Public Speaking

Announcements (^253)
Diversity
in praCtiCe
Organizational Culture
The term corporate culture shows that we commonly think of organizations as
small cultures within the larger society. Your school or workplace has an ethos
or personality—a culture that comes out of its core beliefs, values, attitudes, and
behaviors—that you can find in its mission statement. Organizational culture com-
prises many elements that organizational members know and newcomers must
learn. Here are just a few:^2
• History—the founders, the founding date, the founding mission
• Political system—the way power is distributed, who leads and who follows
and when
• Distribution of wealth—pay equity, merit pay, bonuses, stock options, and
dues or collections
• Art, music, and dress—logos, songs, or uniforms
• Language—jargon or special in-group terminology
• Rituals—banquets, picnics, award ceremonies, installations
• Folklore—narratives and myths, heroes and villains, described in the stories
passed from person to person within the organization^3
These last two aspects of culture are particularly relevant to public speaking.
In Theory Z: How American Business Can Meet the Japanese Challenge, W. B. Ouchi^4
explains that organizational symbols, ceremonies, and myths communicate a
group’s beliefs and values. The stories that are told and retold and passed from
one generation to another explain organizational values, beliefs, and memories.
Knowing these symbols and stories is important in understanding the organiza-
tion; using them in public speaking can be a powerful form of proof to members
of the organization.
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