Considerations Changing Organization Cultures

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"Because it entails introducing something new and substantially different from what prevails in existing cultures, cultural innovation is (...) more difficult than cultural maintenance. When innovation occurs, some things replace or displace others... People often resist such changes. They have good reasons to. The successful management of the processes of culture change or culture creation often entails convincing people that likely gains outweigh the losses".

In their excellent book "The Cultures of Work Organizations", Harrison Trice and Janice Beyer provide a number of ideas that you should remember and consider when you are changing the culture of an organization:

Eight considerations to keep in mind when changing organization cultures

1. Capitalize on Propitious Moments. For example poor financial performance. Make sure people actually perceive the need for change.

2. Combine Caution with Optimism. Create an optimistic outlook regarding what the change effort will bring.

3. Understand Resistance to Culture Change. Both at the individual level [fear of the unknown, self-interest, selective attention and retention, habit, dependence, need for security] and at the organizational or group level [threats to power and influence, lack of trust, different perceptions and goals, social disruption, resource limitations, fixed investments, interorganizational agreements].

4. Change Many Elements, But Maintain Some Continuity. For example identify the principles that will remain constant.

5. Recognize the Importance of Implementation. Initial acceptance and enthusiasm are insufficient to carry change forward:

   • adoption
   • implementation
   • institutionalization.

6. Select, Modify, and Create Appropriate Cultural Forms. Employing symbols, rituals, languages, stories, myths, metaphors, rites, ceremonies.

7. Modify Socialization Tactics. The primary way that people learn the corporate culture is through the socialization process at the beginning of their employment. Because of that, if these socialization processes are changed, an organization's culture will begin to change.

8. Find and Cultivate Innovative Leadership. Members are unlikely to give up whatever secure stability they derive from existing cultures and follow a leader in new directions unless that leader exudes self-confidence, has strong convictions, a dominant personality, and can preach the new vision with drama and eloquence.

Book: Harrison Trice and Janice Beyer - The Cultures of Work Organizations

Forum Start a new topic about Changing Organization Cultures Write here. Ask a question or explain something. Current forum discussions about Changing Organization Cultures: How can we MEASURE Mindset Change? To successfully change an organisation, one major step is often to change the mindset of the people. I am curious to your insights / knowledge: 1. How can we measure the improvements made on changing... 71   81 comments Why you Should Change an Organizational Culture Slowly You consistently hear lots of people talking about the need to change the culture of organizations. Technology-oriented people in particular stress the need to do so quickly, radically and even totall... 44   46 comments How to Change Bad Norms or Behaviors of your Team? I read an interesting article about changing bad norms or behavior. Suppose you're appointed as a new manager of a team that isn’t working hard enough or that is otherwise behaving in an objectionable... 29   28 comments Changing Organization Cultures: What is the Critical Element to Start? When you study the political culture of a country for instance, USSR from Tsarist Russia it took a revolution to change a culture. The only thing that revolutionaries forget is the innate culture of p... 29   28 comments The Leader's Role in Culture Change The leadership in most cases craft and engineer the culture change. They need to demonstrate the aspects of the new culture. They begin to own and dispense the new ways. A new culture must be learnt a... 26   8 comments Is Culture Change not Manipulating Employees? Is this way of planned dealing with (changing) organization cultures not in fact a way to manipulate the work, minds and values of employees? If yes, is this manipulation allowed, as changing the cul... 26   16 comments

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Information Sources Various sources of information regarding Changing Organization Cultures. Here you will find powerpoints, videos, news, etc. to use in your own lectures and workshops. Management Across Cultures: Managing in a Global Context Cross-Cultural Management, Cultural Dimensions, Cultural Intelligence, Multicultural Teams, Global Leadership, Global HR This presentation consist of six sections that together form an extensive description of management across cultures. The... Your Organization Needs to Change its Strategy Implementation Method Strategy Execution, Strategic Change, Change Management, Strategy Implementation Dr. John Kotter explains most clearly how the rate of change of events, technology, globalization, products and markets ... How to Manage Creativity in Organizations Innovation Management, Managing Creativity, Managing Creative People, Fostering Creativity in Organizations, Creativity This presentation elaborates on the management of creativity in organizations, and includes the following sections: 1. ... Organizational Culture and Critical Theory Organizational Culture A detailed presentation, explaining Organizational Culture and Critical Culture. A description of Organizational Cultu...

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Compare with the Eight Considerations towards Changing Organizational Cultures:  Levels of Culture  |  Culture Types  |  Cultural Intelligence  |  Organizational Memory  |  DICE Framework  |  Change Management Iceberg  |  Servant-Leadership  |  Appreciative Inquiry  |  Positive Deviance  |  Change Phases  |  Six Change Approaches  |  Force Field Analysis  |  Core Group Theory  |  Planned Behavior  |  Organizational Learning  |  Leadership Continuum  |  Change Model Beckhard  |  Contingency Theory  |  Groupthink  |  Spiral of Silence  |  Forget Borrow Learn  |  RACI  |  Positive Deviance

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