Week Five Assignment
Corporate Culture Paper
PSY 428
August 28, 2006

Corporate Culture Paper
Organizational culture refers to an organization's values, beliefs, and behaviors. In general, it is concerned with beliefs and values on the basis of which people interpret experiences and behave, individually and in groups. Cultural statements become operationalized when executives articulate and publish the values of their firm, which provide patterns for how employees should behave. Firms with strong cultures achieve higher results because employees sustain focus both on what to do and how to do it.
Organizational culture is reflected in the use of symbols, artifacts, rites and rituals, language communication, stories and legends. According to Jex, Symbols and artifacts are objects or aspects of the organizational environment that convey some greater meaning. In most organizations, symbols provide us with information on the nature of the culture. An example of a symbol would be an employee obtaining the largest or “Corner office” and example of an artifact would be the Business suit or corporate attire, however, the suit and tie seems to be giving way to a more casual look in many organizations.
Another example of how organizational culture manifests itself is in rites and rituals. According to Jex, Rites as described as “relatively elaborate, dramatic, planned sets of activities that consolidate various forms of cultural expressions into one event, which is carried out through social interactions. It was noted that, rites of passage are typically conducted in order to socialize individuals. Essentially, taking individuals from organizational outsiders to full-fledged organizational members. An example of a rite of passage would be the military's use of basic training
Rituals are similar to rites in that they are also enacted through behavior patterns. Jex defines a ritual as “a standard, detailed set of techniques and behaviors that manage anxieties, but seldom produce intended, technical consequences of practical importance” (C.15 p. 6). One example of a ritual is before performers go on at the Apollo theater the rub a large wooden stump for good luck.
In organizational settings, stories are defined as “narratives based on true events often a combination of truth and fiction. A story becomes a vehicle for cultural transmission when it is intentionally to convey something important about the culture of the organization. The example is an employee tells a story of extreme customer service to impart the importance of that value to a new employee. A legend however, is a “handed-down narrative of some wonderful event that is based in history, but is embellished with fictional details” (Jex 2005 p6 C15).
The mode of communication is yet another way in which an organizations culture is manifested. The way communications is used by employees in organizations can also provide insights into organizational culture. In some organizations, employees prefer impersonal one-way modes of communication such as written messages, voice mail, and electronic communication. This has become more popular with the advent of e-mail. Reliance on these impersonal modes of communication may get employees into the habit of “issuing directives” and making “declarations” to other employees rather than engaging in real communication and dialogue. This may cause the development of suspicion and a great deal of added conflict.
There are several outside influences that may cause change in an organizations culture however, an organization’s leadership may opt to change the culture. This may be necessitated by a need to increase efficiency or as a result of outside competition. In any case an organization may be faced with the choice of stagnation/decline or changing in ways that will facilitate its renewal. That makes a change in organizational culture may be a very critical issue. One way that change may be achieved at this point is through what described as coercive persuasion (Jex 2005) Organizations employ a variety of coercive tactics to facilitate changes in individuals, which will ultimately lead to changes in the culture.
One way that organizations use this mechanism is by offering the option of early retirement long-tenured employees. Another way that organizations may facilitate change in this manner is through the threat of undesirable work assignments, or by altering working conditions in ways that are undesirable to any employees who will not change. Other ways to change the culture in positive ways may be for leadership to model a specific behavior to garner change.

References Jex, S., Organizational Psychology: A Scientist-Practitioner Approach Copyright John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Newark, New Jersey 0471374202