The Symbolic FrameThe Symbolic Frame

Organizational Culture DefinedOrganizational Culture Defined

The systems of shared beliefs and values that develops within an organization. In simple

terms, organizational culture is the personality of the organization.

Components of Organizational CultureComponents of Organizational Culture Organizational Artifacts

Cultural routines that form the substance of public functions and events staged by the organization.

– Symbolism of Rites, Rituals, and CeremoniesRites are relatively dramatic, planned sets of

recurring activities used at special times to influence the behavior and understanding of organizational members.

Components of Organizational CultureComponents of Organizational Culture Organizational Artifacts (cont.).

Language systems and metaphors.– The way that organizational members typically

express themselves and communicate with each other.

Stories, sagas, myths.– Stories are accounts based on true events; they

often contain both truth and fiction.– Myths are beliefs that are accepted uncritically and

used to justify current actions.

The Impact of Culture on OrganizationsThe Impact of Culture on Organizations Strong cultures.

Shared values and beliefs create a setting in which people are committed to one another and share an overriding sense of mission.A strong culture can cause a resistance to change, however, by reinforcing a singular view of the organization and the environment.

Information Technology: The Impact on Culture and Change

Information Technology: The Impact on Culture and Change Information technology removes barriers of time,

distance, communications and in some cases, organizational level

The removal of these barriers has caused employees to be less tolerant of ivory-tower management

This trend has facilitated employee empowerment and flatter organizational structures

Shlain, The Alphabet Versus the GoddessShlain, The Alphabet Versus the Goddess

“Major neuronal pathways such as the instinctual instructions that automatically inform all other mammals how to survive at birth disappeared. To compensate, the missing pieces of the hominid neonatal brain were added after . . . Much later we would name these ‘culture’”.

Culture Tells Us:Culture Tells Us:

What we need to know to survive in an organization

How it is communicated in the Organization

Organizational CultureOrganizational Culture What we need to Know. Basic Underlying

Assumptions Espoused Values

How It is Communicated. Artifacts

Physical LayoutDecorationsSlogansStoriesRites & Ceremonies

Organizational CultureOrganizational Culture Individual Behaviors

Influences Perceptions, Defines Reality, Defines SituationGuidelines for BehaviorCommon Identity

Organizational Effectiveness

Kotter & HeskettStrong Culture Effective if Matches EnvironmentStrong Cultures Must Value ChangeMust Value EE’s, Customers & Stockholders

Changing an Organization’s CultureChanging an Organization’s Culture Top managers can set the tone for a culture and

for culture change Managers who strive for quality understand they

must involve employees , build on what organizational members share, and teach new members how to behave

The Challenge to Understanding Organizational Change

The Challenge to Understanding Organizational Change Change is essential to an organization’s survival Is it important that organizations recognize the

need for change and learn to manage the process effectively

Organizational ChangeOrganizational Change

Organizational change is any alteration of activities in an organization

Examples of areas in which organizational change can occur:

Structure of the organizationTransfer of work tasksIntroduction of a new product, service or technology

Targets for ChangeTargets for Change

Individual TargetsInvolves human resource changes.Changes in this area are triggered by new staffing strategies or by an effort to enhance workforce diversity.

Group TargetsInvolves changes in the nature of the relationship between managers and subordinates or the relationships within work groups.

Targets for ChangeTargets for Change Organizational Targets

Involves changes in any of the following areas:– Basic goals and strategies of the organization– Products, quality, or services offered– Organizational structure– Organizational processes such as reward,

communication, or information processing system– Culture

Targets for ChangeTargets for Change

Environmental TargetsInvolves changing sectors of an organization’s environment.For example, changes in products or services offered may require new technology or a new distribution system.

A Framework for ChangeA Framework for Change

Force Field Analysis Proposed by Kurt Lewin Describes change as a three-step process

UnfreezingChangingRefreezing

UnfreezingUnfreezing

Step 1: UnfreezingDeveloping an initial awareness of the need for change and the forces supporting and resisting change.

Unfreezing

Overcoming resistance to change

Driving forces Restraining forces

UnfreezingUnfreezing Strategies for Unfreezing

Change processes must overcome resistance to change.Strategies for dealing with resistance to change– Communication and education– Participation and involvement– Facilitation and support– Negotiation and agreement

UnfreezingUnfreezing

Strategies for Unfreezing Strategies for dealing with resistance to change (cont.)

– Manipulation and co-optation– Explicit and implicit coercion

ChangingChanging

Step 2: Changing The second step in the change process focuses on learning new required behaviors

Changing

Organizational development activities:

- Survey feedback

- Team building

- Process consultation

- Quality-of-work-life programs

ChangingChanging

Tactics for planned changeOrganizational Development (OD)– A process of planned change that uses

behavioral science knowledge, theory, and technology to help an organization improve its capacity for effective change.

ChangingChanging Tactics for planned change (cont.)

Techniques for people-focused organizational change :

– Survey feedback - improve relationships among the members of groups or between departments through the discussion of common problems.

– Team building - a process by which members of a work group diagnose how they work together and plan changes to improve their effectiveness.

ChangingChanging

Tactics for planned changeTechniques for people-focused organizational change (cont.)

– Process consultation - involves structured activities directed toward key “processes” through which members of a group work with one another.

ChangingChanging

Tactics for planned changeTechniques for people-focused organizational change (cont.)

– Quality-of-work-life Programs - Undertaken by an organization for the purpose of (1) improving the quality of employee’s work life, or (2) improving group or organizational productivity.

Refreezing the ChangeRefreezing the Change

Step 3: RefreezingThe third step in the change process, centers on reinforcing new behaviors, usually by positive results, feelings of accomplishment, or rewards from others.

Refreezing

Gain top management support

Reinforce new behaviors

Evaluate results

Refreezing the ChangeRefreezing the Change

Approaches used to accomplish refreezingGain top management supportReinforce new behaviorsEvaluate the change

Ethical Issues in Organizational ChangeEthical Issues in Organizational ChangeDo employees feel

manipulated?

To what extent should the firm

disclose all aspects of the change in

advance?

To what extent do employees have the right to participate

in changes that affect them?

Does the CEO have a vested interest in the

change?

Activities Associated with Effective ChangeActivities Associated with Effective Change Solicit input from those who will be affected by

organizational change. Involvement is essential to accept the need for change

Carefully formulate your message regarding the need for and nature of organizational change. The success of the change process will depend on effective communication

Activities Associated with Effective ChangeActivities Associated with Effective Change Assess your organizational environment and be

sure that the tone and the tempo of the change fit the organization. Timing is everything

Serve as a role model for the behaviors sought by the organizational change. Actions speak louder than words

Structure as TheaterStructure as Theater

The symbolic view approaches structure as stage design: an arrangement of space, lighting, props, and costumes that make the drama vivid and credible to its audience.

One role is to reflect and convey prevailing social values and myths.

Leading PrinciplesLeading Principles

How someone becomes a group member is important

Diversity provides a team’s competitive advantage

Example, not command, holds a team together A specialized language fosters cohesion and

commitment

Leading PrinciplesLeading Principles Stories carry history and values and reinforce

group identity. Humor and play reduce tension and encourage

creativity Ritual and ceremony lift spirits and reinforce

values Informal cultural players make contributions

disproportionate to their formal roles

Leading PrinciplesLeading Principles

Soul is the secret of success.