8. The founders’ own behavior acts as a role model that encourages employees to identify with them and thereby internalize their beliefs, values, and assumptions.
9.
10. The explicit goal of the selection process is to identify and hire individuals who have the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the jobs within the organization successfully.
11. The final decision as to who is hired will be significantly influenced by the decision maker’s judgment of how well the candidates will fit into the organization. This results in the hiring of people who have values consistent with those of the organization.
12.
13. The actions of top management, what they say and how they behave, establish norms that filter down through the organization as to:
20. In the second stage, encounter, the new employee sees what the organization is really like and confronts the possibility that expectations and reality may diverge.
21.
22. Some organizations actually try to manage this element of culture learningRituals Rituals are repetitive sequences of activities that express and reinforce the key values of the organization, what goals are most important, which people are important, and which are expendable. Material Symbols The material symbols convey to employees who is important, the degree of egalitarianism desired by top management, and the kinds of behavior that are appropriate. Language Many organizations and units use language as a way to identify members of a culture or subculture. By learning this language, members attest to their acceptance of the culture and help to preserve it. New employees are frequently overwhelmed with acronyms and jargon that, after six months on the job, have become fully part of their language. Culture is transmitted to employees in a number of ways; for example, through stories, rituals, material symbols and language. The process of developing and sustaining organizational culture is illustrated by the following figure by Robbins: Figure 7.1 (Adapted from Robbins 1989, page 479) Conclusion The future holds promise for companies that understand and nurture their cultures. Cultures are not only able to create an environment, but they also adapt to diverse and changing circumstances. As organizations begin to experience a revolution in structures, the study of culture and the implications for change will become more important. Understanding of work group subcultures within an organization’s culture will influence strategies for changing organizational culture and overcoming resistance to change programs. Changing an organization’s culture may be extremely difficult, as the processes that support a particular organization or a departmental method of working are both interrelated and varied. Organizational culture is self-perpetuating and highly resistant to change. Changes may cause confusion, conflict and resistance. Managers need to understand the nature and role of culture and how it may be altered. When the role of culture is more clearly defined, managers can better understand its importance in managing organizational change and its impact on day-to-day decision-making.