OGL 220 - Behavioral Dynamics in Organizations - Module 6

Strategies of Influence and Organizational Culture

Consider past experiences when you have had to exercise your influence. Briefly describe
an incident in which you were ineffective at influencing your desired outcome. Why were
you unsuccessful? What approach(es) did you use? What alternative tools might you have
employed?

I am a community manager, and we have regular meetings with me and community leadership,
which residents are invited to attend. In the past, at meetings where community members show
up and become obstinate, especially when it is clear they do not understand the matter they are
discussing and just want to be angry at someone, I have exercised my influence ineffectively. I
used my expertise and authority, because I am in the role of manager, and have demonstrated
knowledge. However, I look very young, so I don’t present any physical indicator of legitimate
authority. I also don’t get a chance to demonstrate my knowledge when the resident is upset and
spewing hatred. Instead, I should employ Liking and act pleasant and approachable in order to
diffuse these situations. I could also use Consistency and force the resident to make a
commitment to help resolve the situation they are complaining about.

Consider current, and future opportunities that you have to exercise your influence.
Briefly describe the situation, and suggest a possible strategy, using one or more of the tools
of influence discussed here or in the Module Six learning materials.

My goal is to revitalize my company’s contract bidding process. To do so, I need approval of our
company owners. I am currently employing influence tactics to accomplish this feat. I started by
using the influence strategy of commitment - I asked to make some edits to our contract
proposal. I got a yes to that, and now that the owners have made a small commitment, I will use
that commitment to leverage further commitments, like letting me rewrite the contracts
themselves, attend bid meetings, and eventually oversee the process. I also employed Liking and
Social Proof to exercise my influence. I was very pleasant, and and complimented them on how
the existing process is working, then suggested ways to make it “even better.” I also mentioned
how other managers agreed with me, and detailed their concerns and experiences, showing
Social Proof.
Think about an organization you are familiar with. Based on the dimensions of OCP
(described in Chapter 15.3 in your textbook), how would you characterize its culture? As
you review the cultural dimensions, what kinds of cultural “gaps” can you identify between
the organization’s culture and your own organizational cultural preferences?

I would characterize the organization I am familiar with as both an outcome-oriented culture and
service culture. There is an emphasis on being the best, bringing on new clients, retaining
existing clients, and growth. There is also an emphasis on caring for clients, proactively
resolving issues, and improving the customer experience. I do feel that there is a stark lack of
standard operating procedures and consistency. In an organization so focused on growth and
performance, management has neglected to develop policies and standards which would actually
streamline our efforts, make work easier, and allow us to better serve the clients. The
opportunity for competition and unprofessionalism is high because of the stark emphasis on
outcome, as the company leaders do not make decisions strategically or thoughtfully, opting to
emphasize short term goals over longevity.

With respect to the OCAI instrument, what were your preferred scores in each of the
cultural dimensions (clan, adhocracy, market, and hierarchy)? How did they differ from
your perceptions of the organizational culture you had in mind as you answered the first
set of questions?

My preferred scores were

CLAN 20.83
ADHOCRACY 11.67
MARKET 35.83
HIERARCHY 31.67

My scores differed from the organizational culture I rated, primarily in Hierarchy. My ideal
organization score for Hierarchy is a 31.67, and the organizational culture I rated scored only a
4.17 for Hierarchy. There are really no standard policies or procedures in place in this
organization, and because of the independent nature of the work, this can result in a lack of
performance, and/or chaotic or overly personal office interactions.

What kinds of connections can you make between what you learned in Module One about
your personality-related variables, what you learned in Module Four about your DISC
style preferences and your organizational cultural preferences?

It’s very interesting to see how my personality affects my style and organizational culture
preferences. I am a perfectionist, which makes me decisive and mandates the high standards that
I possess for myself and others at work, according to my DISC style type. I also prefer an
organizational culture that is very driven to corner the market, according to my OCAI scores,
which relates back to the level of ambition associated with my personality type of INTJ. I am
also project oriented and value “definiteness” in the workplace and in life, which I think is the
root of my preference for an organization with a high Hierarchy score, according to the OCAI
assessment. I am also classified as Rational on the Keirsey Personality test, which lends to my
Dominant DISC style and my preference for structure and practicality.

Do you think that different cultures are more or less effective at different points in time
and in different industries? Why or why not? Can you imagine an effective use of
subcultures within an organization?

I think the importance of having a dynamic organizational culture in today’s world cannot be
understated. Perhaps other organizational cultures were effective in the past, when there was less
emphasis on work-life balance and more emphasis on production, because most households were
single-income, and typically, the wife balanced the home while the husband worked long hours.
However, as times change, organizations need to change too. Additionally, different industries
can benefit from different organizational cultures, as well. Industries where constant product
development and advancement is necessary, such as the tech industry, garner obvious benefits
from having an Innovative Culture. Certain brands, especially those revolving around direct
sales, or similar industries like Real Estate, benefit from Outcome Oriented cultures, because
each employee is responsible for generating revenue for the company. However, some
organizational cultures have traits which should be universal for nearly every company - for
example, all companies would likely fare better if they were more people, team, and detail-
oriented. The caliber of employees, especially those in leadership roles, can really determine the
success of each team or company. Particularly, some companies benefit from subcultures within
different divisions, which are responsible for different things. The product development
department may benefit from an Innovative Culture, and the sales department may benefit from
an Aggressive, or Outcome Oriented Culture.