ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE

Organizational Culture: What is it? What is it broadly? There are as many definitions of culture as there are cultures! Here is a simple one, which captures its essence: The shared, rituals, norms, values, and assumptions of a group. What is it specifically? Again, there is much debate about what elements precisely constitute the culture of an organization. Here are some key pieces: Mission- e.g., What is the organization’s core purpose? Vision-e.g., What is the organization’s overriding orientation? Planning- e.g., What processes does the organization use to actualize ideas? Strategy for implementation of mission and vision- e.g., What kinds of concrete means for implementation of mission and vision does the organization utilize?  Measurements of success- e.g., Does the organization have a system for continuous improvement? What kind of system(s)?  Overall organizational structure- e.g., Does the organization have a flat structure? A hierarchical structure? What influence do staff have?  Supervisory system(s)- e.g., Do staff receive regular supervision? What is the content and context of the supervisory relationships?  “Everyday” language- e.g., What are the insider terms that staff members use?  Status and rewards- e.g., Do staff get bonuses? Are they acknowledged in staff meetings for jobs well done?  Concepts of time- e.g., Do meetings usually start on time, 10 minutes late?  Concepts of space-e.g., Do staff have their own offices, do people usually keep their doors opened or closed?  Communication systems-e.g., Is there an intranet, a staff newsletter?  Relationship(s) to external culture(s)- e.g., Does the organization have a competitive relationship with other similar organizations?  Individual/Group focus e.g., Is the organization oriented more to individual or group needs?  Views on difference- e.g., Are differences in race, sex, etc… talked about?  Role delineation-e.g., Are staff clear on what their job description is or their roles in particular projects? Adapted from: Schein, Edgar H. The Corporate Culture: A Survival Guide. Jossey-Bass Books: San Francisco, California, 1999 . Support Center for Nonprofit Management, 212-924-6744, www.supportctr.org Idealist HR Conference, June 2003     Organizational Culture-Who shapes it? Everyone who has ever worked for the organization played some role in shaping its culture! It’s particularly important to understand an organization’s history when examining its culture. Founders, in particular, play a large role in shaping a culture, often even when they are long gone! In most organization’s, the Executive Director also plays a very major role in the culture. But all staff play a role, even those who feel disconnected to their organization’s culture! The Role of HR Professionals HR Professionals can play an important role in influencing an organization’s culture. The may “call the question” first on whether a particular aspect of the culture is working and very often have enormous skill in negotiating group process. A caution: Sometimes, organizations can tacitly or even directly ask HR staff to hold the culture for everyone else. I have worked with a number of organizations where HR staff are expected to nurture the organization’s culture, but not given the authority and latitude to really do that. It’s key for HR staff to work in concert with the organization’s staff and particularly with its leadership. HR as a subculture can have some influence on the culture, but not nearly the amount it can when working with a much broader array of staff. Adapted from: Schein, Edgar H. The Corporate Culture: A Survival Guide. Jossey-Bass Books: San Francisco, California, 1999 . Support Center for Nonprofit Management, 212-924-6744, www.supportctr.org Idealist HR Conference, June 2003 Organizational Culture: How does it shift? The short answer is not easily!! Organizational cultures evolve over time and for multiple, complex reasons. They are not easy to change and almost never respond to a single person’s efforts, even the Executive Director. What specific steps can a staff member take to shift her/his culture?  Clarify for yourself what doesn’t seem to be working in the culture and get specific about how this element or dynamic is holding the organization back.  Informally and formally develop allies. It’s almost impossible to have an effect on a culture by oneself. It can be particularly important to involve the Executive Director.  Formally define the “business problem.” Without defining a specific issue that staff can work together to correct or improve, discussions of culture can become esoteric and ungrounded in reality.  Work with the group to acknowledge the many layers and elements of culture.  Artifacts- Edgar Schein offers this useful term to describe such things as the office dress code, working hours, how decisions are made, level of formality in relationships, rituals.  Values-Often an organization’s values are listed in its publicity material. Examples include customer service orientation, teamwork, entrepreneurism, a learning culture, accountability etc…  Compare values with artifacts. In most culture there is some difference between the two and these differences are the result of tacit assumptions.  Tacit assumptions are the underlying core of any organization’s culture. And many staff can’t articulate what they are. For example, an organization might say that one of its values is teamwork, but individual staff get recognized and rewarded more than teams do.  Assess the tacit shared assumptions. Work as a group to see whether these assumptions are helping you to move forward vis a vis what you’ve defined as the problem or issues you’re working on. Adapted from: Schein, Edgar H. The Corporate Culture: A Survival Guide. Jossey-Bass Books: San Francisco, California, 1999 . Support Center for Nonprofit Management, 212-924-6744, www.supportctr.org Idealist HR Conference, June 2003 Selected Bibliography on Organizational Culture Goleman, Daniel. Emotional Intelligence. Bantam Books: New York, New York, 1995. Goleman, Daniel. Working with Emotional Intelligence. Bantam Books: New York, New York, 1998. Peters, Tom. Thriving on Chaos: Handbook for a Management Revolution. Harper Perennial: California, 1987. Quinn, Robert E. Deep Change. Jossey-Bass: San Francisco, California, 1996. Schein, Edgar H. Organizational Culture and Leadership. Jossey-Bass: San Francisco, California, 1985. Schein, Edgar H. The Corporate Culture: A Survival Guide. Jossey-Bass Books: San Francisco, California, 1999. Senge, Peter M. The Fifth Discipline: The Art and Practice of a Learning Organization. Doubleday Currency: New York, Support Center for Nonprofit Management, 212-924-6744, www.supportctr.org Idealist HR Conference, June 2003