24 Questions
What can happen if a company's strategy is not adapted to the changing needs of the situation?
The company may go out of business in a few years.
Why do groups come together?
To accomplish a common purpose or goal.
What happens to a group's beliefs, values, and behavior patterns over time?
They become taken for granted as the way to continue.
What is a result of a group's shared learning process?
A broadening of language, thought, and feeling.
What is a key aspect of a company's foundation?
A common interest in the company's purpose.
Why do groups need to interact with their environment?
To get feedback on their actions.
What is a key aspect of a group's identity?
A set of non-negotiable values and beliefs.
What happens to newcomers in a group?
They are expected to adopt the group's non-negotiable values and beliefs.
What is the term used to describe the broad policies and ideological principles that guide a group's actions?
Formal philosophy
Which of the following concepts refers to the implicit, unwritten rules for getting along in the organization?
Rules of the game
What is the term used to describe how the organization views itself in terms of 'who we are', 'what is our purpose', and 'how we do things'?
Identity and images of self
Which of the following concepts is most closely related to the socialization or 'onboarding' process?
Habits of thinking, mental models, or linguistic paradigms
What is the term used to describe the special competencies displayed by group members in accomplishing certain tasks?
Embedded skills
Which of the following concepts is most closely related to the concept of 'the way we do things around here'?
Rules of the game
What is the term used to describe the shared cognitive frames that guide the perceptions, thoughts, and language used by the members of a group?
Habits of thinking, mental models, or linguistic paradigms
Which of the following concepts is most closely related to the concept of 'a fair day's work for a fair day's pay'?
Group norms
What do common ways of thinking and perceiving in a group develop from?
Success and shared experience
What does the phrase 'Do the right thing' symbolize in Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC)?
Technical honesty, openness, and really solving the customer's problems
What does the phrase 'Do your own thing' mean in Apple?
Feel free to contribute in the best way you can but express yourself personally
What is often forgotten about culture in an organization?
That it is mostly behavioral
What happens to the thoughts and emotions of the members of an organization over time?
They become more alike
What is a challenge that subsidiaries of companies that move to new countries often face?
Differences in language, thought, and emotional processes
What is a characteristic of companies with a strong and well-embedded corporate culture?
Their local offices in different countries look like and function exactly the same way as the headquarters organization
What was the author asked to describe in the context of Ciba-Geigy?
The culture of the Swiss-German company
Study Notes
Formal Philosophy
- Guiding principles that shape actions towards stakeholders (e.g., "HP way" at Hewlett-Packard, culture statements at Netflix and Google)
- Influences decisions and behavior within an organization
Group Norms
- Implicit standards and values that evolve in working groups (e.g., "a fair day's work for a fair day's pay" at Bank Wiring Room)
- Shapes behavior and expectations within a group
Rules of the Game
- Unwritten rules for getting along in an organization (e.g., "the way we do things around here")
- Newcomers must learn these rules to become accepted members
Identity and Images of Self
- Organization's self-perception and purpose (e.g., "who we are," "what is our purpose")
- Influences behaviors and decisions within an organization
Embedded Skills
- Special competencies displayed by group members to accomplish tasks
- Often passed down through generations without being written down
Habits of Thinking and Mental Models
- Shared cognitive frames that guide perceptions, thoughts, and language used by group members
- Taught to new members during socialization or "onboarding" process
Formation of Culture
- Groups form for a purpose and survive based on accomplishing that purpose
- Success leads to established beliefs, values, and behavior patterns becoming part of the group's identity
- New members are expected to adopt these values and beliefs as "this is who we are"
Perception, Thought, Feeling, and Behavior
- Shared learning process broadens to language, thinking, and feeling as a group grows
- Common ways of thinking and perceiving develop, including "jargon," humor, and expressions
- Company identity influences how members think, feel, and behave
Test your knowledge of organizational culture, including policies, group norms, and values that guide a company's actions towards stakeholders.
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