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Lesson Plan

Your name: Aimee Dars Ellis

Type of Lesson: Interactivity, Site Curation, and Gamification

Lesson Plan Title: Understanding Organizational Culture

Discipline and Topic: Business/Ethics

Business/General

Business/Marketing

Target Population

Grade Level: Postsecondary, Advanced High School

Population Characteristics: Students in this class are typically 16-22 years old. They

must have good standing in their school, which means they have a 2.0 grade average and

have demonstrated minimum writing and reading skills. Although I do not yet have a

class list, based on past classes, students will have diverse learning styles, in terms of

Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences, although visual, linguistic, and interpersonal

skills seem to predominate. Having a variety of activities during a class period is ideal for

the group.

Lesson Groupings: This lesson has elements of whole class, small group, and individual

groupings.

Curriculum Links

The Organizational Culture lesson is designed for an Organizational Behavior class but

can also be used in Introduction to Business and Business Ethics.

Edward Schein defines organizational culture as “A pattern of shared basic assumptions

learned by a grp as it solved its problems of external adaptation and internal integration,

which has worked well enough to be considered valid and, therefore, to be taught to new

members as the correct way to perceive, think, and feel in relation to those problems”

(Schein, 2010, p. 18). Schein identifies three layers of culture: artifacts, values/beliefs,

and underlying assumptions. An organization’s culture is important because it provides a

sense of identity to members and increases their commitment to the organization, frames

organizational members’ sense-making, and reinforces the values of the organization. An

organization’s culture can affect firm-level outcomes like effectiveness as well as person-

level outcomes like turnover, satisfaction, and commitment.

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This lesson is delivered near the end of the term after lessons on teams and leadership and

directly before or after a lesson on organizational structure.

Objectives After completing the Understanding Organizational Culture lesson, students will be able

to:

1) Given a particular company, identify artifacts of organizational culture with 90%

accuracy

2) Given a particular company, interpret organizational culture artifacts in terms of

the values they represent with 90% accuracy

3) Distinguish between espoused and enacted values

4) Discuss the potential negative aspects of organizational culture with 90%

accuracy

5) Describe assumptions as defined Schein’s model of organizational culture

List the ISTE Student Standards/Profiles objectives with which your lesson plan

aligns.

ISTE Standard Lesson Plan Application

1. Design, develop, and test a digital

learning game to demonstrate

knowledge and skills related to

curriculum content. (1, 4)

n/a

2. Create and publish an online art

gallery with examples and

commentary that demonstrate an

understanding of different historical

periods, cultures, and countries. (1, 2)

n/a

3. Select digital tools or resources to use

for a real-world task and justify the

selection based on their efficiency and

effectiveness. (3, 6)

n/a

4. Employ curriculum-specific

simulations to practice critical-

thinking processes. (1, 4)

n/a

5. Identify a complex global issue,

develop a systematic plan of

investigation, and present innovative

sustainable solutions. (1, 2, 3, 4)

n/a

6. Analyze the capabilities and

limitations of current and emerging

technology resources and assess their

potential to address personal, social,

lifelong learning, and career needs. (4,

5, 6)

n/a

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7. Design a Web site that meets

accessibility requirements. (1, 5)

n/a

8. Model legal and ethical behaviors

when using information and

technology by properly selecting,

acquiring, and citing resources. (3, 5)

Students will demonstrate this standard in their homework assignment which requires posting resources to a Sticky Note application (Padlet)

9. Create media-rich presentations for

other students on the appropriate and

ethical use of digital tools and

resources. (1, 5)

Students will demonstrate this standard in their homework assignment which requires posting resources to a Sticky Note application (Padlet)

10. Configure and troubleshoot hardware,

software, and network systems to

optimize their use for learning and

productivity. (4, 6)

This standard is not a focus of the lesson’s activities, but students will need to be able to configure and troubleshoot the tools needed to complete the assignments.

Materials and Timing

This lesson will require one 45 minute class session.

Lesson Quiz

Completed through LMS online before class session.

Readings (to be read by students before class)

Excerpt from Organizational Culture and Leadership

Chapter ## in textbook

Culture Fundamentals from Edward Schein:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Fw5H7GWzog

Videos (select one)

3-2-1: Google’s Culture (3:48,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_R3XG7s2hw)

Zappos Organizational Culture (5:40,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5CcLIPaUz3E)

Handout: Analyzing Organizational Culture (hard copies)

Assignment Description (on course website)

PowerPoint File (on Dropbox/course website)

Scope and Sequence

00-05 Announcements and Introduction

05-10 Discussion about organizational culture (definition, functions,

impact of leadership on, and possible negative consequences

arising from)

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10-30 Three layers of organizational culture presentation

As a class, look at artifacts in photographs of offices

View video and discuss

30-40 Group activity – identifying artifacts

40-45 Conclusion / Exit Ticket / Explain homework: creation of a Padlet

board

Supplemental Materials

n/a

Evaluation of Students

Objectives Activity Excellent Satisfactory Needs

Improvement

Given a particular

company, identify

artifacts of

organizational

culture with 90%

accuracy

Lesson Quiz 95-100% 80-94% <79%

In class

discussion☼

-- -- --

Group activity☼ -- -- --

Homework

assignment

Padlet includes 10+

relevant artifacts,

two created by

student

Padlet includes 8-9

relevant artifacts,

two created by

student

Padlet includes 7 or

fewer relevant

artifacts

Given a particular

company, interpret

organizational

culture artifacts in

terms of the values

they represent with

90% accuracy

In class

discussion☼

-- -- --

Group activity☼ -- -- --

Homework

assignment

All artifacts (10+)

in Padlet include

caption describing

how it represents

values of

organization

All artifacts (10) in

Padlet include

caption describing

how it represents

values of

organization with

some ambiguity

Captions for less

than 10 artifacts

and/or unclear link

between artifact

and values

Distinguish

between espoused

and enacted values

Lesson Quiz 95-100% 80-94% <79%

In class

discussion☼

-- -- --

Discuss the

potential negative

aspects of

organizational

culture with 90%

accuracy

Lesson Quiz 95-100% 80-94% <79%

In class

discussion☼

-- -- --

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Describe

assumptions as

defined Schein’s

model of

organizational

culture

Lesson Quiz 95-100% 80-94% <79%

In class

discussion☼

-- -- --

☼ Ungraded, but will be recorded through Poll Everywhere or blackboard/

smartboard to be used for evaluation purposes.

Evaluation of the Lesson

Both summative and formative assessments will be used to evaluate the lesson. The

“Understanding Organizational Culture” lesson includes several Poll Everywhere polls

with accompanying discussions, and I can evaluate the responses to see if immediate

adjustments in teaching strategies are necessary for the material. After the class, I will

look more closely at the Poll Everywhere responses, and if more than 20% of responses

are incorrect, I will revise the lesson for the next term.

The only handout this lesson is a group activity and doesn’t reflect individual

performance, but I will I will review them and categorizing them into groups: 1) exceeds

expectations, 2) meets expectations, 3) does not meet expectations. If more than 20% of

students do not meet expectations, I will review the material during the next class period.

The handout will be used as an exit ticket and includes a “teaching tweet” for students to

complete using one of three prompts:

If several students have the same question about the lesson, I will review the material at

the beginning of the next class and revise the instructional strategies related to that

content for the next term.

I will evaluate the quiz by looking at the questions reflecting each objective. If more than

20% of students score below 80% on the test’s subscales, I will revise the lesson for the

particular objective(s) with poor student performance.

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References

Schein, E. H. (2010). Organizational culture and leadership (4th ed.). San Francisco:

Jossey-Bass.

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Figure 1: Wal-Mart Headquarters Interior

Figure 2: Boeing Flight Test Center

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Figure 3: Etsy Office Space

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Figure 4: Facebook (California)

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Figure 5: Blackboard

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HANDOUT

Analyzing Organizational Culture

Name: Date:

Use the image you were provided to answer the following questions. Each person in your

group should complete the handout. You should discuss questions 1 – 3 with your group

members. Complete the teaching tweet on your own.

1) Identify as many artifacts as you can see in the image and note what they might

represent.

2) Determine four to five values that the firm might espouse based on the artifacts.

Be sure to justify your answers.

3) What type of company do you think this is?

Exit Ticket

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Homework

Analyzing Organizational Culture

Name: Date:

Your Company:

Collect at least ten artifacts from your company and add them to Padlet. (Sample:

http://padlet.com/doctordarzy/xgvswclsb5nu). At least two of these must be artifacts you

have collected yourself, e.g. a photograph from the company showing the employee

handbook, office space, employee parking, etc.

In the caption for each post, describe what espoused values the artifact might represent

and why.

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Sample Padlet

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Slide 1

Organizational Culture

Chapter ##

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Slide 2

What is

organizational

culture?

(Poll Everywhere Open-ended Question/

Discussion)

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Slide 3

What are the functions

and impacts of

culture?

(Poll Everywhere Open-ended Question/

Discussion)

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Slide 4

What are some

possible negative

impacts of culture?

(Poll Everywhere Open-ended Question/

Discussion)

Could justify extreme/unethical activities

Could be difficult to merge with other companies

Could attract homogenous applicant pool, limiting diversity

Could make it difficult for organization to adapt to environment

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Slide 5

How does a leader

impact an

organization’s

culture?

(Poll Everywhere Open-ended Question/

Discussion)

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Slide 6

Layers of Organizational Culture

Artifacts

Values/Beliefs

Underlying Assumptions

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Slide 7

Layers of Organizational

Culture

Artifacts

Observable manifestations

of the organization’s culture

• Dress

• Use of Space

• Reports

• Stories and Myths

• Ceremonies/

Rituals

• Physical Structures

• Language

"[Artifacts include] all the phenomena that one sees, hears, and feels when encountering a

new group with an unfamiliar culture. Artifacts would include the visible products of the

group such as the architecture of its physical environment, its language, its technology

and products, its artistic creations, and its style as embodied in clothing, manners of

address, emotional displays, myths and stories told about the organization, published lists

of values, observable rituals and ceremonies, and so on. For the purposes of cultural

analysis this level also includes the visible behavior of the group and the organizational

processes into which such behavior is made routine." (p. 17)

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Slide 8

Slogans/Chants

Leave no man behind

QSCV (McDonald’s)

Simply BOLD (Minolta)

Method

• Keep Method weird.

• What would MacGyver do?

• Innovate, don't imitate.

• Collaborate like crazy.

• Care.

Distinct from

marketing tag

lines –

MELTS IN YOUR

MOUTH, NOT IN

YOUR HANDS

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Slide 9

Layers of Organizational

Culture

Values

Social principles, goals, and

standards held within a

culture to have intrinsic worth

What the employees care

about… used to make

decisions and moral

judgments so often

emotionally charged!

Espoused

vs. Enacted

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Slide 10

Layers of Organizational

Culture

Assumptions

Unobservable values that

have become so ingrained

over time they are taken for

granted. They are highly

resistant to change. Acting

contrary to assumptions

inconceivable

• Relationship to

environment

• Nature of reality,

time, and space

• Nature of human

nature

• Nature of human

activity

• Nature of human

relationships

Basic underlying assumptions are taken-for-granted beliefs and philosophies that are so

ingrained that employees simply act on them rather than questioning the validity of their

behavior in a given situation.

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Slide 11

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Slide 12

Longaberger

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Slide 13

James P. Gorman – Morgan Stanley

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Slide 14

New York Times

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Slide 15

ROTC – Texas University

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Slide 16

Why wait for the elevator when you can take the slide? Corus Entertainment’s

headquarters in Toronto is a study in smart design (with a LEED Gold-targeted building),

and a model for a quirky aesthetic to bring out the creativity in its employees. "It's all

about fun," says John Cassaday, Corus's founding CEO.

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Slide 17

Joke slide – from Office Space movie

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Slide 18

While watching this video, take notes on

• Artifacts you see

• Values that people mention

• Ways culture impacts employees

Organizational Culture Video

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Slide 19

Group Activity

In your groups, analyze the image you have been

given. Each person in the group should complete a

handout – it will serve as your exit ticket.

The shortest person in your group will be your

spokesperson.