the organization.

 

3. Why are rites and rituals an important part of organizational culture?

Celebrations, performances and activities that foster and reinforce teamwork, esprit de corps, and a sense of inclusion are what make employees feel part of something bigger than themselves, that that something is worth being a part of. These can include annual parties, picnics, sales meetings, organizational retreats or any other group activities.

 

 

End of Module