LECT 7 Flashcards
(16 cards)
- Explain how organizational culture and leader behavior interact with each other
According to the dissimilarity perspective (Hartnell et al., 2016), firms perform better when there is a mismatch between leader behavior and organizational culture — for example, high task-oriented leadership in a low task-oriented culture, or vice versa. This contrast can create a productive tension that encourages innovation and performance.
Conversely, the similarity perspective suggests that alignment between leader style and culture (e.g., both task-oriented) improves performance through consistency and shared expectations.
Hartnell et al. (2016) test both and find support for dissimilarity under certain conditions, especially when it drives complementarity and prevents redundancy.
- Compare different qualitative approaches to investigate organizational culture
Action Research: Focuses on understanding organizational issues in collaboration with members. The goal is to generate knowledge while solving problems – culture is explored through cycles of reflection and action.
Clinical Research (Schein): The researcher acts like a consultant, aiming to help the organization, especially in uncovering unconscious assumptions. This approach emphasizes deep cultural diagnosis through interviews, observations, and direct interaction.
- Compare meso- and macro-cultures and evaluate their relationship with organizational culture and employee behaviors
From Schein (2017, Chapter 6):
Meso-cultures: Subcultures within an organization (e.g., departments or professions like engineers vs. marketers).
Macro-cultures: Larger cultural contexts like national, regional, ethnic, or religious cultures in which the organization is embedded.
These macro-cultures influence organizational behavior in terms of:
Language and communication: - high vs low context culture
Perception of reality, time, and space:
- Time: Is punctuality crucial (monochronic) or more flexible (polychronic)?
- Space: How close is appropriate in physical interactions?
- Being human: Whether identity is defined by doing (achievement), being (existence), or becoming (growth).
Human relationships: - 1. Level -1: Exploitation or No Relationship (e.g., slaves, POWs, victims)
2. Level 1: Formal Role-Based Interaction (e.g., service staff, professionals)
3. Level 2: Personalized Work Relationships (e.g., team members, colleagues)
4. Level 3: Emotional Intimacy (e.g., close friends or family
Relation to environment: - * Doing orientation: Emphasis on action and control over the environment (common in the U.S.).
* Being orientation: Focus on acceptance and harmony with nature.
* Being-in-becoming orientation: Emphasis on inner growth and self-actualization.
Evaluate the three levels of organizational culture (Lily pond metaphor)
Based on Schein’s (2017) model and the lily pond metaphor:
Artifacts (e.g., structures, dress code, rituals): Represented by the leaves and blossoms on the pond’s surface – visible but not always interpretable without deeper understanding.
Espoused beliefs and values (e.g., mission statements, expressed values): Represented by the farmer’s explanation of the pond – what the organization claims to believe.
Basic assumptions (e.g., unconscious beliefs about time, space, human nature): Represented by the roots, seeds, and water – deep, invisible forces that shape the culture and are often taken for granted.
- Analyze the relationship between national and organizational cultures with organizational outcomes
National culture dimensions (Hofstede, 2011) such as Power Distance, Individualism, and Uncertainty Avoidance shape organizational culture by influencing leadership expectations, decision-making, and employee motivation.
In Vaara et al. (2012):
While organisational differences tend to increase social conflict, national differences reduce it. At the same time, both types of cultural differences enhance knowledge transfer. This challenges the common belief that all cultural differences are harmful.
Given: Schein and Schein (2017) distinguish three levels of organizational culture. They use the metaphor of the lily pond to explain the coherence among these three dimensions.
Questions:
A. Name the three levels they distinguish, and give one clear example of each based on either Amazon or Facebook (2 points)
B. Explain how Schein and Schein apply the metaphor of the lily pond to explain the relationship between the three levels and how this can be related to the concept of organizational culture. (2 points).
A. The three levels of organizational culture and examples (2 points)
Artifacts – These are the visible and tangible elements of an organization’s culture (e.g., office layout, dress code, rituals).
Example (Amazon): Open-plan offices designed for collaboration, or visible whiteboards for tracking goals.
Espoused beliefs and values – These are the stated strategies, goals, and philosophies; what the organization says it values.
Example (Facebook): “Move fast and break things” – a declared value reflecting risk-taking and innovation.
Basic underlying assumptions – These are deep, unconscious beliefs that guide behavior and are often taken for granted.
Example (Amazon): The assumption that customer obsession is the key to success, guiding decisions even when not explicitly stated.
B. Lily pond metaphor and its relation to organizational culture (2 points)
Schein and Schein use the lily pond metaphor to illustrate the interconnectedness of the three cultural levels:
The leaves and blossoms on the surface of the pond represent artifacts – the visible parts of culture.
The farmer’s explanation of the pond reflects espoused beliefs and values – what people say about the culture.
The roots, seeds, and water represent the basic assumptions – the invisible source of the visible culture.
This metaphor shows that:
Artifacts are shaped by deeper assumptions, even if we only see the surface.
Understanding a culture fully requires exploring beneath the surface, down to the level of assumptions.
Like a pond’s ecosystem, all levels are co-dependent, forming a coherent cultural whole.
Q: What is a major criticism of Hofstede’s original research on national cultures at IBM?
A:
A. The data set was too small to make firm statements
B. The sample was gender unbalanced
C. The study was not designed with the aim to study national differences
C. The study was not designed with the aim to study national differences ✅ (Correct)
Given: Trisha is studying abroad for a year. She experiences a real culture shock. The teaching consists almost exclusively of large-scale lectures, during which the lecturer is speaking and students listen in silence and make notes. If a teacher asks a question in a lecture, he or she assigns someone to answer. When the lecture is over everyone remains seated until the lecturer indicates that they can leave.
Q: Based on Hofstede’s cultural dimensions, how would the country where Trisha is studying be characterized?
A:
A. Low on femininity
B. High on power distance
C. High on collectivism
B. High on power distance ✅ (Correct)
the main criticisms of Hofstede’s cultural
🔹 1. Not Designed for Culture
Based on IBM employee surveys—not meant to study national culture.
🔹 2. Outdated
Assumes culture is static, but culture changes over time.
🔹 3. Oversimplifies
Treats whole countries as one culture, ignoring internal differences.
🔹 4. Western Bias
Sample = mostly Western, male IBM workers, not globally representative.
🔹 5. Method Problems
Risk of ecological fallacy (group data ≠ individual truth)
Reliability of dimensions across cultures is questionable.
Which of the following best reflects a major methodological criticism of Hofstede’s cultural dimensions as discussed in the LOC 7 lecture?
A. The model relies too heavily on qualitative observations and ethnographies
B. The dimensions were developed based on a cross-industry global sample
C. The original data was gathered from a single company’s employees, limiting generalizability
D. The model’s focus on individualism excludes collectivist perspectives
Correct Answer: C
(The IBM-based dataset limits external validity and cultural representativeness.)
Q2.
What concept is most violated when Hofstede’s national-level findings are applied directly to individual-level behavior?
A. Internal validity
B. Face validity
C. Construct validity
D. Ecological fallacy
Correct Answer: D
(Applying group-level patterns to individuals risks ecological fallacy.)
Q3.
According to the LOC 7 lecture, how does behavior help reveal an organization’s espoused values, and what does this say about cultural consistency?
A. Behavioral rituals typically replace espoused values in most firms.
B. Behavior helps determine if stated values align with daily practices.
C. Values are irrelevant if behavior contradicts stated policies.
D. Espoused values are only valid if supported by leadership charisma.
Correct Answer: B
(Behavioral consistency with espoused values reveals how authentic or superficial the culture is.)
Q4.
Which of the following is NOT a valid critique of Hofstede’s model raised in the lecture or in Hofstede (2011)?
A. It assumes national cultures are stable and unchanging.
B. It lacks empirical support across multiple industries and countries.
C. It treats cultures as homogenous within national borders.
D. It was developed from data not originally intended to measure culture.
Correct Answer: B
(Despite criticisms, the model has been widely replicated across countries and fields.)
Q5.
Hartnell et al. (2016) suggest that alignment between CEO leadership and organizational culture influences firm performance. According to the LOC 7 framework, what cultural level does this alignment mostly affect?
A. Artifacts
B. Espoused values
C. Basic assumptions
D. Normative expectations
Correct Answer: B
(CEO behavior and leadership often shape or reinforce the organization’s stated values.)
According to Schein (2017), which cultural level is the hardest to change and why?
A. Artifacts, because they are embedded in visible structures
B. Espoused values, because they are based on organizational rhetoric
C. Basic assumptions, because they are unconscious and taken-for-granted
D. Behavioral norms, because they’re heavily regulated
Correct Answer: C
(Basic assumptions are deeply internalized and not easily questioned or altered.)
How would you conduct a qualitative analysis of an organization’s culture using Schein’s three levels (artifacts, espoused values, and basic assumptions)? Describe the methods you would use, the types of data you would collect, and how you would interpret your findings.
To analyze an organization’s culture qualitatively using Schein’s three levels, I would combine observation, interviews, and document analysis.
Artifacts:
I would observe the physical workspace, dress code, language, and rituals. These visible elements show what the organization presents on the surface.
Espoused Values:
Through interviews and internal documents (e.g., mission statements), I’d identify the values the organization claims to hold, like innovation or collaboration.
Basic Assumptions:
Using in-depth interviews and thematic analysis, I’d explore deeper beliefs—such as views on hierarchy, risk, or competition—that are taken for granted and guide behavior unconsciously.
By comparing these levels, I could assess if stated values align with real behavior and uncover the hidden beliefs shaping the culture.
