University of Technology, Jamaica

College of Business and Management AY: 2019-2020~ Sem 1

School of Business Administration Date: November 2019
Organizational Behaviour (MAN2005) Group – Wed ● 9-10
Lecture 13 ~ Unit 10 - CULTURE AND CHANGE
Lecturer: Prince Oswy Gayle
NB. Please note that this hand-out provides only a general understanding of the material. Please read your text and other
supporting materials for an in-depth understanding.

CULTURE AND CHANGE

1.0 Context
 In week one, we said that organizations are living entities – they have a particular
behaviour if you analyse them closely. Although we did not use the word ―culture‖, that
behaviour is that of ―culture‖.
 Culture change people as well as people change culture
 The culture of an organization leads employees to behave the way they do to a great
extent
 As well as, change is always happening; it has always been that way
 A systems perspective of change - any change in the organization whether incremental
or transformational has a cascading effects on the organization and therefore on the
behaviours of the people
 Innovation is a form of change
 The challenge therefore is to keep an organization focused on productivity at the same
time, managing the changes in the environment and the culture so as to respond to the
environment overall.
 For example, the way Jamaicans behave (thinking, feeling, action and reaction) can be
explained in part by the overt and covert aspect of our culture. Culture tells you how to
behave.
 Culture is shaped by many things (slavery, past events, experiences, folklores, heroes and
heroines, the church, parents, value system, the constitution and natural evolution)
 So what is the challenge here? We have personal culture, home culture, church culture,
national culture, organizational culture; international culture and global view etc, all
clashing into each other on a daily basis and are constantly shaping our behaviour.

2.0What Is Organizational Culture?

2.1 Organizational culture refers to a system of shared meaning held by members that
distinguishes the organization from other organizations.

2.2 Culture is the myriad ways in which a group cognitively, socially and physically give
meanings to its environment and that which informs the members’ behaviour (Gayle,
2010).

2.3 Research in Robins and Judge identifies seven primary characteristics that capture the
essence of an Organization’s culture:

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 A. Innovation and risk taking. B. Attention to detail. C. Outcome orientation.
D. People orientation. Team orientation. F. Aggressiveness. G. Stability.

NB. You can therefore evaluate any company to see which one/s they use and to what extent.

2.4 All these types of cultures have different impacts on employees’ behavior

2.5 Culture Is a Descriptive Term - Organizational culture is concerned with employees’

perception of the characteristics of the culture. Not whether they like them.

Organizational culture differs from job satisfaction:

a. Job satisfaction is evaluative.
b. Organizational culture is descriptive.

2.6 Uniform cultures? Strong vs weak cultures? National culture vs organizational culture?
 Take for example – The Kingston College Culture (Two examples will be shared in
the lecture)

2.7 The Impact of Culture –( Culture’s Functions)

 1.Boundary-defining role; 2. Conveys a sense of identity for members; 3.Facilitates the
generation of commitment
 4. Enhances the stability of the social system; 5. Culture serves as a sense-making and
control mechanism; guides and shapes attitudes and behavior of employees.

2.8 Culture as Liability

1. Culture enhances organizational commitment and increases the consistency of employee
behavior
2. Barriers to change. 3. Barriers to diversity 4. Barriers to acquisitions and mergers.

2.9 How a Culture Begins? Culture is transmitted to employees through stories, rituals,
material symbols, and language

2.10 Keeping a culture alive?

2.10.1 Selection
2.10.2 top management
2.10.3 Socialization

2.11 Culture and Organizational Behaviour

Productivity - When a culture is fragmented in an

organization, it can reduce productivity as the
sense of cohesion is missing

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 Job satisfaction - culture can increase or decrease employees
satisfaction levels. If you are a high-achiever for
example, and the culture does not value talent,
creativity and innovation, after a while, it can
impact your satisfaction level

Commitment - Employees will tend to be more committed if

the organization has a culture that is also
committed to their growth and development i.e.
Southwest Airline

Absenteeism - Absenteeism is generally less if there is a

culture of punctuality

Employee Citizen Behaviour - You generally give more when the

culture is supportive

2.12 Culture and Organizational Outcomes – Ritz-Carlton; Scotia;

Grace; Google

2.13 How do people learn culture? Stories; Rituals; Material

Symbols; language; (Robbins et al)
role models; Rewards, what gets talked about; structures;
Values; what gets sanctioned; what is promoted; what we
really care about?

Our culture
It’s really the people that make Google the kind of company it is. We hire people who are smart
and determined, and we favor ability over experience. Although Googlers share common goals and
visions for the company, we hail from all walks of life and speak dozens of languages, reflecting
the global audience that we serve. And when not at work, Googlers pursue interests ranging from
cycling to beekeeping, from frisbee to foxtrot.
We strive to maintain the open culture often associated with startups, in which everyone is a hands-
on contributor and feels comfortable sharing ideas and opinions. In our weekly all-hands (―TGIF‖)
meetings—not to mention over email or in the cafe—Googlers ask questions directly to Larry,
Sergey and other execs about any number of company issues. Our offices and cafes are designed to
encourage interactions between Googlers within and across teams, and to spark conversation about
work as well as play.
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To What extent would you fit into the Google Culture? Critically
examine the extent to which the average Jamaican would adjust to the
culture?

3.0 Change and Innovation

3.1 The ―You‖ who started this module in August 2018 is not the same ―You‖ today! Or should I
have said, ―should not be‖; you have changed or should have for those of us who prefer to stay
the ―same old same old‖.

3.2 Change is the only constant process which exists in organizations

3.3 Today’s organizations need to continuously adapt to new situations if they are to survive and
prosper

3.4 One of the most dramatic elements is the shift to a technology- driven workplace. For example,
you can do a Degree online or we hardly use diskettes these days.

3.5 Ideas, information, and relationships are becoming critically important

3.6 Organizational Change is the adoption of a new idea or behavior by an organization - New
trends require profound changes in the organization - E-business; Supply chain integration;
Knowledge management

3.7 Every change requires people change. People are psychologically impacted by change because
we are social beings and adoption on some level is required if a project/outcome is to be
successful.

3.8 Today’s successful organizations simultaneously embrace two types of planned change

● Incremental change = efforts to gradually improve basic operational and work

processes in different parts of the company
● Transformational change = redesigning and renewing the entire organization
● At every level of change the organization is impacted if we view the organization as a
system; the behaviour of people is part of that system

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3.9 Forces for Change

 Environmental (External) Forces – Customers; Competitors; Technology; Economic;

International arena
 Internal Forces – activities and decisions

3.10 Model of Change - Sequence of Events – Environmental/internal Forces - Need for change -
Initiate change – Implement change

3.11 Force-Field Analysis (Driving Forces vs Restraining Forces (Barriers)

3.12 Resistance to Change –

 Self-Interest;
 Lack of Understanding and Trust;
 Uncertainty;
 Different Assessments and Goals

3.13 Tactics for Overcoming Resistance to Change –

 Communication & education;
 Participation;
 Negotiation;
 Coercion;
 Top management support

3.14 Kurt Lewin’s Model of Change - Three Stages for Achieving Behavioral and Attitudinal
Change – Unfreezing; Changing; Refreezing
(Model) – An abstraction or reality or a simplified version of something

3.14 Three Stages for Achieving Behavioral and Attitudinal Change – Unfreezing; Changing;
Refreezing according to Kurt Lewin

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3.15 Kotter’s Eight Step
Plan for Implementing Change

3.16 Action Research - refers to a change process based on the systematic collection of data and
then selection of
a change action based on what the analyzed data indicate.

3.17 Organizational Development – a collection of planned change interventions, built on

humanistic democratic
values, that seek to improve organizational effectiveness and employee well-being.

3.18 Change and Organizational Behavior

1.Productivity - change can significantly impact productivity either positively

or negatively

2.Job satisfaction - if you are given a new position out of town, it can
potentially impact your satisfaction level

3.Commitment - again, change can impact your commitment level

positively or negatively

4. People will more likely to change if they see the benefit to them (the ―What is in it for me
Effect?) Change takes time. (Oswy Gayle)
3.19 All in all, management must help employees deal with the changing environment as it
affects people the most
Have the Best Day Ever
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