The Organizational (School)

Culture
Target Learning
Organizational Culture
Importance of Organizational Culture
School Culture
Levels of School Culture
Elements of School Culture
Typology of School Culture
Ingredients of Productive School Culture
Basic Forms of School Culture & its Characteristics
Ways to Nurture School Culture
 WHAT IS
ORGANIZATIONAL
CULTURE?
ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE
Organization
 A group of persons formally joined together for some
common interest (thesaurus)
ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE
Culture
 the latin word “cultura”, related to cultus, which can be
translated as cult or worship. Members of a cult believe
in specific ways of doing things and develop a culture
that enshrines those beliefs.
 As defined by different scholars - It is a learned beliefs,
values, rules, norms, symbols and traditions that are
common to a group of people.
ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE
Culture
 Is not a part of experimental science in search of laws
but an interpretive one in search of meaning” (Geertz
Hofstede, 1973, p.5)
 Is essentially a social indoctrination of unwritten rules
that people learn as they try to fit in a particular group
(Edgar Schein, 1992)
 Is a social narcotic to which practically all of us are
addicted - we feel good when we belong to a group
(Geertz Hofstede, 1977)
ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE
refers to customary and traditional ways of thinking
and doing things noting that new employees must learn
to adopt them sufficiently to gain acceptance in the
organization (Jacques 1952)
refers to the attitudes, values, beliefs, norms and
customs which distinguish an organization from others
(Carnall, 1995)
a system of shared meaning and beliefs held by
organizational members that determines, in large
degree, how they act toward each other and outsiders
(Robbins and Coulter, 2007 p.52)
IMPORTANCE OF ORGANIZATIONAL
CULTURE
 Unity
– helps to unite employees of different demographics.
- Promotes better communication and less conflict, and
equality by ensuring no employee is neglected at the
workplace and that each is treated equally
 Loyalty
– helps to keep employees motivated and loyal to the management
of the organization

 Competition
– strives to perform at their best to earn recognition and
appreciation from their superiors
IMPORTANCE OF ORGANIZATIONAL
CULTURE
 Direction
– provides with a sense of direction and expectations that keep
employees on task

 Identity
– an entity’s way of doing business is perceived by both the
individuals who comprise the organization as well as its clients
and customers, and it is determined by its culture
- values and beliefs contribute to the brand image by which it
becomes known and respected.
TYPES OF ORGANIZATIONAL
CULTURE
Control ‘Hierarchy’ Culture
– a highly structured and formal place to work
– rules and procedures govern behaviour, formal policies are
what hold the group together
– leaders strive to be good coordinators and organizers who are
efficiency-minded
– maintaining a smooth- running organization is most critical
– stability, performance, and efficient operations are the long-
term goals
– success means dependable delivery, smooth scheduling, and
low cost
– management wants security and predictability
TYPES OF ORGANIZATIONAL
CULTURE
Compete ‘Market’ Culture
– a result driven organization focused on job completion
– people are competitive and goal-oriented
– leaders are demanding, hard driving and productive
– the emphasis on winning unifies the organization,
reputation and success are common concerns
– long term focus is on competitive action and
achievement of measurable goals and targets
– success means market share and penetration,
competitive pricing and market leadership
TYPES OF ORGANIZATIONAL
CULTURE
Collaborate ‘Clan’ Culture
– an open and friendly place to wok where people share a
lot of themselves, it is like an extended family
– leaders are considered to be mentors or even parental
figures, group loyalty and sense of tradition are strong
–emphasis on the long-term benefits of human resources
development and great importance is given to group
cohesion, there is strong concern for people
–places a premium on teamwork, participation, and
consensus
TYPES OF ORGANIZATIONAL
CULTURE
Create ‘Adhocracy’ Culture
– a dynamic, entrepreneurial, and creative place to work
– innovation and risk-taking are embraced by employees and
leaders
– a commitment to experimentation and thinking differently
are what unify the organization, they strive to be on the leading
edge
– long-term emphasis is on growth and acquiring new
resources
– success means gaining unique and new products or services
– being an industry leader is important. Individual initiative
and freedom are encouraged
SCHOOL CULTURE
o “set of norms, values and beliefs, rituals and
ceremonies, symbols and stories that make up
the ‘persona’ of the school,” says Dr. Kent D.
Peterson, (a professor in the Department of
Educational Administration at the University of
Wisconsin-Madison)
o refers to the way teachers and other staff
members work together and the set of beliefs,
values, and assumptions they share.
SCHOOL CULTURE
o “the way we do things around here” (Bower,
1966)
o “’the most powerful source of leverage for
bringing about change in a school – or any
organization, for that matter” (Thomas J
Sergiovanni)
THREE LEVELS OF CULTURE
o Level One
o What you might see on your
first visit – first impressions
o Level Two
o Values, beliefs, ‘the way things
should be done”
o These are ‘testable’ in the
physical environment
o Level Three
o Fundamental beliefs about
school, students, etc
o Reason for being
ELEMENTS OF SCHOOL CULTURE
o FORMAL
 Conceptual/ Verbal:
• aims, objectives, curriculum, metaphors, organization
stories, heroes & structures
 Visual:
• facilities, equipment, artifacts & memorabilia, crests &
mottoes, and uniforms
 Behavioral:
• rituals, ceremonies , teaching-learning process, SOPs,
rules & regulations, social support systems, and
community interaction patterns
ELEMENTS OF SCHOOL CULTURE
o INFORMAL
 Storytellers
 Priests
 Whisperers or bulong brigade
 Gossips
 Spies
 Cabals
TYPOLOGY OF SCHOOL CULTURE
o Fragmented Individualism
 Have employees with no clear knowledge of the
school’s vision and sense of purpose

o Balkanization
 Various groups that operate as separate entities and
often conflict with each other
TYPOLOGY OF SCHOOL CULTURE
o Contrived Collegiality
 Has set of formal specific bureaucratic procedures

o Collaborative
 shared purpose and generally work to achieve the same
goal
PRODUCTIVE SCHOOL CULTURE
o Fyans and Maehr (1990) singled out academic challenges, a sense of
community, recognition for achievement and perception of school
goals as salient variables
o Cheong (1993) related organizational ideology, shared participation,
charismatic leadership and intimacy to stronger teacher motivation
and satisfaction
o Senge (1990), Fullan (1992), and Deal and Peterson (1990) all point
to the importance of a shared vision championed by a strong leader
with a sense of moral purpose

From the work of those and many other researchers and practitioners of
school reform, a few general principles emerge – ingredients, that
supports hard work and high achievement aims to create an
environment conducive for learning
INGREDIENTS OF PRODUCTIVE
SCHOOL CULTURE
o An inspiring vision, backed by a clear, limited & challenging
mission
o A curriculum, models of instruction, assessments & learning
opportunities that are clearly linked to the vision & mission,
and tailored to the needs and interest of the students
o Sufficient time for teachers and students to do their work
well
o A pervasive focus on student and teacher learning , coupled
with a continual, school-wide conversation about the quality
of everyone’s work
o Close, supportive teacher-student, teacher-teacher and
student-student relationships
INGREDIENTS OF PRODUCTIVE
SCHOOL CULTURE
o Many opportunities and venues for creating culture,
discussing fundamental values, taking responsibility,
coming together as a community and celebrating
individual and group success
o Leadership that encourages and protects trust, on-
the-job learning, flexibility, risk-taking, innovation
and adaptation to change
o Data-driven decision-making system that draw on
timely, accurate, qualitative and quantitative
information about progress towards the vision and
sophisticated knowledge about organizational change
INGREDIENTS OF PRODUCTIVE
SCHOOL CULTURE
o Unwavering support from parents
o District flexibility and support for multiple school
designs, visions, missions and innovations

to note: we also need luck, good timing and political

power
TWO BASIC FORMS OF SCHOOL
CULTURE
“According to Dr. Kent Petterson, a professor in the Department
of Educational Administration at the University of Wisconsin-
Madison”:

 Positive school culture has set of values that supports

professional development of teachers, a sense of responsibility
for student learning, and a positive, caring atmosphere exist

 Negative or toxic school environment, teacher relations are

often conflictual, the staff doesn’t believe in the ability of the
students to succeed, and a generally negative attitude prevails
CHARACTERISTICS OF POSITIVE
SCHOOL CULTURE
Individual successes of teachers and students are recognized and
celebrated
Relationships and interactions are characterized by openness, trust,
respect and appreciation
Staff relationships are collegial, collaborative and productive, and
all staff members are held to high professional standards
Students and staff members feel emotionally and physical safe, and
the school’s policies and facilities promote student safety
School leaders, teachers, and staff members model positive,
healthy behaviors for students
Mistakes not punished as failures, but they are seen as
opportunities to learn and grow for both students and educators
CHARACTERISTICS OF POSITIVE
SCHOOL CULTURE
Students are consistently held to high academic expectations, and a
majority of students meet or exceed those expectations.
Important leadership decisions are made collaboratively with input
from staff members, students, and parents.
Criticism, when voiced, is constructive and well-intentioned, not
antagonistic or self-serving.
Educational resources and learning opportunities are
equitably distributed, and all students, including minorities and
students with disabilities.
All students have access to the academic support and services they may
need to succeed.
NEGATIVE OR TOXIC SCHOOL
CULTURE
lack a clear sense of purpose
have norms that reinforce inertia
blame students for lack of progress
discourage collaboration
often have actively hostile relations among staff
A TOXIC SCHOOL CULTURE IS FULL
OF TATORS
o Dictators
o Commentators
o Agitators
o Spectators
WHAT CAN ADMINISTARTORS DO?
Peterson suggests: Principals need to "read the
school". They must talk to storytellers on the staff to
discern what kind of history the school has. Staff and
administrators need to examine what they have
learned about the school culture, and then they must
ask two questions:
 What aspects of the culture are positive and should be
reinforced?
 What aspects of the culture are negative and harmful
and should be changed?
WAYS TO NURTURE SCHOOL
CULTURE
Celebrate successes in staff meetings and ceremonies
Tell stories of accomplishment and collaboration
whenever there's an opportunity
Use clear, shared language created during professional
development to foster a commitment to staff and
student learning
WHY SCHOOL CULTURE IS
IMPORTANT
“Positive learning can only take place in a positive
culture. A healthy school culture will affect more
student and teacher success than any other reform or
school improvement effort currently being employed”

-Garry Phillips
TRANSFORM SCHOOL CULTURE
FROM TO
Teaching Learning
Teacher isolation Collaboration
Pass/fail mindset Elimination of failures
Compliance Commitment
Curriculum overload Guaranteed curriculum
General goals Specific goals
Static assessment Dynamic assessment
Independence Interdependence
Planning to plan Planning to improve
Time and staff fixed Learning fixed
Learning for most Learning for all
 A Final Thought
“self-renewing school cultures are collaborative
places where adults care about one another, share
common goals and values, and have the skills and
knowledge to plan together, solve problems together,
and fight passionately but gracefully for ideas to improve
instructions”

-Robert Garmston & Bruce Wellman

Learning Resources
 Strategies for Effective School Management (RT Borromeo, 1995.
Phoenix Press, Inc)
 Importance of Organizational Culture (study.com )
 Research presentation, title: Understanding School Culture
(Slideshare by Linda S Nelson of North Carolina of Independent
School, undated)
 School Culture & Organization: Lessons from Research and
Experience (Rexford Brown, 2004)
 Chapter 1: School Culture and Change as Learning
(53502_Kaplan_chapter_1.pdf)
 Is Your School's Culture Toxic or Positive? Education world: Building
Community, Culture, and Climate (www.educationworld.com)
Thank You!

Prepared By:

Evangeline C Manzolim
MEM-NEUST
ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE
Is a system of shared assumptions, values, and beliefs,
which governs how people behave in organizations.
These shared values have a strong influence on the
people in the organization and dictate how they dress,
act, and perform their jobs”
 WHAT IS
ORGANIZATIONAL
CULTURE?
CHARACTERISTICS OF
ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE
VALUE
CHARACTERICTICS
HIGH LOW
encourage to take risks & expects to do jobs the
innovate in the same way that have been
Innovation performance of jobs trained to do, without
(Risk Orientation) looking for ways to
improve performance
Attention to detail expects to perform work expects to perform work
(Precision with precision without precision
Orientation)
CHARACTERISTICS OF
ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE
VALUE
CHARACTERICTICS
HIGH LOW
Emphasis on People treat with respect and disregarded
(fairness Orientation) dignity
Teamwork tend to have positive encourages isolation
(Collaboration relationship with co-
Orientation) workers and managers
Provides consistent and Provides expected output
predictable level of output
Stability and operate in non-
(Rule Orientation) changing market
conditions
CHARACTERISTICS OF HEALTHY
ORGANIZATION
Effective sharing of goals – management shares
goals with the employees and gets them on board with
the mission and vision of the organization
Teamwork – knows how to develop teams that
collaborate to achieve common goals
High Employee Morale

Offers Training Opportunities – offers

opportunities to pursue certification and continual
education
CHARACTERISTICS OF HEALTHY
ORGANIZATION
Leadership – main characteristics of a healthy
organization
Handles poor performance – confront poor
performance instead of ignoring, take corrective
actions to improve performance
Understanding Risks – use precaution but
understand that risks are necessary to facilitate growth
CHARACTERISTICS OF HEALTHY
ORGANIZATION
Adapts to Opportunities and Changes – knows
how to adapt to technologies or operational changes
Clearly Defined Structure – posses a sense of order
and organizational structure
Well-Known Policies – creates and implements
policies that are readily available to employees. Dealt
with immediately and in professional manner to any
offender
CHARACTERISTICS
POSITIVE/HEALTHY
SCHOOL CULTURE
Faculty & staff feel valued and
esteemed
Have a shared sense of meaningful
purpose
Underlying norms are collegiality,
collaboration, continuous learning,
openness to new ideas, problem
solving, improvement, and hard
work.
Every faculty and staff member
feels responsible for every student’s
learning to high levels.
NEGATIVE/TOXIC SCHOOL
CULTURE
Staff feel as if they are treated
poorly disrespected
Lack a shared sense of meaningful
purpose; norms reinforce inertia.
Administrators and faculty are
unwilling to change. Interpersonal
tone is oppositional and prickly.
Collaboration is discouraged.
Faculty and staff blame students for
their lack of progress and
achievement.
CHARACTERISTICS
POSITIVE/HEALTHY
SCHOOL CULTURE
Everyone values professional
development, reflection & practice
Data, problem solving, and decision
making are shared
Faculty and staff feel motivated,
productive, successful, and
mutually supportive
Rituals and traditions are
celebrated
Informal network of storytellers,
heroes, and heroines provide a
social web of information, support,
and history
NEGATIVE/TOXIC SCHOOL
CULTURE
Professional development and staff
reflection viewed as a waste of time
Principals see all data and make all
decisions
Faculty and staff feel exhausted,
unproductive, frustrated, and
unhappy & unsupportive
Individual and group innovations
and achievements go unnoticed
No school traditions or heroes
exemplify the school’s purpose or
values
CHARACTERISTICS
POSITIVE/HEALTHY
SCHOOL CULTURE
Faculty & staff feel valued and
esteemed by the principal,
students, parents, and central office
administrators
Have a shared sense of meaningful
purpose, what is important, an
ethos of caring and concern, and a
genuine commitment to helping
students learn
NEGATIVE/TOXIC SCHOOL
CULTURE
Staff feel as if they are treated
poorly disrespected, and as if they
were part of the furniture
Lack a shared sense of meaningful
purpose; norms reinforce inertia.
Employees want to do their jobs
and leave. Faculty believe that it is
their job to teach and the students’
job to learn
CHARACTERISTICS
POSITIVE/HEALTHY
SCHOOL CULTURE
Underlying norms are collegiality,
collaboration, continuous learning,
openness to new ideas, problem
solving, improvement, and hard
work.
Every faculty and staff member
feels responsible for every student’s
learning to high levels.
Everyone values professional
development and reflection,
sharing professional practice, so all
can improve their skills in teaching
and leading.
NEGATIVE/TOXIC SCHOOL
CULTURE
Administrators and faculty are
unwilling to change. Interpersonal
tone is oppositional and prickly.
Collaboration is discouraged.
Faculty and staff blame students for
their lack of progress and
achievement.
Professional development and staff
reflection viewed as a waste of time:
“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” and
“this too shall pass” are the ethos.
CHARACTERISTICS
POSITIVE/HEALTHY
SCHOOL CULTURE
Data, problem solving, and decision
making are shared with faculty,
staff, students, and parents.
Faculty and staff feel motivated,
productive, successful, and
mutually supportive.
Rituals and traditions celebrate
student accomplishment, teacher
innovation, and parental
commitment.
Informal network of storytellers,
heroes, and heroines provide a
social web of information, support,
and history.
NEGATIVE/TOXIC SCHOOL
CULTURE
Principals see all data and make all
decisions.
Faculty and staff feel exhausted,
unproductive, frustrated, and
unhappy, unsupportive of
colleagues with occasional hostility
among staff.
Individual and group innovations
and achievements go unnoticed.
No school traditions or heroes
exemplify the school’s purpose or
values.
CHARACTERISTICS
POSITIVE/HEALTHY NEGATIVE/TOXIC SCHOOL
SCHOOL CULTURE CULTURE
Informal network of storytellers, No school traditions or heroes
heroes, and heroines provide a exemplify the school’s purpose or
social web of information, support, values.
and history.