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Symbolism & Culture
Assumptions
• Most important is not what happens but what it means
• Activity and meaning are loosely coupled
• Use of symbols to create meaning• Role of expression vs. product• Culture unites
Organizations as Cultures• The way we do things
around here• Shared understandings
and expectations• Norms, values, beliefs and
assumptions• Expression via artifacts
and symbols
Thought Questions
• How would you describe to others “how we do things at William & Mary” based on your interactions as a student?
• What are the parts of culture that are articulated? Not captured in formal documents?
• How does culture set the stage for organizational change?
Societal culture
Organizational Cultures (societal subcultures)
Organizational subcultures
Cultures and subcultures
Organizational Subcultures
• Occupational (R&D, legal)
• Work group (teams, branch offices)
• Hierarchical (top mgt, middle, workers)
• Previous affiliations (merger, acquisition, joint venture)
• Siehl & Martin’s study• Enhancing (support corporate values)• Orthogonal (exist independently)• Counter (defy corporate values)
Hofstede’s Dimensions of Culture
– Individualism– Power distance– Uncertainty avoidance– Masculinity/femininity– Time orientation (long vs short run)
Criticisms
• Conducted entirely within one firm (IBM)• Measures unstable across time• Results do not have face validity
Schein’s 3 Levels of Culture
Artifacts
Values
Assumptions
Visible but often undecipherable
Greater level of awareness
Taken for granted, invisible
Thought Questions
• Thinking about your institution’s culture, what are some of the artifacts, values, and assumptions?
• How might these differ based on sub-cultures?
• How are institutional cultures influenced by changes overall in higher education?
• How has the climate changed?• How does the saga shift?
Organizations as Symbols• Objects that convey
meaning (Tierney)– Language– Dress– Structural roles– Spatial organization
• Branding– Logos– Sayings
Symbols of Leadership
Tierney stated:• Symbols demand
corroboration• Use of symbols is
consistent with the organization’s culture
• Need to use all symbolic forms
Artifacts of Organizational Culture
Category: Examples:
Objects
Art/design/logo; Buildings/décor/furnishings; Dress/appearance/costume/uniform; Products/equipment/methods; Posters, photos, cartoons, signage.
Verbal expressions
Jargon/names/nicknames; Explanations/theories; Stories/myths/legends/heroes/villains; Superstition/rumors; Metaphor/proverbs/slogans; Speeches/rhetoric/oratory.
Activities
Ceremonies/rituals/rites of passage; Meetings/retreats/parties; Communication patterns; Traditions/customs/social routines; Gestures; Play/recreation/games; Rewards/punishments
Symbolic-Interpretive Approaches
• Symbols, symbolism, symbolic behavior
• Organizational stories, narratives & narrating
• The Theatre Metaphor: Dramaturgy & performativity
Photo courtesy of Phil Mirvis
The Theatre Metaphor
Performativity
• Words do things.• Utterances
perform actions.
University of RochesterRecruitment Video• What is symbolized?• How do you understand
the culture?
Myths, Vision, and Values
• Induction Stories– Hewlett Packard – garage– Start of Apple Computer
• Translation of vision /values to stories
Heroes and Heroines
• Founding Stories
• Tank in Tiananmen Square
• Norma Rae/Rosa Parks/JFK
• Becoming the Hero/heroine
Stories and Fairy Tales
• Accounts and stories of real events.
• Involve plots and characters.
• Incorporate storytelling (how the story is told).
• Stories can be abbreviated by organizational members
• Our life stories and experience are narratives.
Ritual
• Traditional routines– Start of the year meeting– Celebrations
• Socialization to the organization
• Protocols
Ceremony
• Less frequent than rituals
• Highlights special moments– 50th anniversary– Graduation of 1000 student– Retirements
• Meeting Goals
Metaphor, Humor, Play
• Metaphors for visuals
• Humor to convey message—plus and minus
• Play as form of celebration—summer picnic/donkey basketball
Interpreting Artifacts: The Culture Spiral
Verbal Artifact:hero/villain
Verbal Artifact:
joke
Physical Artifact:object
Behavioral Artifact:ritual
Theme
Thought Questions
• How might the culture look different depending on institutional role? Faculty? Leader?
• What is the impact on faculty roles with the increased emphasis on interdisciplinary work? With more adjuncts?
• How does level of analysis matter?
Deconstructing Organizational Culture
to …
• Role of Discourse Analysis
• expose dominant narratives and ideologies.
• explore how narratives privilege some groups over others.
• see whose voices are silenced and marginalized.
• uncover multiple and opposing interpretations.
• surface manipulation.
Organizational Culture in Summary…
Modern Symbolic-Interpretivism
Postmodern
Metanarrative.
Organizational identity.
Organizational stories & heroes.
Unity and coherence of values & norms.
Communicated through stories & symbols.
Local narratives.
Context for making meaning & identities.
Multiple stories & interpretations.
Webs of meaning.
Re/constructed in interactions.
Contested narratives.
Simulacra and no shared meaning.
Intertextuality.
Power struggles & fragmentation.
Masks silences & marginalized groups.
Ambiguity of Leadership
• Homogeneity of leaders– New ACE president study shows decline
in minority leaders (13%) and small uptick in women (26%)
– Hiring committees• Constraints• External factors• New President at RBC
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