Understanding Cultural Typologies

1
Understanding Cultural Typologies

• Schein, chapter 10
• January 23, 2006

2
Announcements

• Chapter 10 today chapter 11 on Wednesday
• Real work begins next week
• Test of grade system this week

3
Review of In-Class

• Generally well done
• Concerns
• Be very explicitwhat basic assumption are you
  suggesting?
• Not enough to simply state that something
  reflects a basic assumption about space or human
  nature need to clearly state the basic
  assumption
• Be clear
• Make sure writing is clear and understandable
• Make sure that points and evidence are relevant

4
Goffee and Jones

• Two key dimensions
• Sociability measure of sincere friendliness
  among members of an organization
• Solidarity measure of a communitys
  (organization) ability to pursue shared
  objectives quickly and effectively, regardless of
  personal ties

5
Goffee and Jones
Networked
Communal
Sociability
Fragmented
Mercenary
Solidarity
6
The Four Cultural Types

• Networked
• Lots of friendship activities and after hours
  socializing many celebrations (birthdays, etc.)
  people have nicknames decisions often made
  through friendships and cliques people find it
  easy to work around the official hierarchy and
  bureaucracy
• Often dont get things done lower cooperation
  between different functions often highly
  political little shared commitment to overall
  business objectives
• Does contribute to cooperative loyalty may work
  best when corporate strategies have a long time
  frame

7
The Four Cultural Types

• Mercenary
• Low on hallway hobnobbing and high on
  data-heavy, official memos communication is
  focused on business matters quick decisions and
  implementation
• Clear distinction between work and social little
  out-of-work life interactions very intolerant of
  poor performance can be hard hearted may
  generate little loyalty may be hard to generate
  high degrees of cooperation
• Work well in dynamic, rapidly changing
  environments

8
The Four Cultural Types

• Fragmented
• Low awareness of organizational
  membershipidentification with occupational
  groups little social interaction members may be
  highly secretive
• Little agreement about organizational objections
  or performance standards
• Not always wretched places to work common in
  hospitals (among doctors), universities, law
  firms common in virtual organizations may work
  well when work is highly independent or
  innovation is produced by individuals

9
The Four Cultural Types

• Communal
• High social interactions, including outside of
  work strong organizational identity lots of
  socials events and rituals equitable sharing of
  rewards strong communication and emphasis of
  mission and goals compete not only on product or
  services, but on values
• Common in religious or volunteer organizations
  can be difficult to maintain in for-profit
  businesses
• Built in tension between sociability and
  solidarity that makes its existence unstable