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Chapter 8 Organizational Culture

Figure 8.1

Just as water is invisible to the fish swimming in it, yet affects their actions, culture consists of unseen elements such as assumptions and values that affect organizational life.

© 2010 Jupiterimages Corporation

What’s in It for Me?

Reading this chapter will help you do the following:

  1. Describe what organizational culture is and why it is important for an organization.
  2. Understand the dimensions that make up a company’s culture.
  3. Understand the creation and maintenance of organizational culture.
  4. Understand the factors that create cultural change.
  5. Develop personal culture management skills.

Organizations, just like individuals, have their own personalities—more typically known as organizational cultures. Understanding how culture is created, communicated, and changed will help you to be a more effective manager. But first, let’s define organizational culture.

Figure 8.2 The P-O-L-C Framework