Organizational Behavior (Stephen Robbins)

(Joyce) #1
Unilever and Heineken are examples of companies with networked cultures. Heineken,
for example, has more than 60 000 employees but retains the feeling of friendship and
family more typical in small firms. The company’s highly social culture produces a
strong sense of belonging and often a passionate identification with its product. Family
businesses can often have this type of culture, although not all family businesses would
have a networked culture.


  • Mercenary culture (low on sociability, high on solidarity).Organizations with this
    type of culture are fiercely goal-focused. People are intense and determined to
    meet goals. They have a zest for getting things done quickly and a powerful
    sense of purpose. A mercenary culture is not just about winning; it is about
    destroying the enemy. This focus on goals and objectivity leads to a minimal
    degree of politicking. The major downside to this culture is that it can lead to
    an almost inhumane treatment of people who are perceived as low performers.
    Enron, Mars, Campbell Company of Canada, and Komatsu Canada (the Japanese
    heavy-equipment manufacturer) have classic mercenary cultures. At Virginia-based candy
    manufacturer Mars, for instance, meetings are concerned almost totally with work issues.
    There is little tolerance for socializing or small talk.

  • Fragmented culture (low on sociability, low on solidarity).Organizations with this
    type of culture are made up of individualists. Commitment is first and fore-
    most to individual members and their job tasks. There is little or no identifi-
    cation with the organization. In a fragmented culture, employees are judged
    solely on their productivity and the quality of their work. The major downside
    to this culture is that it can lead to excessive critiquing of others and an
    absence of collegiality and cooperation. Some large accounting and law firms
    have this type of culture.
    Most top-tier universities and some large accounting and law firms take on the prop-
    erties of fragmented cultures. Professors at major universities, for instance, are judged on
    their research and scholarship. Senior professors with big reputations do not need to be
    friendly to their peers or attend social functions to retain their status. Similarly, law
    partners who bring in new clients and win cases need to expend little energy getting
    to know co-workers or being visible in the office.

  • Communal culture (high on sociability, high on solidarity).Organizations with
    this type of culture value both friendship and performance. People have a feel-
    ing of belonging, but there is still a ruthless focus on goal achievement.
    Leaders of these cultures tend to be inspirational and charismatic, with a clear
    vision of the organizations’ future. The major downside to this culture is that


342 Part 4Sharing the Organizational Vision


Heineken Canada
http://www.heineken.com/canada


Mars Incorporated
http://www.mars.com


Fragmented

Networked

Low

High

So

cia

bility

Solidarity

Mercenary

Low High

Communal

EXHIBIT 10–5 Four-Culture Typology

Source:Adapted from R. Goffee and G. Jones, The Character of a Corporation: How Your Company’s
Culture Can Make or Break Your Business(New York: HarperBusiness, 1998), p. 21.

Hewlett-Packard Canada
http://www.hp.com/country/ca/en/
welcome.html

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