Organisational Culture Analysis - · PDF fileOrganisational Culture Analysis ... that strike you the most. E.g. you can analyze in more depth a corporate brochure or office layout

Organisational Culture Analysis

Radmila R / [email protected]

Learning Goals What you should know /understand/be able to do. Broad, general statements, learning directions.

Learning Objectives They define how the goals will be achieved, what specific things you have to do. They are concrete, measurable. and tied to specific assignments, knowledge, skills, and behaviours you need to demonstrate in the assignments.

Assignments How we know you met the goals/objectives (evidence)

Assessment How your learning will be measured

Learning Goals > Objectives > Assignments > Assessment

Formative Assignments They are not graded, but are designed to scaffold summative assignment . Their purpose is to monitor your progress and give you feedback so that you can improve learning. They indicate to your tutor where you are struggling and what you need the help with.

Use them in your monthly progress discussions.

Your formative assignments = Reflective Journal entries.

Summative Assignments They are obligatory and graded.

Tasks you are required to do in this section are:

● ‘HACK’ YOUR ORGANISATIONAL CULTURE (summative, graded): slides 15-37

● REFLECTIVE JOURNAL ENTRIES(formative, not graded): slides 37-38

Learning Goals > ‘Hack’ Your Organisational Culture

Ultimately, the goals of this section are that you:

● Develop an understanding of cultural complexity (organisational + national) in a workplace and its impact on the organisation. (KNOWLEDGE)

● Develop intercultural competence - intercultural communication skills - to be able to communicate effectively across cultural boundaries in a diverse workplace (SKILLS)

To reach your learning goals you should be able to:

● Apply Hofstede’s frameworks of Cultural Onion and National Culture Dimensions in a real organisational context, to research, analyse, and evaluate organisational culture.

● Draw from the above and formulate advice for the organisation.

● ICM Competencies: Analysing, Researching, Advising, Evaluating, Professional Behaviour, Working in an Intercultural Environment

Learning Objectives > ‘Hack’ Your Organisational Culture

→ Identify, describe, and interpret social relevance and meaning of the organisational symbols, rituals, and heroes, and support it with examples and visuals (C1c).

→ Identify and describe at least two [national] cultural dimensions of the organisation, explain their impact on the organisational practices, and give examples (C1c, C10c).

→ Draw critical conclusions from the analysis to advise the organisation (C3c, C7c, C9c, C10c).

→ Conduct qualitative research (observations, informal interviews) to collect information for the analysis (C2c).

*C#= ICM Competency#; c= the level of independence/you perform the

assignment with some guidance (b) or independently (c)

Action verbs: identify, describe, interpret, support with examples and visuals,

explain the impact, draw critical conclusions, advise, conduct research.

Bloom: applying, analyzing, evaluating

Learning Objectives we suggest for journal entries specific to this task (you can also devise your own):

→ Develop interview questions to research organisational culture impact on your colleagues (C4c). → Reflect on how the organisational culture affects your own functioning in the organisation (C7c).

Action verbs: develop, research impact, reflectBloom: analysing, evaluating

Learning Objectives > Reflective Journal

CRITERIA %

● Layers of the organisational 'Cultural Onion' are identified, described, and exemplified; Symbols, heroes, and rituals are interpreted in terms of how they construct the meaning of the organisational culture.

● At least 2 cultural [national] dimensions of Hofstede are identified and explained with at least 2 specific examples. Clear connections are drawn between the dimensions and communication practices and behaviours in the organisation.

20%

20%

Assessment Criteria > ‘Hack’ Your Organisational Culture

● The impact of dimensions on the organisation is critically discussed through evaluation of communication practices, behaviours, or events. Advice is formulated based on the conclusions derived from the discussion.

● Research is conducted to collect the information for the analysis (e.g. observation notes, informal discussions or interviews). At least 5 quality photographs (good resolution, lighting, framing) support the analysis of the organisational symbols. They communicate a sense of place (mood, atmosphere etc.);

35%

25%

Assessment Criteria > ‘Hack’ Your Organisational Culture

→ Final draft of the assignment is due in week 10, as a part of the Progress Portfolio.

→ Your journal entries should be a part of your monthly progress discussions.

● Refresh your knowledge of the theory by reading Chapter 4 (Working with Hofstede’s 6 Dimensions of Cultures, pages 59-76).

● Applying Hofstede, Example 1● Applying Hofstede, Example 2● Criticism of Hofstede● Here is an interesting reading about heroes and rituals in

startup companies

● Find readings on your own

Preparation: Readings

http://icmworkplacement.hu.nl/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Hofstede-Example-1.pdf




http://icmworkplacement.hu.nl/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Critcism-of-Hofstede.pdf

http://icmworkplacement.hu.nl/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Critcism-of-Hofstede.pdf

http://blogs.berkeley.edu/2015/09/10/hacking-a-corporate-culture-stories-heroes-and-rituals-in-startups-and-companies



• ICM Work Placement YouTube Hofstede Culture Theory Playlist

Preparation: Videos

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLpAuuHXAG-Ctnx4yacW782zC-ZITwSWTw



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZF6LyGne7Q

● Hofstede describes culture as “software of the mind”,A collective mental programming that “distinguishes the members of one group or category of people from others.” Your task in this assignment is to discover unique cultural milieu of your organisation by applying Hofstede’s frameworks of the Cultural Onion and Cultural Dimensions.

Task Description: ‘Hack’ Your Organisational Culture

You will gradually reveal the layers of your organisationalculture to answer:

● What are the shared frames of reference at your organization?

● How are they established, communicated, and maintained?

● How do they impact the organisation?


● In this model, culture is described as an onion that can be ‘peeled’ layer by layer, with each revealing more of it. At the core of the cultural onion lies the value system, invisible to outsiders. Nevertheless, these values manifest through outer layers – symbols, heroes, rituals, and external practices.

STEP 1: Peel the Cultural Onion


Organisational culture symbols become deeply embedded in our mind and subconscious.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLSwvvacorY

● Start with identifying and describing symbols, “words, gestures, pictures, or objects which carry a particular meaning only recognised by those who share a culture” (Hofstede, 2005:7). Deconstruct the meanings of these symbols. Ask yourself: How do you perceive these symbols (how they look, sound, feel)?



● What is their social relevance? How are they interpreted by the organisation’s members, what do they signify for them? In which [social] context are they used and how? How do they translate the organisational value system (mission, vision, philosophy) into social and communication day-to-day practices?



● While you should mention all the symbols, you might want to focus your analysis on 1-2 specifically, those that strike you the most. E.g. you can analyze in more depth a corporate brochure or office layout. Choose from the following: dress code (casual, formal), physical layout

(cubicles/ open space, lighting, decorative objects



and elements, language (slogans, office jokes, greetings),corporate identity (logo, brochure, website).

● One layer deeper, you will observe the heroes or persons that are highly prized in the organisation; Who are the role models / ‘icons’ of your organisation?



● Next, identify rituals or conventionalised behaviours such as team outing, morning brainstorming sessions, greetings, how meetings are organized, celebrations or birthdays, management or board of executive reports etc.



● The management research in the past ignored the influence national culture can have on the organisational behaviour. An exception to this trend was Hofstede with his research on cross-national differences in the cultures of work organisations. Whereas organisational practices

STEP 2: Discuss Impact of National Culture on Organisational Culture and Give Advice


might be successfully transferred from one country to another, in a multinational company, national culture dimensions can create misunderstanding and confusion.For example, a particular gender relation program might not be so easily transferable from one culture/country to another.



● By applying Hofstede’s cultural dimensions, analyse and describe/explain how national culture affects your organisation. You must include at least 2 dimensionsand give 1-2 insightful examples of their impact in your workplace context. Slides 32-36 show examples from previous students.



● Consider the limitations of dimensions and how individuals or organisations do not always fit the mould. For example, how subcultures come into play, such as professional and gender cultures.

● Based on your insights, advise the organisation.



Your methodology for this assignment will be qualitative data collection including your own reflexive observations (documented as journal entries), photographs and informal conversations or interviews with your colleagues.

● Set aside regular time for writing your notes (e.g. 20 min per day). Develop journal entries from the notes.

Collect Qualitative Data


● Use photographs to visually support your Cultural Onion analysis (symbols). They must not be random, but convey a sense of place (e.g. atmosphere, lighting, colour, mood). Take at least 5 photos. Each photograph should be accompanied with a short description. Photographs must be of a good quality, they might need some adjusting in Photoshop (e.g. colour correction).



● Informal conversations with your team members or colleagues and/or interviews. It is very important that you challenge your own interpretation with other viewpoints in order to avoid simplistic interpretations and superficial conclusions. Include the list of interview questions.



● Include APA list of sources.



Here are some suggestions, based on the previous interns experiences:

● Create a profile of your organisation national culture and compare it with that of their international client. Recall a situation you experienced in which the difference between the two became apparent.

Examples from previous interns


● Compare and contrast the cultures of your work place colleagues (even if you are doing a local placement, you must have a colleague or two from a different culture). Explore and compare their experience and functioning in the organisation. E.g. to what extent working style of your colleagues is affected by their cultural background.



● Design an interview or survey for colleagues and supervisor at your department to explore how they perceive cultural differences in the organisation. Inform your interview/survey with Hofstede’s dimensions.



● Explore how cross-cultural difference affected your teamwork (advantages and disadvantages). Include

whether there was a difference between your team/ department and the rest of the organisation. Describe any cultural differences in ways in which you and your colleagues approached your profe-



professional activities. Why these differences were cultural and not personal? Give an example of situation where you clearly noticed these differences.

● Consider how cultural differences play out in content marketing of your organisation (e.g. the organisation website).



Investigate the Impact of the Organisational Culture

Reflective Journal Suggestions

● Plan an interview with your colleagues and supervisor to research impact of your organisational culture. How does the culture affect their own functioning in the organisation?

Investigate the Impact of the Organisational Culture

Reflective Journal Suggestions

● Write a short post on how the organisational culture affects your own functioning?

Documents

Organisational Culture Analysis - · PDF fileOrganisational Culture Analysis ... that strike you the most. E.g. you can analyze in more depth a corporate brochure or office layout