Organizational culture can be confusing
I find culture incredibly fascinating. Whether we talk about geographical cultural differences or organizational cultural differences, the norms, values and rituals of a specific group has a significant impact on the people within.
But what exactly is culture?
Very early in my career a leader once said to me, “Our culture is Six-Sigma.” Hmmm.
So what exactly is culture? There are a number of definitions for it, however, the one I like the most comes from Peter Northouse in his book Leadership: Theory and Practice. Northouse’s definition is that culture is “the learned beliefs, values, rules, norms, symbols, and traditions that are common to a group of people” (Northouse, 2007). He further goes on to state that culture is shared, dynamic and transmitted to others (Northouse, 2007).
In short, culture is a way of life for a group…or an organization.
A definition is helpful, however, it doesn’t answer the question “What does it look like.” Here is where Northouse really begins to drill down. Culture is comprised of nine very distinct dimensions:
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Term
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Definition
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Uncertainty Avoidance
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Degree to which a society or culture establishes norms, processes and rituals to avoid uncertainty.
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Power Distance
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Degree to which members agree that power should be shared unequally.
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Institutional Collectivism
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Degree to which a an organization encourages or supports collective action.
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In Group Collectivism
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Degree to which the people within an organization or society expresses loyalty and pride within the organization.
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Gender Egalitarianism
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Degree to which an organization minimizes gender role differences and promotes gender equality.
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Assertiveness
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Degree to which aggressive behavior is supported
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Future Orientation
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Degree to which the group or organization plans for the future
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Performance Orientation
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Degree to which an organization encourages and rewards improved performance.
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Humane Orientation
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Degree to which a culture rewards and encourages treating people fairly and with dignity and respect
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(Northouse, 2007)
So…is Six Sigma a culture? No…at least when you look at it through the dimensions. It may be a tool, process or system. It may even be a part of the culture, but it is not the culture itself.
We’ll talk about the dimensions more in subsequent posts. In the meantime, look at culture through this new lens.
Reference
Northhouse, P.G. (2007). Leadership: theory and practice. Thousand Oaks California: Sage Publications
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