Organizational Behavior:

Culture
Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational Behavior. University of Tehran.
 Organizational Culture Defined
The basic pattern of shared assumptions, values,
and beliefs considered to be the correct way of
thinking about and acting on problems and
opportunities facing the organization.

Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational Behavior. University of Tehran.

The Layers of Culture
Observabl
e
Artifacts

Espoused
Values

Basic
Underlying
Assumption
s

Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational Behavior. University of Tehran.

Elements of Organizational Culture

Physical Structures
Artifacts of Rituals/ Ceremonies
Organizational
Stories
Culture
Language

Organizational
Culture

Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational Behavior. University of Tehran.

Values Across Cultures

Power Distance

Individualism-Collectivism

Masculinity-Femininity

Uncertainty Avoidance

Long-Term - Short-Term
Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational Behavior. University of Tehran.
 Four Functions of Organizational
Culture
Organizational
identity

Sense-making Organizational Collective

device culture commitment

Social system
stability

Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational Behavior. University of Tehran.

Defining Organizational Culture
• Innovation and risk taking
• Attention to detail
• Outcome orientation
• People orientation
• Team orientation
• Aggressiveness
• Stability

Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational Behavior. University of Tehran.

 Do Organizations
Have Uniform Cultures?

Dominant Core
Subcultures
Culture Values

Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational Behavior. University of Tehran.

 Organizational Subcultures
• Located throughout the organization

• Can support or oppose (countercultures) firm’s

dominant culture

• Two functions of countercultures:

– provide surveillance and evaluation
– source of emerging values
.

Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational Behavior. University of Tehran.

 How Cultures Form
Top
Top
Management
Management

Philosophy
of the Organizational
Organizational
Selection
Selection
Organization’s
Organization’s Culture
Founders

Socialization
Socialization

Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational Behavior. University of Tehran.

Benefits of Strong Corporate Cultures

Social
Control

Strong
Organizational Social
Culture Glue

Aids
Sense-Making

Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational Behavior. University of Tehran.

Problems with Strong Cultures
• Culture content might be incompatible with
the organization’s environment.

• Strong cultures focus attention on one

mental model.

• Strong cultures suppress dissenting values

from subcultures.

Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational Behavior. University of Tehran.

 Stories Rituals

Learning About
Organizational
Culture
Material
Language
Symbols

Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational Behavior. University of Tehran.

 Embedding Organizational
Culture
• Formal statements of organizational philosophy, mission, vision, values,
and materials used for recruiting, selection and socialization
• The design of physical space, work environments, and buildings
• Slogans, language, acronyms, and sayings
• Deliberate role modeling, training programs, teaching and coaching by
managers and supervisors
• Explicit rewards, status symbols (e.g., titles), and promotion criteria
• Stories, legends, and myths about key people and events
• The organizational activities, processes, or outcomes that leaders pay
attention to, measure, and control
• Leader reactions to critical incidents and organizational crises
• The workflow and organizational structure
• Organizational systems and procedures
• Organizational goals and the associated criteria used for recruitment,
selection, development, promotion, layoffs, and retirement of people

Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational Behavior. University of Tehran.

 A Model of Organizational
Socialization
Perceptual and Social
Phases Processes

• Anticipating realities
1. Anticipatory
about the organization
socialization
and the new job
• Anticipating organization’s
Learning that occurs
need for one’s skills
prior to joining the
and abilities
organization
• Anticipating organization’s
sensitivity to one’s needs
and values
Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational Behavior. University of Tehran.
 A Model of Organizational
Socialization (cont.)
Perceptual and Social
Phase Processes
s
2. Encounter • Managing lifestyle-
versus-work conflicts
Values, skills and • Managing intergroup
attitudes start to shift role conflicts
as new recruit • Seeking role definition
discovers what the and clarity
organization is truly • Becoming familiar
like with task and group
dynamics

Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational Behavior. University of Tehran.

 A Model of Organizational
Socialization (cont.)
Perceptual and Social
Phases Processes

3. Change and acquisition • Competing role demands

are resolved
Recruit masters skills and • Critical tasks are
roles and adjusts to work mastered
group’s values and norms • Group norms and values
are internalized

Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational Behavior. University of Tehran.

 A Model of Organizational Socialization
(continued)
Outsider
Phases
1. Anticipatory socialization
2. Encounter
3. Change and acquisition

Behavioral Socialized Affective

Outcomes Insider Outcomes
• Performs role • Generally satisfied
assignments • Internally motivated to
• Remains with work
organization • High job involvement
• Spontaneously
innovates Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational Behavior. University of Tehran.

and cooperates
 Mentoring
The process of forming and maintaining intensive and
lasting developmental relationships between a variety of
developers (i.e., people who provide career and psychosocial
support) and a junior person
Functions of Mentoring
• Career Functions
- Sponsorship
- Exposure and visibility
- Coaching
- Protection
- Challenging assignments
• Psychosocial Functions
- Role modeling
- Acceptance and confirmation
- Counseling
- Friendship

Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational Behavior. University of Tehran.

Phases of the Mentoring

• Initiation
• Cultivation
• Separation
• Redefinition
Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational Behavior. University of Tehran.
Merging Organizational Cultures
Acquired company embraces
Assimilation acquiring firm’s culture

Acquiring firm imposes its culture on

Deculturation unwilling acquired firm

Both cultures combined into a new

Integration composite culture

Merging companies remain

Separation separate with their own culture

Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational Behavior. University of Tehran.

Strengthening Organizational Culture

Founders
and leaders

Selection Culturally
and Strengthening consistent
socialization Organizational rewards
Culture
Managing the
Stable
cultural
workforce
network

Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational Behavior. University of Tehran.

 A Model of Ethical Behavior in
the Workplace
Cultural Influences
- Family
- Education

t io
-Religion

ta
- Media/entertainment Individual

E x le
ns pec
Ro
- Personality
- Values
Organizational Influences - Moral Ethical
- Ethical codes principles behavio
- Organizational culture - History of
- Role models r
reinforcement
- Perceived pressure for results - Gender
- Rewards/punishment system

Political/legal/
economic
influences
Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational Behavior. University of Tehran.
 Guidelines for Behavior and Ethics
in Foreign Cultures: A Balancing Act

Cultural Guiding Principles Cultural

Relativism for a Middle Ground Imperialism
“ When in Rome, do “The sun never set
as the Romans do.” on the British
Empire”
Assumption: Each • Respect for core human Assumption: People in
culture is right in its values, which determine the all cultures should
own way; there are no absolute moral threshold for follow one set of
international or all business activities. behavioral and ethical
universal standards. • Respect for local standards.
Problems: traditions Problems:
• Morally inconsistent • The belief that context • Morally arrogant
matters when deciding what
• Fosters “anything is • Insensitivity to local
is right and what is wrong.
okay” attitude. cultural traditions and
tastes.

Gholipour A. 2006. Organizational Behavior. University of Tehran.