Social Systems and Organizational Culture

Part Two
ROLE

A role is the pattern of actions expected of a person in activities involving others.

Role reflects a persons position in the social system, with its accompanying
rights and obligations, power and responsibility.

Role Perceptions
How managers think they are supposed to act in their own roles and how
others should act in their roles.
Mentors
A mentor is a role model who guides another employee (a protg) by
sharing valuable advice on roles to play and behaviors to avoid.
Role Conflict
When others have different perceptions or expectations of a persons role,
that person tends to experience role conflict.
Role Ambiguity
When roles are inadequately defined or are substantially unknown, role
ambiguity exists, because people are not sure how they should act in
situations of this type.
STATUS
Status is the social rank of a person in a group.
It is a mark of the amount of recognition, honor, and acceptance given to a
person.
Individuals are bound together in status systems, or status hierarchies which
define their rank relative to others in the group.
If they become seriously upset over their status, they are said to fell status
anxiety.
Loss status sometimes called losing face or status deprivation is
considered a much more devastating condition.
Status Relationships (Effects of Status)
Affects power and influence
Affects the interaction inside the organization
Affects the role or activities inside the organization
Status provides a system by which people can relate to one another as
they work.
Status Symbols

The status systems reach its ultimate end with status symbols. These
are the visible, external things that attach to a person or workplace and
serve as evidence of social rank.
But, status symbols are a serious matter and require management
attention.
Sources of Status
Major sources of status on the job:
Education
Job level
Abilities
Job skill
Occupation
Pay
Seniority
Age
Method of pay
Working conditions
Significance of Status

It often is the source of employees problem and conflicts.

It influences the kinds of transfers that employees will take.

It helps determine who will be an informal leader of a group.

It serves to motivate those seeking to advance in the organization.

ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE
Organizational culture is the set of assumption beliefs, values, and norms that
are shared by an organizations members.
Importance of Organizational Cultures:
Give an organizational identity to employees a defining vision what the
organization represents;
A source of stability and continuity to the organization;
Help newer employees interpret what goes on inside the organization;
Help stimulate employee enthusiasm for their tasks.

Characteristics of Organizational Cultures:

 Distinctive
Stable
Implicit
Symbolic
No one best
Integrated
Accepted
A reflection of top management
Subcultures
Of varying strength
Measuring Organizational Culture
Systematic measurements:
Examination of stories, symbols, rituals and ceremonies
Interviews and open-ended questionnaires
Examination of corporate philosophy statements espoused
culture
Surveying employees
Become a member of the organization
Communicating and Changing Culture
Organizational Socialization
The continuous process of transmitting key elements of an
organizations culture to its employees
Can be functional for both workers and their employees.
Consists of:
Formal method (such as military indoctrination at boot camp
or corporate orientation training for new employees)

Informal method (role modeling provided by mentors)

Point of views:

Organizations perspective Organizational socialization is

like placing an organizations fingerprints on people or its
own genetic code on them.

 Employees perspective Organizational socialization is the

essential process learning the ropes to survive and prosper
within the firm.

Individualization
Occurs when employees successfully exert influence on the social
system around them at work by challenging the culture or deviating
from it.

Intersection between socialization and individualization:

High
Conformity
Conformity
Socialization

Creative
individualism
I

(Impact of organizational
culture
on
employee;
acceptance of norms)

Isolation

Rebellion

Low
Low

High
Individualism
(Impact of employee on organizational
culture; deviation from norms