How is an organizations culture transmitted to its members?

Abstract

To study the conditions under which culture can be transmitted effectively in formal organizations, where members of the system come and go rapidly and in large numbers, we develop a model of the cultural transmission process. The model includes the following variables: entry rate and exit rate of workers, growth rate of the organization, selectiveness of organizational recruiting, intensity of socialization (by managers and by coworkers), and the rate at which socialization decays if not reinforced. Findings from a computer simulation of the model show that cultural systems in organizations are highly robust and reach equilibrium even with high turnover and rapid growth. We also find that culture is stronger during decline than growth. Moreover, some alleged behavioral effects of culture might be explained by demographic processes rather than by psychological reactions to cultural content. In general, the model provides insights into the tradeoffs involved in cultural management.

Journal Information

Founded in 1956 by James Thompson, the Administrative Science Quarterly is a peer-reviewed, interdisciplinary journal publishing theoretical and empirical work that advances the study of organizational behavior and theory. ASQ publishes articles that contribute to organization theory from a number of disciplines, including organizational behavior and theory, sociology, psychology and social psychology, strategic management, economics, public administration, and industrial relations. ASQ publishes both qualitative and quantitative work, as well as purely theoretical papers. Theoretical perspectives and topics in ASQ range from micro to macro, from lab experiments in psychology to work on nation-states. An occasional feature is the "ASQ Forum," an essay on a special topic with invited commentaries. Thoughtful reviews of books relevant to organization studies and management theory are a regular feature. Special issues have explored qualitative methods, organizational culture, the utilization of organizational research, the distribution of rewards in organizations, and critical perspectives on organizational control.

Publisher Information

Sara Miller McCune founded SAGE Publishing in 1965 to support the dissemination of usable knowledge and educate a global community. SAGE is a leading international provider of innovative, high-quality content publishing more than 900 journals and over 800 new books each year, spanning a wide range of subject areas. A growing selection of library products includes archives, data, case studies and video. SAGE remains majority owned by our founder and after her lifetime will become owned by a charitable trust that secures the company’s continued independence. Principal offices are located in Los Angeles, London, New Delhi, Singapore, Washington DC and Melbourne. www.sagepublishing.com

How is culture transmitted to employees of an organization? In a short essay, explain the four primary transmission modalities and provide an example of each.

Answer:  Culture is transmitted to employees in a number of ways. The most significant are stories, rituals, material symbols, and language.

• a. Stories: Organizational "stories" typically contain a narrative of significant events or people including such things as the organization's founders, rule breaking, reactions to past mistakes, and so forth. 
• For instance, managers at Nike feel that stories told about the company's past help shape the future. Whenever possible, corporate "storytellers" (senior executives) explain the company's heritage and tell stories that celebrate people getting things done.
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• b.Rituals: Corporate ritualsare repetitive sequences of activities that express and reinforce the values of the organization, what goals are most important, and which people are important. 
• The "Passing of the Pillars" is an important ritual at Boston Scientific's facility near Minneapolis, for example. When someone has a challenging and tough project or assignment, they're "awarded" a small two-foot high plaster-of-Paris pillar to show that they've got support from all their colleagues.
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• c.  Material Symbols: Material symbols convey to employees who is important, the degree of equality desired by top management, and the kinds of behavior that are expected and appropriate. 
• Examples of material symbols include the layout of an organization's facilities, how employees dress, the types of automobiles provided to top executives, and the availability of corporate aircraft. At WorldNow, a provider of Internet technology to local media companies, an important material symbol is an old dented drill that the founders purchased for $2 at a thrift store. The drill symbolizes the company's culture of "drilling down to solve problems."
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• d.  Language: Many organizations and units within organizations use language as a way to identify and unite members of a culture. By learning this language, members attest to their acceptance of the culture and their willingness to help preserve it.
•  For instance, Microsoft employees have their own unique vocabulary: the term work judo is used to mean "the art of deflecting a work assignment to someone else without making it appear that you're avoiding it.

Management, 10e (Robbins/Coulter)

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