Session 5: Lion tamers and horse whisperers

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Session 5 Lion tamers and horse whisperers
shaping workplace cultures

• Presented by
• Dr Paul Collings Queensland Crime and
  Misconduct Commission

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Lion Tamers and Horse WhisperersShaping
Workplace Cultures

• Paul Collings
• Senior Prevention Adviser
• Research and Prevention
• Crime and Misconduct Commission

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Corrupt Cultures

• Examples
• Parks and gardens
• Executive suite
• Facilities maintenance

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Culture

• the climate and practices that organisations
  develop around their handling of people, or the
  espoused values and credo of an organisation
  Schein 7
• Culture is to a group what personality or
  character is to an individual. We can see the
  behaviour that results, but often we cannot see
  the forces underneath that cause certain types of
  behaviour. Schein 8

Edgar H. Schein, Organizational Culture and
Leadership. 3rd Edition. San Francisco,
Jossey-Bass 2004.
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How are cultures formed?

• a groups culture is the result of that groups
  accumulated learning once a group has a
  culture, it will pass elements of this culture on
  to new generations of group members. Schein 18

Edgar H. Schein, Organizational Culture and
Leadership. 3rd Edition. San Francisco,
Jossey-Bass 2004.
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Diagnosis

• Complaints
• Risk factors
• Isolation
• Work environment
• Rhetoric
• Underlying assumptions

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Isolation

• individuals will be more likely to share in
  ethical reasoning and moral intent with members
  of their own functional group (in-group) than
  with members of other functional groups
  (out-group).

Neil A. Granitz and James C. Ward. Actual and
perceived sharing of ethical reasoning and moral
inent among in-group and out-group members.
Journal of Business Ethics 33 (4) 299-322,
October 2001. p.299
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Working Environment

• Physical environment
• Work practices
• Operational structures
• General morale

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Rhetoric

• Public utterances
• False signals
• Quality of output
• Language
• Tales and legends

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Underlying Assumptions
Positive Negative
Old-fashioned work ethic Work-evasion ethic
We are working to a common goal Our team has to stick together for protection
We are at the cutting edge We are a neglected back-water
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Surveys
Response to Surveys Managers trust in
information sources percentage.
Source http/phoneegraphs.con
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What to do?

• Recommendation 8
• That the Department of Transport establish a
  corporate culture that values, and is inclusive
  of, all staff and operational areas.

Western Australias Corruption Crime
Commission.Report on the investigation of
alleged public sector misconduct by employees of
the Department for Planning and Infrastructure in
relation to the inspection, licensing and
registration of motor vehicles. 16 September 2010
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Lions and horses

• Targeting key people
• Shedding light
• Creating expectations
• Systems
• Deterrence
• Leadership

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Key People
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Avoidance and resistance

• Denial
• Transference
• Deal-making

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Shedding light

• Education for
• Direct moral instruction
• Case studies, role plays, hypotheticals
• Practical projects
• Value clarification
• Empowerment, autonomy
• Empathy development
• Workplace experiences
• Motivation

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Creating expectations

• Uncertainty
• Codes and policies
• Modelling

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Systems

• Prevention tools
• Risk Management plans
• Corporate plans
• Codes of conduct
• Policies and procedures
• Internal reporting
• Internal auditing
• Recruitment
• Performance management
• Continuous improvement
• Training
• Leadership

• Implementation
• Communication
• New technologies
• Learn from complaints
• Avoid patchwork

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Deterrence

• Dismissals
• Legal constraints
• Rewards

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Leadership

• Integrity
• Acceptance
• Visibility

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Shaping Cultures

• Symptoms
• Complaints
• Isolation
• Work environments
• Rhetoric
• Underlying assumptions

• Strategies
• Key people
• Shedding light
• Expectations
• Systems
• Deterrence
• Leadership

Organisational approach
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Discussion
Dr Paul Collings Crime and Misconduct
Commission [phone] paul.collings_at_cmc.ql
d.gov.au
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Case study

• Allegation misappropriation of private sector
  grant funds.
• In 2008 the University received a grant for
  specified research purposes from the Perfectly
  Upright Corporation (PU Corp). It is alleged
  that Professor Julius Flitwick illegally (or
  inappropriately) used the money to
• Buy two new laptops, one for his home and the
  other to use at work
• Employ a research assistant who just turned up
  one day and who was later overheard to mention
  that her mother is one of the Directors of PU Corp

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Case study

• Background information
• The Professor refuses to submit costings for the
  research project through the usual university
  processes and has explained to the finance
  section that he does not need to because he is
  personally contracted to the project rather than
  through the university
• The Professor uses University resources to carry
  out the research project
• The website for PU Corp includes a press release
  that states that the Professor has a part
  ownership in the intellectual capital for the
  finished project

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Discussion

• Tenure and ossification
• Academic vs. Administration
• Research funding and ethics