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190 Just Promoted!

        creative. He communicated and modeled from day 1 his view of the people
        and organization he wanted. Dick knew what he expected of himself and of
        others—the type of work culture from which the employees and the corpora-
        tion could benefit—and he succeeded. He got the type of people he wanted
        and got rid of the malcontents and nonperformers. Now let’s look at how you
        can translate resistance to renewal.


        WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT YOUR
        ORGANIZATION’S CULTURE: A PREREQUISITE
        TO ORGANIZATIONAL RENEWAL
        In recent years the social sciences have viewed groups and work systems in
        new ways. One key finding has been that, like societies, businesses and other
        types of organizations have their own cultures. In its simplest form, one could
        define organizational culture by answering the question, “What’s it really like
        around here?” In Chapter 7 we introduced culture as a key diagnostic target
        in helping you understand your new organization. As you assume leadership,
        you will have to understand your organization’s culture in much greater detail.
        This knowledge is a prerequisite to organizational renewal and needs to be a
        priority as you move into your new position and continue in your first year.
           The following three concepts are important in understanding organiza-
        tional culture.

        1. Whenever People Live or Work Together, They Form a Culture
        Culture is a complex web of traditions, values, beliefs, behaviors, and expec-
        tations that exist on an everyday basis. Culture should not be mistaken for the
        organizational climate, which tends to be transitory and shorter term. Culture
        describes the social, emotional, and psychological foundation on which deci-
        sions are made and actions occur. Companies with strong cultures model by
        example, matching their guiding principles and vision with the reality of daily
        behavior. In your new leadership role, you have the opportunity to set the tone
        from the top, to act consistently with what you communicate to others. What
        you emphasize is important.

        2. Every Culture Develops Its Own Behavioral Norms
        Every culture has unwritten expectations and ways of doing things, called
        norms, that are major determinants of the behavior within that work culture.
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