Culture

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Handy define culture as 'the way things are done around here'.

An organisation's culture is like an iceberg with some aspects visible and many hidden. 

The visible (formal) aspects include goals etc. 

The hidden (informal) aspects include attitudes, communication patterns, group processes, etc.

The hidden aspects of an organisation should concern managers more than the visible aspects.

Different levels of culture as depicted by Edgar Schein:

  1. Artefacts -  It includes visible elements like offices, dress code, office layout, logos and branding.

  2. Values - - Values are the things which can be identified from stories. It tells individuals what is regarded as important, what sort of behaviour is desirable, and includes items such as language used.

  3. Basic assumptions - Deeply held beliefs which guide an individual's behaviour are known as ‘Basic assumptions’.

Advantages of a strong culture:

  1. It reduces differences amongst staff.

  2. It strengthens the dominant values and attitudes.

  3. It affects the organisation’s strategy and ability to respond to change.

Disadvantages of a strong culture:

  1. It could affect the organisation's ability to learn new skills.

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