MGT 331 Organizational Culture

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�PAGE � �PAGE �2� Organizational Culture

Organizational Culture

University of Phoenix Student

Sarah Burney

MGT 331

Organizational Behavior

Kristen Schretzenmayer

February 17, 2003

Organizational Culture

Organizational culture is a pattern of shared basic assumptions that organizations learned as it solved its problem of external adaptation and internal integration, that has worked well enough to be considered valid and therefore, to be taught to new members as the correct way to perceive, think, and feel in relation to those problems (http://www.tnellen.com/Aed/+c/schein.html). We construct and organize culture. The experiences we feel are displayed by the culture and its practice. This affects how we behave and respond in the organization we work in. In this paper I will analyze and focus on organizational culture and how it affects management.

Types of Culture

In organizational culture there are different types of culture just as there are different types of personality. Researcher Jeffery Sonnenfeld identified the following four types of cultures:

Academy Culture

Employees are highly skilled and tend to stay in the organization, while working their way up the ranks.

The organization provides a stable environment in which employees can develop and exercise their skills. Examples are universities, hospitals, large corporations, etc.

Club Culture

The most important requirements for employees in this culture are to fit into the group. Usually employees start at the bottom and stay with the organization. The organization promotes from within and highly values seniority. Examples are the military, some law firms, etc.

Baseball Team Culture

Employees are "free agents" who have highly prized skills. They are in high

demand and can rather easily get jobs elsewhere. This type of culture exists in

fast-paced, high-risk organizations, such as investment banking, advertising,

etc.

Fortress Culture

Employees don't know if they'll be laid off or not. These organizations often undergo massive reorganization.