Page 332 - Managing Change in Organizations

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Models of organizational culture
High

Network
Team
(value added)
Sociability

Fragmented Mercenary

Low
Low Solidarity High
Figure 17.1 Two dimensions, four cultures

extent to which people like each other, mix with each other in and out of work)
and solidarity (the extent to which there are shared goals) are important com-
ponents of corporate culture. These two dimensions lead to the identification of
four cultures – see Figure 17.1.
Note that I have modified the Goffee and Jones model here. In my version,
where sociability is high but solidarity is low we have a team culture. Of course the
solidarity within the team may be high while solidarity for the organization as a
whole is low. Where sociability and solidarity are high we see a network culture
emerging. These are characterized by easy and effective vertical and horizontal
communication and relate to the value-added model described earlier in the book.
More importantly, for these authors the issue about culture is not only about
changing culture but rather about identifying whether an organization has a pos-
itive or negative version of that culture. A positively oriented culture is more likely
to be an adaptive culture. Here they rely partly on Kotter and Hesketh (1992) who
identify values and behaviour common in adaptive versus non-adaptive cultures,
as follows:
■ Adaptive cultures. Customer focused, value people, value change and improve-
ment, focus on needs of stakeholders.

■ Non-adaptive cultures. Value orderly decisions and risk averse processes, silo
mentality prevails.
How far we could take this argument is unclear but it does at least offer a prospect
of culture change through incremental steps, initially seeking to move toward a
positive culture rather than seeking to change the culture in one ‘heave’.

CASE
STUDY Philips

As a case study we may examine Philips NV – Operation Centurion. From 1990 onwards
Philips has sought to transform itself as a business. The company has tried hard both to
build current performance and to become more innovative. Combining cascade com-
munications with taskforces working on a range of issues deemed important to the ➔

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