Culture

Question 1

What is organisational culture?

Answer 1

The set of shared, taken for granted implied assumptions that a group holds and that dertermines how it percieves, thinks about and reacts to its environment.

Question 2

What are the 4 levels of organisational culture?

Answer 2

1. Values
2. Beliefs
3. Behavious
4. Taken-for-granted assumptions

Question 3

What are cultural values?

Answer 3

These may be the values formally documented by the organisation. It is worth considering if these are the ones that actually guide the organisation in practice.

Question 4

What are cultural belifes?

Answer 4

Belifes are more specific than values but are less likely to be documented. They are the way that individuals talk about issues the organisation faces.

Question 5

What are cultural behaviours?

Answer 5

How an organisation actually runs on a day to day basis. May include for example staff going for a mid morning coffee break.

Question 6

What are cultural taken-for-granted assumptions?

Answer 6

The core elements of an organisations culture. It is the set of common assumptions taken for granted within the organisation.

Question 7

What are the 6 aspects of the cultural web?

Answer 7

1. Rituals & routines
2. Stories
3. Symbols
4. Power
5. Oragnisational structures
6. Control systems

Question 8

What are Handys 4 cultural types of an organisation?

Answer 8

1. Power culture - Central figures exercises control.
2. Role culture - Based on specialisation, logic and structures.
3. Task culture - A job/project oriented culture e.g an expert is powerful becuase of an ability to complete a task.
4. Person culture - The individual is the central forcus, often because of their profession or expertice are key to the organisations strategic purpose. E.g Accountancy firm.