Types and Dimensions of Culture Change

Specific Considerations in Changing Culture

Capitalize on Propitious Moments

● When some obvious problem, opportunity, also change in circumstances makes change seem
desirable.
● Proponents of culture change often need to dramatize the circumstances that call for change at
various stakeholders through order by winning their support, and cooperation.

Combine Caution with Optimism

● Managers need in create an optimistic outlook to what the change effort will bring
● Consistency, also persistence at their efforts was absolutely essential through conveying
optimism, and confidence.
● Both caution, as well as optimism are warranted.

Understand Resistance to Culture Change

● Research in organizational change of all kinds has documented many reasons that people resist
change.

Common Sources of Resistance to Change

Individual Level Group/Organizational
Level
Fear of the unknown Threats to power and
influence
Self interest Lack of trust
Selective attention and Different perceptions and
retention goals
Habit Social disruption
Dependence Resource limitations
Need for Security Fixed investments
Interorganizational
agreements

Change Many Elements. But Maintain Continuity

● One way to honor the past, also maintain continuity was to identify the principles that will remain
constant.
● HP management has made substantial efforts toward continuing the “HP Way”- an emphasis in
decentralized operations, autonomous management, and the promotion of employee welfare.
● HP has been able to maintain division autonomy.
 ● Changing organizational cultures requires not one change, but many changes at many different
cultural elements.

Recognize the Importance of Implementation

Implementation of change is a notoriously difficult process that is often met with abandonment,
failure, or omission of some of its aspects. The following is a 3 stage model to accomplish necessary
organizational changes and reforms.

3 Stages Model of a Change Process

● Adoption
The decision to make some change.
● Implementation
The actions required to put said change in place.
● Institutionalization
The persistent incorporation of the change into daily routines and culture of the
organization.

Strategies in Profitable Ways for a Culture Change

 The US Post Office is a great example of undergoing profitable culture change. As an institution,
they were basically the national mailing corporation of the United States and started as a unifying
organization to transport paper mail across the country. The advent of the telephone and other
communication technologies rendered the mail obsolete. As a response, they created a training
institute in Bethesda, Maryland to train their employees in modern communication.

Select, Modify, and Create Cultural Forms

Manager's Impact
● Through symbolic tools and ways of authority can lead to development.
● “VALUES THEY PREACH”

Old vs. New

Rites and ceremonies can also give impacts for change.
● Used to maintain the continuity of cultures.
● The latter are likely to be most effective when they reinforce BEHAVIORS already INSTALLED
in SOME EMPLOYEES through RITES OF PASSAGE.
● “GRADUALLY ESTABLISHING”
● Continuity way, they use : MEDIA & NEWS (tools)

Modify Specialization Tactics

Socialization processes can modify your culture.
● It is easy to see how socialization structured in this way is likely to PRODUCE cultural
CONTINUITY.

TACTICS
 ● Individualized
● Experience Individualized
Set New Culture
● Desirable
● Consideration
● PROCESS (from top to down)

Find and Cultivate Innovative Leadership

Effectiveness of leadership (authority).
● The persuasion of a leader based on his or her morale
New Vision
● enlisting at the same time removing the inaccurate cultures.
● Their removal has both symbolic and practical consequences.
● Pros and cons

Organizational Culture: Pieces of the Puzzle

Culture as a Metaphor and Culture as a Variable

As a Metaphor
● Any distinctive or unique activity, phenomenon, or institution with which all or most members of
a given culture emotionally and/or cognitively identify.
● Represents the underlying values expressive of the culture itself

As a Variable

● Focuses on causality.
● Culture as variable “X” (values, norms, etc.) that influences variable "Y" (productivity, success,
etc.)

Cultures in Organizations as a Vortex

● When culture is defined as a way of studying everyday life in organizations, the question of scope
quickly arises. What is not culture? Is culture just another word for organization? Cultural theory
and research are just one of many organizational domains, and it certainly does not encompass
the others. People cannot learn all they need to know about organizations by studying culture.