Definitions
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All definitions
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With "culture" having so many definitions within the organizational literature, choosing just one is a bit like trying to capture the wind. Descriptions from Morgan (1997) are presented here because they capture the idea that culture within the same organization is perceived idiosyncratically by individuals and stakeholder groups, and sub-groups whose desired outcomes are often in conflict with one another and also vary by point in time.
To the extent that this view does describe organizational life, it also implies difficulty in tying the achievement of desired performance outcomes to a "culture-excellence" approach to organizational management. Morgan's 'culture' For Morgan, "culture" is "a process of reality construction" that allows people to develop "patterns of understanding" which help them cope with the situations they encounter and also provide a basis for making their own behavior "sensible and meaningful" (Morgan, 1997, p. 138). "Culture" is "ongoing," and "it must be understood as an active, living phenomenon through which people jointly create and recreate the worlds in which they live" (Morgan, 1997, p. 141.) Barnard's (1983) "informal organization" (getting) recognizes .... (notes: nuanced norms) References Barnard, C.I. (1938). The functions of the executive. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. Morgan, G. (1997). Images of organization. Thousand Oaks, London, New Dehli: Sage. Read a practice exam essay in response to:
"Compared with other interventions, culture change can be an especially high-risk strategy, taking up much time and effort with problematic outcomes. Discuss." Exam essay practice answer |
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