Ethics as Organization Culture Part III

1. Ethics as Organization Culture Part III Geoffrey G. Bell, PhD, CA University of Minnesota Duluth November 2003

2. Informal cultural systems • Organizational culture is kept alive informally and symbolically through informal norms, heroes, rituals, myths, and stories. • Information is carried over informal communication channels. • These information channels and the messages they carry tell employees what “really matters.”

3. Norms – what are they? • Norms are standards of behavior that are accepted as appropriate by members of a group. • Norms can support either ethical or unethical behavior. • Formal rules may be inconsistent with organizational norms.

4. Heroes and role models • Heroes personify the organization’s values. • Heroes set standards of performance by modeling certain behaviors. • Heroes may or may not be formal organizational leaders.

5. Organizational rituals • Rituals are a way of communicating culture in a tangible way. • E.g. – commencement ceremonies at the JMSB for PhD candidates.

6. Myths and stories • People tell stories to give meaning to their world. • This is an important way of communicating organizational culture. • E.g., PhD data

7. Changing culture • Changing organizational culture is harder than developing it de novo. • E.g., Winnipeg furniture company buying old line furniture plant in North Carolina – “Who are these country bumpkins anyway?” • In new organizations, workers may be open to learning and accepting new culture. • E.g., GM & Saturn – “A different kind of company – a different kind of car.” • Hard to change individual elements of culture because of tight linkages.