Elements of the e-shain model of organizational culture. Two-factor model of organizational imbalance (E. Schein)

Levels of culture according to Shane

Edgar Schein (eng. Edgar H. Schein; March 5, 1928, Zurich, Switzerland) - American psychologist of Swiss origin, management theorist and practitioner, founder scientific direction"Organizational

One of the most serious researchers of corporate culture, E. Schein, defines Corporate culture as “a model of behavioral norms shared by everyone, which has been used in the past and recognized as correct and, therefore, must be transferred for assimilation to new members of the organization as the only correct way of perceiving, presenting and relationship...".

According to E. Schein, the meaning of the term “corporate culture” includes the basic concepts and beliefs shared by members of the organization, which operate on a subconscious level and are expressed in the organization’s taken for granted attitude towards itself and to the surrounding world.

Edgar Shein, analyzing corporate culture, identifies three levels (1986)::

1. Basic (core) beliefs.

2. Accepted values and norms of value

3. Artifacts (cultural indicators).

1. Basic Views , which seem so obvious to group members that behavior change within their framework is minimized. In fact, if a group adheres to one basic idea, then behavior that is based on any other ideas will seem incomprehensible to group members.

Basic Views- This is the basis of the culture of the organization, which its members may not realize and consider immutable. It is this basis that determines the behavior of people in the organization and the adoption of certain decisions.

These ideas are on the subconscious level of employees and are taken for granted.

Basic ideas do not give rise to objections or doubts, and therefore changing them is extremely difficult.

Employees who do not follow basic principles will sooner or later find themselves “in disgrace” because a “cultural barrier” will arise between them and their colleagues.

Most likely, these beliefs are so powerful because they led the company to success. If the solution found to the problem justifies itself time after time, it starts taken for granted. What was what was once a hypothesis, accepted only intuitively or conditionally, gradually turns into reality. Basic ideas seem so obvious that variation behavior within a given cultural unit minimized. In fact, if a group adheres to some basic idea, then behavior that is based on any other ideas, will seem to the group members incomprehensible.

Culturehow a set of basic ideas determines what we should pay attention to, what is the meaning of certain objects and phenomena, what should be the emotional reaction to what is happening, what actions should be taken in a given situation.

Core Beliefs - the invisible, subconscious level of corporate culture unites: attitude towards the surrounding world, perception of reality, time, space, human nature, human activity and relationships. That, what was once a hypothesis based on intuition or socially assigned value, gradually becomes part of reality. Moreover, if a certain belief is active supported by the group And becomes part of the corporate culture, any other judgment or behavior becomes unacceptable.

2. Proclaimed values , (worldview of the organization) non-prescribed directions of behavior, prohibitions, etc., which members of the organization share to a greater or lesser extent to a lesser extent. predetermine the behavior observed at the artifact level .

Proclaimed values ​​find real embodiment in ideology organizations and can serve guideline or behavior pattern in complex or uncertain situations.

For example, any suggestions to the group facing the need to make decisions in new conditions - trial ones. If sales are falling, you can strengthen advertising, since there is a widespread belief that advertising always improves sales. But only having tried this solution in a specific critical situation and seeing that it is correct, group shares This is a common belief for everyone. Thus, there is a process of transforming values ​​through ideas into beliefs(values ​​- believes - assumptions), as soon as values ​​begin to be perceived as self-evident taken for granted, they are gradually turn into ideas, and then, becoming beliefs, move to the subconscious level, and the habit of acting according to this scheme becomes automatic.

But not all values ​​undergo such a transformation. Many of them, while performing a normative or moral function in certain situations, remain at a conscious level and are openly proclaimed. Thus, a company, declaring in its charter that people are one of its main values, assumes that every employee or manager will perceive this value without any experimental confirmation of it in historical development companies.

A set of values, embodied in an organization's ideology or philosophy, serves as a guide to action in situations of uncertainty or crisis. They help to a large extent to explain the external manifestations of human behavior at the level of artifacts.

The values ​​of this level of consciousness are largely values ​​correspond to fundamental ideas, then their verbal expression in the form of operating principles contributes to the consolidation of members of the organization, being a means of self-identification and an expression of the essence of its mission.

Values ​​serve as a guide in business. As an illustration, we can give an example that went down in the history of American business as “ Tylenol crisis" When poisoned pills Tylenol led to several deaths among Americans, Jim Burke, chairman of the board of directors of Johnson & Johnson, said that in according to strict principles which the company professes, it does not hesitate will withdraw all this medicine from trade and from warehouses. This action brought the corporation millions of dollars in losses, however benefit, which she received at the same time, was priceless. « This is what the value system is - the intersection of decency and big profits, the company management summarized, “at this point the culture of the corporation must be built».



3. Artifacts - (Latin artefactum from arte - artificially + factus - made) in the usual sense - any artificially created object, a product of human activity.

Artifacts are visible organizational structures and processes. Artifacts can be seen, heard, touched.

As a consequence, objects of this level can be easily described.

.To the artifacts include dress code, speech patterns, architecture and building layout, symbolism, rites and rituals of the organization

Usually artifacts do not arise out of nowhere. They stem from deeper levels of culture.

Artifacts are an expression of the values ​​that have been established in an organization during its formation.

were introduced by the founder and subsequent leaders and employees.

These more or less unconscious and invisible premises and standards appear at the 3rd level– level of symbols and signs. At this level, invisible values ​​become completely visible, felt, interpreted with the help of symbols, rituals, etc. Through the elements Level 3 organizational culture transferred to new employees. Symbols and signs make up visible part organizational culture, but are not considered on their own, but together with the 1st and 2nd levels.

To elements of the 3rd level stories include, legends about the founders of the organization about important events. The next element is holidays and rituals. As well as greeting and receiving visitors, architectural design of buildings and premises, cloth, language, etc.

In Chapter 2, we looked at the three-level structure of organizational culture according to E. Schein, which is part of his concept. At the same time, we quoted this scientist at length because we wanted students to become directly acquainted with the ideas and style of presentation of one of the leading classics of organizational psychology. Here we will consider his concept in full, repeating some of its provisions, including the structure of organizational culture.

According to E. Schein’s definition, organizational culture can be characterized as a set of techniques and rules for solving problems of external adaptation and internal integration of employees, rules that have proven themselves in the past and have confirmed their relevance. These rules and techniques, fundamental hypotheses, represent the starting point in the selection by employees of an acceptable method of action, analysis and decision-making. Members of the organization do not think about their meaning; they view them as inherently true. Organizational culture has a certain structure. Shane proposed to consider three levels of culture.

The first, "surface" or "symbolic" level includes such visible external facts as the technology and architecture used, the use of space and time, observable behavior, language, slogans, etc., or everything that can be felt and perceived through the senses . At this level, things and phenomena are easy to detect, but they cannot always be deciphered and interpreted in terms of organizational culture. Interpretations, as a rule, turn out to be projections of the reactions of the cultural researcher. The problem is that artifacts are only the outer manifestation of deeper levels of culture.

At the second, "subsurface" level are the values ​​and beliefs shared by members of the organization, according to the extent to which these values ​​are reflected in symbols and language. Initially, individuals with initiative influence the adoption of a specific method of solving problems, but their proposals have conditional value. Only as a result of the success of joint actions do values ​​and beliefs acquire a conscious character and become the basis for understanding the real situation. The presence of a process of transformation of values ​​indicates the effectiveness of the proclaimed values ​​and their compliance with strategic objectives; leads to forgetting that they once seemed unobvious and controversial. Once, as a result of such processes, a whole system of collective basic ideas has been formed, it will begin to function as a cognitive defense mechanism for both individuals and the group as a whole. If the strategy changes, the declared values ​​can be replaced with new ones, and if successful and consolidated, they can move to the next level of basic ideas. As Shane notes, researchers often limit themselves to this level, as further difficulties arise.

The third, “deep” level includes basic assumptions that are difficult for even members of the organization to understand without special focus on this issue. These implicit and taken-for-granted assumptions guide the behavior of people in an organization by helping them perceive the attributes that characterize the organizational culture.

Core beliefs are the unconscious basis of an organization's culture that determines employee behavior. For employees, these ideas are obvious and taken for granted.

To identify the characteristics of an organization's culture, according to Shane, it is not enough to simply describe the structure, communications, norms and values ​​that exist in it. The present organizational paradigm is determined by what position the members of the organization take on the following basic issues 1 .

  • 1. Attitude to nature. How do members of the organization view the organization's relationship to its environment: as dominant, subordinate, harmonious, or is its task to find an appropriate niche?
  • 2. The nature of reality and truth. Linguistic and behavioral rules that determine what is real and what is not, what is a “fact” and how is truth ultimately determined? Is the truth discovered? What are the basic concepts of time and space?
  • 3. Human nature. What it means to be human and what is seen as intrinsic or fundamental. Is man by nature good, evil or neutral? Is human existence perfect?
  • 4. The nature of human activity. What does it mean for a person to do something right (based on the assumptions about reality, the environment, and human nature discussed above)? Does it mean to be active, passive, self-developing, fatalistic or what? What is work and how is work different from play?
  • 5. The nature of human relationships. What is considered “right” in relationships between people? Is life a sphere of cooperation or competition; individual, group or community? What are the relationships based on: traditional power, charisma, or others?

Shane proposed to reveal these unconscious relationships by studying the history of the organization, tracing the methods by which it coped with the problems of external adaptation and internal integration. At the same time, he believes that the real organizational culture of a company cannot be described using only formalized methods. He also objected to recommendations about what to observe. For him, uncovering the organizational paradigm is a joint exploration with organizational members through repeated individual and group interviews.

The foundations of organizational culture are laid by the founders of the company in the initial period. Even in mature companies, you can find certain ideas associated with the first managers that offer some answers to questions about creating a stable internal system. The process of introducing and disseminating culture can be described through the concept of “socialization,” which refers to the transfer of certain elements of culture to employees. Studying what new team members are taught is actually a good way to reveal the essence of organizational culture. However, it should be remembered that this tool allows you to detect only its superficial aspects. This is also true because much of what constitutes a culture cannot be expressed in the set of rules of external behavior to which newcomers are taught. They can be communicated to group members only when they acquire permanent status and enter the inner circles of the group, who can be entrusted with secrets. On the other hand, the socialization processes in which group members are involved also contain deeper ideas. Penetrating these deep levels involves understanding the ideas and feelings that arise in critical situations, as well as observing and talking with regular members or veterans of the organization, which make it possible to accurately reproduce the meaning of these deep collective ideas.

The activity of any new member of the group largely consists of deciphering the norms and ideas characteristic of this organization. However, the success of this decryption depends on the policy of rewards and punishments implemented by the old-timers that accompany various options newcomer behavior. In this sense, learning occurs constantly, even if this process is not systematic.

If a group does not have collective ideas, then the interaction of new group members with old ones represents creative process creating culture. If such ideas exist, the culture is preserved by passing them on to newcomers. In this sense, culture is a mechanism of social control, thanks to which certain models of perception, thinking and self-awareness can be set.

Schein's concept of organizational culture emphasizes collective core beliefs that seem self-evident to members of a given group or organization. In this sense, any group that has a fairly stable composition and a long history of developing group experience forms a culture of a certain level; groups with high degree turnover of ordinary participants and leaders or with little meaningful history may not develop collective ideas.

In his work Organizational Culture and Leadership, Shane describes the various mechanisms of culture change at different stages of organizational development; shows that all these mechanisms have cumulative properties 1 (Table 4.1).

Table 4.1.

Mechanisms for culture change

development

organizations

Mechanisms of change

Foundation and early growth, development

Incremental changes through general and particular evolution.

Change through intraorganizational therapy. Change by promoting the creation of hybrid crops.

Change through systematic feeding from selected subcultures.

Planned change through project implementation. Development of organization and creation of parallel training systems.

Defrosting and change due to technological factors.

Maturity and decline

Change through the introduction of “outside people”. Unfreezing through scandals and debunking myths.

Management through transformation.

Change by imposing beliefs.

Destruction and rebirth.

At the first stage of development, a certain paradigm is formed that consolidates the manifestation distinctive features culture of this organization. In the process of transition to the second stage, under the influence of developed subcultures, many options for changing culture are possible.

By the time an organization reaches the stage of maturity, the need for transformation begins. They will only be effective when management has a clear understanding of the future of the organization and its culture. It is obvious that instilling new values ​​and norms in employees in a mature organization is much more difficult than in a young one. In this case, a systematic rethinking of many values ​​is required, a rejection of habitual ideas, which is painful for any organization. Typically, when there are changes in corporate culture, problems arise related to employee resistance to these changes.

  • Shapiro S. A., Samrailova E.K., Balandina O.V., Veshkurova A.B. Concepts of human resource management: Textbook. M.: DirectMedia, 2015. P. 269.

Edgar Schein described the rational-economic and social, self-actualization and complex models of motivation. Frederick Taylor proposed maximizing the effectiveness of motivational factors through careful selection of workers and establishing a strict connection between the amount of wages and the quality (quantity) of the work performed.

Let us suggest some possible development or applied interpretation of Shane's ideas. Indeed, virtually all of the theories mentioned, like Schein's theory, concern various sides the same problem - the motivation of an individual to certain actions. Here we note the undoubted connection between goal setting and motivation, since it is impossible to motivate “in general”, and the actions that a given individual is motivated to perform always have some kind of goal, i.e. there is a goal and the motivation arising from it, which different theories consider from different aspects of human activity. It is logical to assume that over time and depending on changes in external conditions and internal settings, the boundaries practical application each of the models will shift, covering either a narrower or a wider area of ​​such a multifaceted concept as “motivation”. Since this process occurs continuously, we can say that the areas covered various theories and characterizing the motivation of an individual are in dynamic balance with each other. It can be mathematically justified (we omit the proof due to lack of space) that in every this moment time, with a certain probability, it is possible to indicate the position of the “border” between the models. If at this moment we take an “instant photograph” of this picture, we will receive a replica of the socio-psychological portrait of the person being studied. If we repeat this procedure several times, preferably at regular intervals, then when replicas are superimposed on each other, we can exclude random (temporary) indicators of the motivation of a given individual, and if we return from the replicas to the theories of motivation themselves, we will get a more accurate picture of the initial data for making management decisions.

Conclusion

E. Schein emphasizes that the foundations of organizational psychology were developed in the early 1960s. G. Leavitt and B. Bass, as well as himself. At that time, the focus of organizational sociologists was on individuals rather than organizations. Later, thanks to the efforts of business schools, the new discipline became known as “organizational behavior,” which displeased E. Schein, who considered this phrase an oxymoron. A task force created at MIT at that time was called the Organization Research Group. According to E. Schein, psychology did not pay enough attention to contacts with sociologists and anthropologists, whose traditions required, to explain any phenomenon, penetration into a new field of activity and prolonged observation of it. E. Schein emphasizes that this field will only develop if we get a set of concepts that will be “thrown into it as an anchor and will be derived from the results of specific observations real behavior in real organizations." Another problem in the area of ​​research we are considering is the connection between social needs and empirical analysis, which can be traced in the work of E. Shane on the study of the behavior of military personnel who were captured during Korean War. Existing at that time psychological theories were unable to explain certain aspects of their behavior. The subsequently developed concept of “coercive persuasion” helped explain why many of the programs organizational development and organizational learning, initially implemented with great enthusiasm, turned out to be ineffective.

Perhaps the greatest value of the ASQ article is its discussion of three management cultures. In a typical organization, operators are line managers and workers who create and deliver goods and services that satisfy the organization's basic needs. Engineering and technical workers are the bearers of knowledge of the basic technology that determines the main activities of the organization. In any functional unit, this group is formed by technocrats and developers of the main production strategy. Finally, there are also managers who share a common set of assumptions based on the day-to-day realities of their status and role in the organization. The essence of this role is determined by their accountability to the owner-shareholders, which usually involves maintaining the share price and ensuring strong financial results. Organizational research will not be perfected until we begin to analyze, observe, and understand these cultures.

Organizational culture and leadership. Shane E.X.

St. Petersburg: 2002. - 336 p.

The book by the famous scientist, founder of the scientific direction "Organizational Psychology", author of numerous bestsellers, Edgar Schein, presents a systematic description of organizational culture in a changing world and the place of the leader in creating and managing culture. This in-depth, multifaceted study offers a clear and distinct concept of organizational culture, reveals its structure, evaluates its role in the successes and failures of organizations, and provides methods for researching, creating and transforming culture.

Numerous examples from the life of modern American and multinational companies, both real and fictional, will not only facilitate understanding of the theoretical principles, but will also help ensure the flow of new ideas, flexibility and dynamism of your enterprise.

The book will not only serve a great occasion for discussion in scientific circles, but will also be an excellent tool for managers of any level, students studying management, organizational behavior, and personnel management.

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CONTENT
Preface to the Russian edition 9
Preface 13
What does understanding culture give us? 14
Who is this book written for? 16
Content overview 16
Acknowledgments 18
Author 20
PART 1. The meaning and role of culture 21
Chapter 1. Defining the culture of an organization 24
Two brief examples 26
What should a formal definition of culture look like 28
Formal definition of culture 31
Summary 33
Chapter 2. Levels of culture 35
Artifacts 35
Proclaimed values ​​37
Basic views 39
Summary 43
Chapter 3. Analysis of the cultures of two organizations 45
Clinical trial model 45
Action Company 47
Artifacts: introduction to company 47
Proclaimed values ​​49
Basic Concepts: Action Company Paradigm 51
Multi company 53
Artifacts: Introduction to Multi Company 53
Proclaimed values ​​56
Basic Concepts: Multi Company Paradigm 57
Summary 60
PART 2. The boundaries of culture 63
Chapter 4. Problems of survival and adaptation to the environment 65
Collective visions of mission and strategy 66
Collective visions of specific goals defined by the organization's core mission 69
Collective ideas about the means to achieve goals 70
Collective ideas about the criteria for assessing results 73
Collective ideas about correction and recovery strategies 76
Summary 78
Chapter 5. Managing Internal Integration 80
Developing the language and conceptual concepts of group 81
Defining Group Boundaries 84
Distribution of power and official powers 87
Developing rules related to intimacy, friendship and love 89
Determination and distribution of rewards and punishments 92
Managing the uncontrollable and explaining the inexplicable 94
Summary 97
Chapter 6. Ideas about reality, truth, time and space 99
Collective beliefs about the nature of reality and truth 102
Collective ideas about the nature of time 108
Collective ideas about the nature of space 115
Time, space and active interaction 119
Summary 120
Chapter 7. Ideas about human nature, activity and communication 121
Collective ideas about human nature..: 121
Collective ideas about appropriate human activity 124
Collective ideas about the nature of human relations 127
Cultural paradigm as a set of ideas about relationships 133
Summary 136
PART 3. How to study and interpret culture 137
Chapter 8. Decryption own culture 139
Deciphering cultural ideas for the purpose of managing them... 139
Examples 146
Summary 154
Chapter 9. Presentation of culture to outsiders 155
Iterative clinical interview 155
Interview methodology 161
Group surveys,
aimed at clarifying certain positions 163
Other sources of cultural data 164
Written presentation of cultural data 168
Summary 174
Chapter 10. Ethical Issues in the Study of Organizational Cultures 175
Internal review risk 175
Risk of external analysis 177
Responsibilities of the researcher 178
Examples of ethical issues 178
Some conclusions 182
Summary 183
PART 4. The Role of Leadership in Building Culture 185
Chapter 11 How Leaders Create Organizational Cultures 187
The beginnings of culture and their creation by leaders 187
The Jones Food Company 188
Smithfield Enterprises 192
The Action With op any 194
Summary 198
Chapter 12 How Organizational Founders and Leaders Implement and Spread Culture 200
Socialization from a management perspective 200
Primary implementation mechanisms cultural foundations 202
What do leaders pay attention to, what do they evaluate and what do they control 202
Summary 218
Chapter 13. Average age organizations 220
Differentiation and development of subcultures 220
Functional differentiation 222
Geographic differentiation 224
Differentiation by product, market, or technology 226
Divisionalization 228
Differentiation by hierarchical levels 229
Mergers and acquisitions 231
Joint ventures, strategic alliances and other multi-organizational ventures 233
Structural opposition groups 234
Summary 235
Chapter 14. Management and information technology 237
Collision of two subcultures 237
Information technology as a professional community.... 238
IT: ideas about information 239
IT: ideas about human nature and learning 241
IT: ideas about organization and management 244
Some Top Management Views 248
Resume 250
PART 5: The Evolution of Culture and Leadership 251
Chapter 15. The dynamics of culture change and leadership in young organizations 253
Dynamics of changes 253
Mechanisms of change and stages of culture formation 257
Mechanisms of change 258
Transition to middle age: problems of continuity 262
Summary and conclusions 264
Chapter 16. The Role of the Leader in Midlife, Mature, and Declining Organizations 265
Middle Age Stage 265
Stages of maturity and possible decline of an organization 271
Summary and conclusions 278
Chapter 17. Real face difficulties cultural changes 280
First contact and first annual meeting 281
First year of work: getting to know the culture 284
Second Annual Meeting: Unfreezing the Organization 286
Third Annual Meeting: Culture Lecture Failure 291
Third year of work: evaluation of the course change project 293
Summary and conclusions 295
PART 6. Learning cultures and learning leaders 299
Chapter 18. Learning culture. Managing tensions between stability, learning and change 301
Relationship "organization-environment" 302
The Nature of Human Action 303
The Nature of Reality and Truth 303
The Essence of Human Nature 304
The nature of relationships between people 305
The nature of time 305
Information and communications 306
Uniformity or Variety 306
Task or relationship orientation 307
Linear or System Logic 307
Summary and conclusions 308
Chapter 19. The Learning Leader as a Cultural Leader 309
Leadership in Creating Culture 309
Leadership in the middle age of an organization 311
Leadership in mature and potentially disintegrating organizations 312
The Role of Leadership and Culture in Strategy Formulation 314
The Role of Leadership and Culture in Mergers and Acquisitions 316
The Role of Leadership and Culture in Joint Ventures and Strategic Alliances 317
Conclusions on the selection and development of leaders 317
Summary and conclusions 321
Literature 323
Name index 329
Index of companies and brands 329
Subject index 330

Edgar Schein is an American psychologist, management theorist and practitioner, founder of the scientific direction “Organizational Psychology”, author of works on organizational culture. Shane was one of the first to raise the issue of the importance of corporate culture in the overall success of a company. Since modern management views organizational culture as a powerful strategic management tool, the book is relevant for business owners and company managers at all levels. With the permission of SmartReading, we are publishing a summary - a “condensed” version - of Edgar Schein’s bestseller “Organizational Culture and Leadership.”

SmartReading is a project by the co-founder of one of the leading Russian publishing houses of business literature, Mann, Ivanov and Ferber, Mikhail Ivanov and his partners. SmartReading produces so-called summaries - texts that concisely present the key ideas of best-selling books in the non-fiction genre. Thus, people who for some reason cannot quickly read full versions books, can get acquainted with their main ideas and theses. SmartReading uses a subscription business model in its work.


Part 1. The concept of organizational culture (OC)


1.1. Why do we need to study OK

When managers try to change the behavior of subordinates, they often encounter a level of “resistance to change” that cannot be explained logically. In such cases, departments are more interested in fighting among themselves than in solving the problem. We explain to employees in detail why the changes are necessary, but people continue to act as if they had not heard anything.

This behavior of individual employees and groups within an organization sometimes threatens the existence of the companies themselves, especially in times of crisis or other external pressure on the company.

The concept of OK helps to explain all these phenomena and normalize them. If we understand the dynamics of OK, we are not surprised or upset by the irrational behavior of people within organizations and companies. Moreover, if we begin to truly understand OK, we begin to understand ourselves much better, realizing all the facets of our own personality. OK is not only what surrounds us, it is also what is inside us.

The most intriguing aspect of OK is that we are talking about an invisible phenomenon that radically affects all processes occurring in the company.

1.2. What is included in OK

We consider the following models to be OK:

  • Behavioral norms of human interaction.
  • Group norms: unspoken standards and values.
  • Voiced values, such as “quality standards” and others.
  • The formal philosophy of the company: ideological principles in accordance with the intentions of the shareholders.
  • Rules of the game: unspoken and unwritten rules that beginners need to learn.
  • Climate: company atmosphere, mental models and/or linguistic paradigms.
  • Traditions and methods of carrying out corporate events, including joint holidays.

1.3. Three levels OK

Artifacts. On the surface we see the artifact level, which includes all the phenomena that we are able to see, hear and feel when we meet a new team with an unknown OC. Artifacts include the design of the office space, corporate vocabulary, technologies and products, and the company’s style, which is manifested in clothing and manner of communication. The climate of the group is formed around these artifacts.

Values ​​and Beliefs. IN in this case We are dealing with “social validation”, that is, a situation where the values ​​and beliefs of the company are taken for granted by all team members, without the need to discuss and agree on them. In a critical situation, the team's commitment to these beliefs helps overcome the crisis and stabilize the situation.

"Basic Assumptions". Based on frequently recurring situations in a company, people have certain expectations about how work is organized in the company, which do not always reflect reality. These basic assumptions determine what team members pay attention to and how they respond to challenges and changes in the company. This is a kind of “mental map” that is difficult to change.

Part 2. Functions of organizational culture (OC)

The most useful models for understanding the functional components of OC come from social psychology and group dynamics.

All groups and organizations face two archetypal problems:

  1. Survival and adaptation to external circumstances.
  2. Integration of internal processes aimed at continued survival and adaptation.
Without the presence of a minimum level of OK, we have to talk about an aggregation of people, and not about a group. We consider the formation of a group and the formation of an OC as two sides of the same coin, and in both cases this is the result of the activity of the leader and the shared experience of the group.

2.1. External adaptation

Each a new group or the organization must have a shared concept of survival, a primary purpose or "reason for being." In most business organizations, this task revolves around economic survival and growth, which in turn involves maintaining good relations with the main stakeholders of the organization:

  1. Investors and shareholders;
  2. Suppliers;
  3. Managers and employees;
  4. Society, government and, first of all, with customers who are willing to pay for the company's products or services.

Most QA research confirms that for a company's long-term survival and growth, these needs must be balanced. This balance is formulated by the company in its mission.

In religious, educational, social and governmental organizations, the mission is of a completely different nature, although it is built around balancing the interests of various stakeholders.

One of the most important elements of QA is the company structure. Typically, managers and owners implement structures and procedures in their companies that, if successful, become part of QA. However, the processes that occur in groups reflect not only the preferences of the founders and leaders, but also the macroculture of the group.

A typical example is what happened at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Sloan Fellows program, where young people enrolled in a master's degree program in management were given the task of "building a company." Groups of 15 people were required to transform themselves into "a company whose goal is to compose a short poem for holiday cards." Each group immediately selected executive directors, sales managers, supervisors and, finally, two quatrain writers. And only after the analysis it became clear that if all 15 people wrote poems, it would become the best strategy. However, in life, all participants in the experiment automatically began to copy the familiar hierarchical structure, thereby reflecting the macroculture of corporations characteristic of them.

Once the group is operational, it is important to reach a consensus on how to measure performance. In the 1980s, the author of the book participated in the U.S. Shell Oil Company, the goal of which was to improve the mechanism for assessing the performance of divisions. After evaluating artifacts, beliefs, and value guidelines in the study group it turned out that the department of new developments and the production department have completely different ideas about what the company values ​​and what is important to it.

The author also gives an example international company providing assistance to refugees. In it, the understanding of what the result is and how to evaluate it differed among the group of performers and managers. Staff working directly with refugees measured their performance based on the number of refugees they handled. The organization's leaders measured performance based on how many decisions were made to improve the lives of refugees, since government funding for this organization depended precisely on the number of decisions regarding refugees. Such discrepancies inevitably lead to loss of efficiency and failure to achieve the result expected by the organization.

Another area in which it is vital to come to a common opinion and find consensus is the company’s behavior model during periods of change. Thus, in 2009, a massive recall of Toyota cars from the market demonstrated the existence of a consensus on how to “save face” for the company, and a lack of consensus within the company on how to fix vehicle problems.

The use of “corrective” or anti-crisis measures is not limited to crisis situations. If a company is showing signs of success and intends to grow further, it becomes necessary to agree on a strategy on how to implement change. How this process is carried out reflects the organizational culture.

2.2 Internal integration

The group will not be able to complete its tasks if it does not build internal relationships correctly. Since this process occurs in parallel with the process of achieving the company's goals, it is important to find a balance between solving external and internal problems.

There are several internal integration challenges.

Creation common language . When the book's author was consulting for a small private food company, he discovered different interpretations of the word "conflict." For some employees, this meant “serious differences that are difficult or impossible to overcome,” and for others, “poor management.”

Defining group boundaries and criteria for including and excluding group members. Thus, at Ciba-Geigy, a long-term client of the author of the book, a university education was considered a necessary criterion for hiring a new employee, even if the person was applying for a position that did not require a higher education.

Distribution of power and status. DEC and Ciba-Geigy had absolutely different approaches to the distribution of power. At DEC, status in the team was based on the successes and achievements of employees, strong argumentation, etc. And in Ciba-Geigy there was a formal system of distribution of power.

Formation of norms of trust and friendship. At Hewlett-Packard, being a “good team player” meant not arguing too much with the group and staying the course. However, there are companies where it is welcome own opinion, different from the group's opinion.

Creating a system of rewards and punishments. General Foods had a policy that if an employee performed well for 18 months, they would be promoted to the next management level.

To solve problems of internal integration, group studies are recommended. Sociological research in the group is carried out for:

  • understanding how specific QA elements influence group performance indicators and business results;
  • comparison of measurement criteria according to various groups in the event of a merger, during the purchase of a company or the creation of a joint venture;
  • testing the hypothesis about the existence of subcultures within one organization;
  • informing employees about those QA indicators that are especially important to the company’s management.

Based on the results of group studies, we can obtain full picture group, including determining its membership in one type or another. There are several approaches to typology of companies.

An example of Harrison's typology introduced in 1979:

  • Power-oriented companies(companies run by charismatic and autocratic founders).
  • Achievement-oriented companies(public companies).
  • Role-focused companies(government bodies).
  • Support-oriented companies(non-profit or religious organizations).

In 2006, Cameron and Queen introduce another typology:

  • Hierarchy: It is a company with internal focus and stability, it is structured and well coordinated.
  • Clan: This is a company with an internal focus, but with greater flexibility, it is collaborative, friendly, like a family.
  • Market: This is a company with external focus and stability, it is competitive and results-oriented.
  • Adhocracy: It is a company with external focus and stability, innovative, dynamic and entrepreneurial.

Part 3. The role of the leader
in the formation of organizational culture (OC)


3.1. Stages of group formation

The stages of group formation in this case are considered using the example of training, which the author strongly recommends. This is due to the fact that the formation of groups in training mode almost always reflects the passage of all stages of development of a group or company that are observed in real life.

During training/team building, a number of people gather for one or two weeks to participate in a workshop with the goal of getting to know themselves, understanding group dynamics and developing leadership skills. Such trainings often take place in a geographically remote location from the main place of work and require participants to be fully involved in group activities.

Workshop facilitators (usually one facilitator for 10–15 participants) conduct preparatory work planning lectures, group meetings and free time participants, focusing their attention on leadership and group behavior. When a group comes together, members demonstrate their own style in situations where they are faced with new challenges. Some of them silently await developments, others begin to form alliances, and still others take the initiative to propose solutions.

There are four stages of group formation:

  • Group Formation- the stage of “dependence”, which is characterized by the judgment “The leader knows what we should do.”
  • Group building- the stage of “merger”, at which the realization “We are cool group“We are all of the same blood.”
  • Group work- the “work” stage, in which the idea “We can work effectively because we know each other and accept each other” occurs.
  • Group maturity- the stage of “maturity” with the characteristic belief “We know who we are, what we want, and we know how to achieve it. We achieved results, which means we are right.”

3.2. What a leader needs to know about group change

On stage of group creation and initial growth

  • "getting insights"- assessment of weak and strengths OK for correction purposes;
  • "promotion of hybrid models"- systematic inclusion of newcomers, with alternative experience corporate cultures, which is applicable and in demand at this stage of the company’s development.

On mid-life stages of the group the following mechanisms are used:

  • “systematic promotion from among selected subcultures”. This mechanism is similar to the inclusion of hybrid OK models, but at this stage of the company's development it can be used more widely, without the risk of destroying the existing OK, since the group has acquired “adaptive capacity”, that is, the ability to absorb new elements while maintaining its basic structure ;
  • inclusion of newcomers. The most powerful effect when using this mechanism occurs when a new general director or in cases where there is a merger of companies and the position of the CEO is taken by new person from another team.

On stages of “maturity and decline” the following mechanisms are used:

  • public scandals. Sometimes contradictions within the OC reach such a level that the only way change OK become public scandals that cannot be hidden or denied;
  • mergers and acquisitions. In these cases, there are three scenarios. 1. You can leave everything as it is and give OK the opportunity to penetrate each other. 2. One OK will dominate the other and gradually displace it. 3. The leader creates a new OC, borrowing various elements from existing OCs.

Part 4. The role of the leader in the process of change

The process of introducing change in a company requires leaders to special attention. Leaders must create a safe environment using a variety of tools.

  • Maintain an optimistic attitude towards further development events.
  • Provide regular formal and informal training to employees.
  • Practice mentoring and receiving feedback from colleagues.
  • Create support groups to discuss emerging problems.
  • Use new work organization models that have already been launched and have proven successful.

The process of introducing change requires new competencies from leaders - they must become managers intercultural communications, especially in connection with the increasing globalization of the economy and the introduction information technologies. New forms of multicultural entities, such as joint ventures and partnerships, require new tools and skills from leaders.

One way to manage groups with very different national and cultural backgrounds is to create so-called “cultural islands” and acquire skills often called “cultural intelligence.” The concept of “cultural intelligence” suggests that in order to develop mutual understanding, empathy and the ability to work in teams with people from different cultures a person must have the following qualities:

  1. Minimal knowledge about the cultures of team members;
  2. Cultural sensitivity and respect for other cultures;
  3. Desire to learn more about other cultures;
  4. Flexibility of character in order to change your behavior pattern.

Cultural habits are deeply ingrained in each of us, so this process collides with the reality in which representatives of certain cultures firmly believe that they act in the only acceptable and the right way, and are not ready to accept other views.

To achieve the necessary mutual understanding, the team needs to temporarily abandon the so-called “ social order things” and reflection regarding one’s own rightness. This is possible by creating a "cultural island" - a situation in which the need to "save face" is eliminated and where people have the opportunity to explore ideas about themselves.

Groups are deliberately formed in such a way that the participants do not know each other, and therefore do not have to maintain their own image in the eyes of others. At the same time, the instructors conducting the training do not disclose the agenda of the event to the participants and do not offer any methods of work, giving participants the opportunity to invent their own social norms and methods of interaction.

Basic teaching method consists in the collision of different norms and beliefs and the subsequent understanding of the need to form interaction mechanisms acceptable to everyone in the group.

To create “cultural islands” the following conditions are necessary:

  • participants must be interested in learning;
  • participants should be isolated from their typical work environment;
  • “authorities” should act as facilitators of the process;
  • facilitators must define goals and rules collaboration in order to create an atmosphere of physical and psychological safety, as well as to ensure that participants abandon their usual roles and social norms;
  • A mandatory part of this process should be a discussion of what the participants are experiencing and the feelings they experienced at this time.