Myths and realities about organisational culture.
... to truth, rather they were stating - "this is the way we do things around here". By the 70s, 'organizational culture' was seen as a managerial This is quite true that the answer is not quite clear because even when the managers try to direct an organisation culture, employees can accept, reject, or in some way modifiey thesse cultural directives. tool to attain greater efficiency in the organization. However, for a manager neding a 'recipe' for manipulation of culture in a way that looks more profitable to his organization, the answer is not very clear so far.'Management by culture' was one of the applications back in the 70s. It was thought to be a possible advancement in the field of organizational theory. However, the actual situation not only makes the use of the concept difficult, but also hinders the initial position, giving no solutions for the problems. Managing people in an organization is somewhat similar to managing people with problems in living. In both cases, there is a requirement to get the personal preferences of the individuals involved compatible with a specific, defined set of assumptions. Osborne & Plastrik[1997] tell us that changing an organization's culture is not a science. Cultures are based on nonconscious mental contexts which are held by a group at varying levels of coherence. Within every culture there are established presuppositions which tend to become unconscious. We lose sight of the fact that alternatives to our stable presuppositions can even be entertained. Maybe an example on this might be helpful here. Now, I will try to discuss the myths about organizational culture as mentined in the topic entitled "Unpacking Organizational Culture". Myth1: What works as culture in one organization will work in another. I can't tell very authentically with my little experience with NZ organizations, but it seems to work here in a small way specially in smaller organizations. The reason could be that smaller organizations are not very well exposed to how things work elsewhere. So, they may believe what is right or working for them can also be right and work for others. There was a time when I used to think the same about 'Skimos' living in their 'igloos'. I used to wonder how a person can remain alive and happy in such a cold and harsh condition. In my opinion, the only best way of living a life was the Ram's way of life, because what was good for Ram was also good for others. An Example for This Case: In general, the NZ organizations have got affinity for 'speed It seems that you are pointing out there may have some detrimental effect on individual if there is a strong culture existing if ther culture clashes with the most basic assumption of life. And time have to be given, maybe providing some suggestion on how much time is needed will be helpful. The question also comes is maybe an orientation program should be looked at. culture' - doing things faster. It's good for the high productivity, efficiency and profitability of the organizations and for the Nation as well. The problem comes up when the organizations may take it (if not taken already) for granted that this may also be the normal and right speed of operating for other organizations or people across the globe, which is not true. People coming from various countries may not cope up with the desired speed of the NZ organizations right from the very first day. The people have to be given some time to shake off their inherited 'inertia of rest' before they can switch over to the desired 'inertia of motion' (speed). Expecting people to give up their most basic assumptions of life is like asking them to play a new game without knowing the rules - a game that will determine whether they have a job, how much they earn, and what their colleagues think of them. Myth2: Everyone needs to see the culture similarly for a sense of unity to exist. This may also be working in some NZ organizat...