OB AT WORK
For Review
1. How can an outsider assess an organization’s culture?- What defines an organization’s subcultures?
- Can an employee survive in an organization if he or she rejects its core values? Explain.
- What benefits can socialization provide for the organization? For the new employee?
- Describe four cultural types and the characteristics of employees who fit best with each.
- How can culture be a liability to an organization?
- How does Lewin’s three-step model of change deal with resistance to change?
- How does Kotter’s eight-step plan for implementing change deal with resistance to change?
- What are the factors that lead individuals to resist change?
1 0.What are the factors that lead organizations to resist change?
For Critical Thinking
1. How are an individual’s personality and an organization’s culture similar? How are they different?- Is socialization brainwashing? Explain.
- Can you identify a set of characteristics that describes your college’s or university’s culture? Compare them with sev-
eral of your peers’ lists. How closely do they agree? - “Resistance to change is an irrational response.” Do you agree or disagree? Explain.
OB for You
■ Carefully consider the culture of any organization at which you are thinking of being employed. You will feel more
comfortable in cultures that share your values and expectations.
■ When you work in groups on student projects, the groups create mini-cultures of their own. Be aware of the values
and norms that are being supported early on in the group’s life, as these will greatly influence the group’s culture.
■ Be aware that change is a fact of life. If you need to change something in yourself, be aware of the importance of cre-
ating new systems to replace the old. Saying you want to be healthier, without specifying that you intend to go to the
gym three times a week, or eat five servings of fruits and vegetables a day, means that change likely will not occur. It’s
important to specify goals and behaviours as part of that change.