Running head: EDGAR H.

SCHEIN AND ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE

Edgar H. Schein and Organizational Culture

Kay L. Venteicher
University of Maryland University College
June 8, 2015

EDGAR H. SCHEIN AND ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE

Edgar H. Schein and Organizational Culture

Every organization has a strategy supported by a system of management. The

management system includes implementing processes and coordinating employee efforts or tasks
to accomplish an organizational goal or objective aligned to the strategy. The simplified
explanation of an organization and its management posits that employees could be
interchangeable and content to work anywhere. The reality is that each organization provides a
unique environment that determines the level of content felt by all members. This uniqueness is
found in the organizational culture, a term defined in the works of Dr. Edgar H. Schein.
Organizational Culture
During the late 70s, research was beginning to explain industry performance differences
such as American companies lagging behind those of counterpart companies in other societies
(Schein, 1990, p. 110). Schein (1990; 1996) explains during this time industry and business
schools observed organizational development, behavior, and organizational studies through the
approach of applying human associated psychology to a corporate entity (p. 110; p. 230). While
Schein found this approach lacking, research began to build on other studies such as Lewin and
Likert that promoted human relations, (Schein, 1996, p. 231), which shifted focus the approach
to those used in anthropology and sociology studies. Changing research methods allowed for a
more clinical view, a change in thought process of organizational health, and group norms giving
way to the beginning of organizational culture (Schein, 1990, pp. 109-110).
An initial concept of organizational culture elevated the idea of differentiation of
organizations within a society (Schein, 1990, p. 110) and comparative effectiveness level
relationships. Dr. Scheins research during his time as Professor Emeritus at the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology Sloan School of Management, in the 1980s included the organizational

EDGAR H. SCHEIN AND ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE

culture, career dynamics, and organizational learning and change. Scheins (1983) definition of
organizational culture is demonstrated through the assumptions experienced within a group (p.
14). These assumptions are the perceptions for coping with external forces or changes and the
capacity for internal integration that is functional and adaptable. Positive outcomes promote the
validity of the assumptions creating the need to share with newcomers that reinforces the right
way to perceive, think and feel (Schein, 1983, p. 14; Schein, 1984, p. 3; Schein, 1990, p. 111).
The histories and experiences provide the fabric of the shared assumptions. This forms the values
that are both the basis and govern the behaviors integral to the social and psychological makeup
of the organization (Schein, 1996, p. 12).
Schein (1984; 1990) provides three fundament levels where culture is displayed and can
be measured or observed (p. 4; p. 111-112). These levels manifest as artifacts/creations, values,
and basic assumptions. The first, artifacts can be seen in the outward appearances presented by
an organization such as the office environment or construction, dress and attire, discernible
mannerisms or language, stories/myths, and public documents. Schein (1984) places emphasis
that these items relate or convey a story or the why but are often open to misinterpretation
when analyzed (p. 3). The second level, values, consists of the norms or philosophies that
governs behavior and is difficult to observe. While difficult to analyze beyond interview, Schein
(1984) typifies this as the response to the reason or rational for the acted behavior (p.3). The
final level in organizational culture is basic assumptions which are generally unconscious
behaviors behind how the group perceive, think, and feel (Schein, 1984, p. 3). Finally, basic
assumptions can be values that may be absolute, non-debatable, and taken-for-granted or fully
open for debate (Schein, 1984, p. 3). Schein (1984) finds that assumptions can become

EDGAR H. SCHEIN AND ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE

unconscious for the group through cognitive repetition and govern the thought processes and
behavior (p.4).
The construction of the initial groundwork of organizational culture begins as the leader
builds the organization. The leadership brings to the table preconceived theories of success and
constructs the cultural foundation of the organization, sharing with the group (Schein, 1983, p.
14). Leadership is concerned with shared values and beliefs when dealing with the whole of the
organization; managers are selected for positions who will continue with the original entrenched
organizational culture known to the employees (Schein, 1996, p. 233). Developed over time,
organizational culture provides for a basis of how to conduct business, expectations of treatment
of employees, customers, and the outside public relations. It regulates the degree of personal
expression and the decision making process while policing communication flow and power
within the organization. The culture becomes the phenomenon that is the organizations pulse
and influences both productivity and performance.
Todays Organizational Culture and Distance Education
The relevance of the organization culture theory is very important in current management
practices due to the dynamics of the business market and competitive world. Each
organizations culture is unique given the differences within internal groups such as occupational
cultures and subcultures (Schein, 1996, pp. 9-10). Further complicating change for leadership /
management is the cultural aspect within organizations where individuals have evolved from the
two learning scenarios of positive problem-solving or anxiety-avoidance situations (Schein,
1984, p. 9) when faced with external and/or internal problems. Organizations are finding the
need to evolve and change and to remedy looming business problems. Kuppler (2014) states that

EDGAR H. SCHEIN AND ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE

Schein promotes leadership focusing on the business problem; trying to change culture prior to
defining the business problem may hinder the solution (para. 5-6). After identifying both the
problem and change necessary to retain a sustainable competitive advantage in the market place,
leadership will need to employ organizational tools to affect change. These tools include
leadership tools to provide inspiration, management tools that supply information, and possibly
power tools such as coercion / punishment (Denning, 2011, para. 3-5).
Olcott, Hanna, and Johnson (2005) introduce a need for distance education to adopt an
integrative framework between leadership, technology, and the academic culture (p. 1). Further
analysis of Olcott, Hanna, and Johnson (2005) supports an integrative-convergence framework
supporting the shift from a separate but different (p. 1) model to that of distance education and
traditional campus instruction viewed within the broader teacher-learning continuum (p. 1)
of an educational organization. This would require a culture change in the academic community
that would reach all levels, from the students as the customer to all staff members of the
academic organization. Traditional university academic culture follows a collegium-bureaucratic
paradigm of deliberation-consensus-incrementalism (p. 2). This model offers resistance to
change and places the education organization in the position to lose a sustainable competitive
edge to other education organizations that change focus to one open to a collaborative mode.
Choudhary (2013) takes Olcott, Hanna, and Johnsons suggestions further and provides
that education organizations should shift cultures from rigid to the flexible (p. 4). There is
a need to create policies that facilitate innovative developments rather than hindrances (p.
4). Addressing this problem will enable the educational organization to promote productivity
through alignment of organizational culture and organization. This enables the culture to

EDGAR H. SCHEIN AND ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE

become one of inclusion and diversity with distance education and traditional education
benefiting from changes that provide greater accessibility to lifelong learning
Conclusion
Organizational culture as defined by Schein provides great insight into the phenomenon
that is the unique pulse of an organization. The changing global economy and rapid
advancements in technology create a need for change that can manifest as problems both internal
and external to an organization. While a problem may require change, Schein reminds that the
organizations culture must not be oversimplified. The organizational culture may both hinder
and/or provide solutions to the problem (Kuppler, 2014, para. 4). While the collegiumbureaucratic paradigm has fulfilled the needs of the academic community until now, change is
necessary to promote greater performance and productivity in the community. Distance
education and traditional education would both benefit from embracing a shift in organizational
culture that promotes a collaborative mode. This would align goals or objectives in support of a
sustainable competitive advantage in the educational market place.

EDGAR H. SCHEIN AND ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE

Reference
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