Organizational Culture

Pick up one  organizations that you interact with frequently; as an employee or a customer (one bad

example e) and assess their culture by looking at the following aspects:

a. Research the companies’ websites and find examples of goals that they have stated. Evaluate

these goals. Are they well-written?

b. For leadership roles or for projects how they practice planning, organizing, leading, and

controlling in different projects and activities.

c. Physical design (buildings, furnishings, parking lot, office or store design) – Where are they

located and why? Where do customers and employees park? What does the office/store

layout look like? What activities are encouraged or discouraged by the physical layout? What

do these things say about what the organization values?

d. Symbols (logos, dress codes, slogans, philosophy statements) – What values are highlighted?

Where are logos displayed? Whose needs are emphasized? What concepts are emphasized?

What actions are prohibited? What actions are encouraged? Are any artifacts prominently

displayed? What do those artifacts symbolize? What do these things say about what the

organization values?

e. Words (stories, language, job titles) – What stories are repeated? How are employees

addressed? What do job titles say about the organization? Are jokes used in conversation?

What do these things say about what the organization values?

f. Policies and activities (rituals, ceremonies, financial rewards, policies for how customers or

employees are treated). What activities are rewarded? Ignored? What kinds of people

succeed? Fail? What rituals are important? Why? What events get commemorated? Why?

What do these things say about what the organization values?

g. What about their procedures, rules, and policies.

h. What it takes to be a good decision maker.

i. Draw an organizational chart of the organization. Be very careful in showing the departments

(or groups) and especially be careful to get the chain of command correct. Describe how

would they become more efficient and effective?

j. Describe the culture (shared values and beliefs). Select two of its values/beliefs and describe

how you would go about changing them.