👥Business Anthropology Unit 4 – Organizational Culture and Behavior
Organizational culture and behavior shape how companies operate and perform. This unit explores shared values, norms, and assumptions that influence workplace interactions. It covers key theories, assessment methods, and real-world examples of how culture impacts business outcomes.
Understanding organizational culture is crucial for managers and employees alike. The unit examines motivation, leadership, communication, and decision-making within organizations. It also addresses challenges in changing culture and maintaining ethical practices across diverse workforces and global operations.
Organizational culture encompasses the shared values, beliefs, norms, and assumptions that shape behavior within an organization
Includes visible artifacts (dress code, office layout), espoused values (mission statements, slogans), and underlying assumptions (unconscious beliefs, perceptions)
Organizational behavior focuses on how individuals and groups interact within an organization and how these interactions influence performance
Key elements of organizational behavior include motivation, leadership, communication, decision-making, and conflict resolution
Subcultures can exist within an organization, often based on department, location, or hierarchy
Organizational climate refers to the prevailing atmosphere and how employees perceive their work environment
Culture and behavior are interconnected, with culture influencing behavior and behavior reinforcing or modifying culture over time
Theories of Organizational Culture
Edgar Schein's three-level model of organizational culture:
Artifacts (visible structures and processes)
Espoused values (strategies, goals, philosophies)
Basic underlying assumptions (unconscious beliefs and perceptions)
Geert Hofstede's cultural dimensions theory identifies six dimensions along which cultures vary:
Power distance, individualism vs. collectivism, masculinity vs. femininity, uncertainty avoidance, long-term vs. short-term orientation, indulgence vs. restraint
Cameron and Quinn's Competing Values Framework categorizes organizational cultures into four types: