Define the meaning of organisational culture. Discuss how culture is often transmitted.  Recognize different types of organisational change. Contrast and compare the five key change management strategies. 

1. Organisational Culture

2. Outline:
• Define the meaning of organisational culture.
• Discuss how culture is often transmitted.
• Recognize different types of organisational change.
• Contrast and compare the five key change management
strategies.

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Organizational
culture relates
to how a
business is
perceived.
This means
how it
is perceived fr
om the
outside, and
how those
within the
organization
perceive it.

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There is no definitive answer to where the culture
of a business evolves from and how it develops,
as culture is a concept that is multifaceted in
nature and develops slowly over time.
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The philosophy
of the institution;
themes like
equity and
diversity;
participation;
striving for
excellence;
research and
development;
reputation etc.
The approach to
change which is
adopted and the
way in which
leaders act.
The criteria for
evaluating and
rewarding
performance; job
progression and
the
organization's
mission
statement.
Culture is also
transmitted in
the informal
history of the
organization that
is shared in
stories and
legends about
key people and
events that have
affected the
organization.
Culture is often
transmitted by the
following:

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Types of
Organisational
Culture
There are four key types of organizational culture which are outlined
below:
Collegiate
Bureaucratic
Innovative
Enterprise

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Collegiate
• There is a dual structure of administrative and academic management
which results in parallel committee structures which can act as a black
hole for decision making.
• There are often unclear reporting lines and poor coordination; strong
local cultures, agendas and identifiers.
• Academic status is perceived as higher than support or administrative
functions.
• There are strong subject-specific allegiances, with academics often
feeling a stronger alliance to their subject area and external networks
than to the institutional mission.
• Decision making occurs through committees, which can be slow and lack
cohesion; activities tend to be driven from the ground and primarily
linked to local interests.
A collegiate organizational culture is similar to the classic structure of
old universities, particularly those with a strong research focus. It is
defined by the following characteristics:

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Bureaucratic
• Characterized by strong central management and top-down decision-
making.
• The hierarchy of control and decision-making is clearly established in
the administrative and management structures of the institutions.
• Management roles are clearly defined as career progressions;
(academic) heads of departments, deans etc. are appointed through
an interview process to tenured positions.
• Central management have strong control over the direction of the
strategic priorities for the institution.
A bureaucratic organizational culture is defined
by the following:

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Innovative
• Institutions with flexible structures; geared to respond and adapt
quickly to external factors and influences.
• Strong culture of change and innovation, with frequent changes in
directions of activities and focus of interest.
• Often characterized by a matrix structure of responsibilities by both
subject area and functional activity (where the latter will often be
structured around the identified strategic priorities).
• Typically activities focused around particular projects and associated
project teams.
• Characteristic of some new universities and colleges; also present in
older universities within the sub-structures of enterprise and
research centers which are externally funded.
An innovative organizational culture is defined by the
following characteristics:

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Enterprise
• More closely aligned to traditional business and industry approaches.
• Acutely aware of financial mechanisms and processes; alert to
external opportunities.
• Traditional management roles and structures with clear demarcations
of responsibilities; hierarchical decision-making processes.
• Clear business objectives and plans based on detailed market analysis
and needs.
• More common in the United States, particularly newer educational
institutions focused on distance education.
An enterprise organizational culture is defined by the
following characteristics:

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An organization's
business and operating
climate can change
frequently, which can
also affect the role of
HR.
Change management is
the process of dealing
with the impact of
change in an
organization.
In many cases, the HR
department serves as a link
between company
management and employees,
playing a fundamental role in
facilitating the process of
change.
There are two key types of change that can occur within
an organization, which are planned and emergent.
Sometimes change is
deliberate - a product of
conscious reasoning and
actions, i.e. planned
change.
In contrast, change sometimes unfolds in an apparently spontaneous and unplanned way. This type of
change is known as emergent change. Change is emergent rather than planned, if it is based on two
factors:
1. Managers make a number of decisions apparently unrelated to the change that emerges. The change is
therefore not planned.
2. External factors, such as the economy, competitors’ behavior and political climate and internal features,
such as the relative power of different interest groups, distribution of knowledge and uncertainty,
influence change in directions outside the control of managers. Even the most carefully planned and
executed change program will have some emergent impacts.
Planned
Change
Emergent
Change

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Types of organizational
change include:
Process
changes
Culture
change
Organisational
re-structuring/
re-organisation
Staffing
levels/
positions
Facilities/
location
change
IT/ Systems
implementati
on

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An important aspect of implementing
organizational change, is understanding the
political and cultural environment you are in.
This will help you to identify potential
obstacles and areas of resistance.
There are two main aspects to the issue of change and culture:
• The importance of working within the existing culture when
seeking to implement change.
• Knowing how to influence or change the organizational culture,
where necessary.
When dealing with change it’s important to
recognize that different institutions have different
cultures and that within institutions there are
often sub-cultures in different work departments
or subject areas.

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There are five main approaches to
implementing and managing a
change initiative.
Directive
Expert
NegotiationEducation
Participation

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Directive
Expert
NegotiationEducation
Participation
• A directive approach to change, highlights the
manager’s right to manage change and the use of
authority to impose change, with little or no
involvement of other people.
• The advantage of the directive approach, is that
change can be undertaken quickly. However, a
disadvantage of this approach is that it does not
take into consideration the views, or feelings of
those involved in or affected by the change.
• This approach may lead to valuable information and
ideas being missed. Also, there is usually strong
resentment from staff when changes are imposed
rather than discussed and agreed upon.

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Directive
Expert
NegotiationEducation
Participation
• This approach sees the management of change as a
problem-solving process that needs to be resolved by
an ‘expert’ or specialist in the area related to the
change.
• It is mainly applied to more technical problems, such as
the introduction of a new learner management system,
and will normally be led by a specialist project team or
by a senior manager. There is likely to be little
involvement with those affected by the change.
• The advantage of using this strategy is that experts play
a major role in a solution and the solution can be
implemented quickly. However, there are issues
regarding this approach; those affected may have
different views than those of the expert and may not
appreciate the solution being imposed upon them.

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Directive
Expert
NegotiationEducation
Participation
• This approach highlights the willingness on the part of
senior managers to negotiate and bargain with others,
in order to effect change.
• Senior managers accept that adjustments and
concessions may need to be made in order to
implement change. This approach acknowledges that
those affected by change have a say in which changes
are made, how they are implemented and the
expected outcomes.
• Disadvantages of this approach include: it may take
more time to effect the change; the outcome may not
be surely predicted; the changes made may not fully
fulfill the expectations of management. Advantages of
this approach are: individuals feel involved in the
change and may be more supportive of it.

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Directive
Expert
NegotiationEducation
Participation
• This strategy involves trying to change people’s
values and beliefs, so they will more easily support
change.
• A mixture of activities can be used: information;
persuasion; selection and training. Consultants,
specialists and in-house experts can be utilized.
• A disadvantage of this approach is that it takes
longer to implement. An advantage is that
individuals in the organization are more likely to
have a positive commitment to the changes being
made.

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Directive
Expert
NegotiationEducation
Participation
• This strategy stresses the full involvement of those affected by the
change. Although driven by senior managers, the process will be
less management-dominated and driven more by groups or
individuals within the organisation.
• The views of all are taken into account before changes are made.
Outside consultants and experts can be used to facilitate the
process, but they will not make any final decisions regarding
outcomes.
• The main disadvantages of this process are: the length of time it
takes; more costly due to the number of meetings and the
payment of consultant experts; final outcomes cannot always be
predicted.
• Benefits of this approach are: changes are more likely to be
supported, due to the involvement of those affected; the
commitment of people in the organisation may increase, if they
feel they have ownership of the changes being made;
organisations and staff may learn from the experience,
understanding more how things function, thereby increasing their
knowledge, skills and effectiveness.

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The following is a summary of the key advantages and disadvantages
of the five approaches to change.
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Approach Advantages Disadvantages
Directive Relatively fast to implement Ignores those affected
Expert
Uses relevant expertise; small groups required;
relatively fast to implement
Ignores those affected
Negotiated
Recipients have a say; resistance likely to be
reduced; areas of disagreement highlighted
Recipients have a say; resistance likely to be
reduced; areas of disagreement highlighted
Education People may commit to change People may not commit to change
Participation
More likely to be accepted; more commitment
and opportunity
Relatively slow to implement; complex to
manage; requires more resources

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Key Points
Organisational culture relates to how a business is perceived. This means how it is perceived from the outside, and how
those within the organisation perceive it. Culture is one of a few perspectives that can help us understand more about a
business. Culture is often transmitted by the following:
• The philosophy of the institution; themes like equity and diversity; participation; striving for excellence;
research and development; reputation etc.
• The approach to change which is adopted and the way in which leaders act.
• The criteria for evaluating and rewarding performance; job progression and the organisation's mission
statement.
• Culture is also transmitted in the informal history of the organisation that is shared in stories and legends about
key people and events that have affected the organisation.
• There are four key types of organisational cultures which are summarised as follows:
• Collegiate culture - similar to the classic structure of old universities, particularly those with a strong research
focus.
• Bureaucratic culture - traditionally defined by strong central management and top-down decision-making.
• Innovative culture - defined by frequent changes in directions of activities and focus of interest.
• Enterprise culture - closely aligned with traditional business and industry approaches and defined by an acute
awareness of financial mechanisms and processes.
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Key Points
An organisation's business and operating climate can change frequently, which can affect the role of HR. Change can
either be planned or emergent. Change management is the process of dealing with the impact of change in an
organisation. Examples of organisational change include process changes, organisational re-structuring and culture
changes.
An important aspect of implementing organisational change, is understanding the political and cultural environment
the organisation is operating within. There are two main aspects to the issue of change and culture:
• The importance of working within the existing culture when seeking to implement change.
• Knowing how to influence or change the organisational culture, where necessary.
There are five main approaches to implementing and managing a change initiative:
• Directive - highlights the manager’s right to manage change and the use of authority to impose change, with
little or no involvement of other people.
• Expert - involves the use of a consultant or expert with little involvement with those affected by the change.
• Negotiation - highlights the willingness on the part of senior managers to negotiate and bargain with others, in
order to effect change.
• Education - involves trying to change people’s values and beliefs, so they will more easily support change.
• Participation - emphasises the full involvement of those affected by the change.
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References:
• Organizational Culture / online available: https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/pages/organizational-culture.aspx / accessed
on: 10 May 2020
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