Culture support and reinforcement programmes aim to preserve and underpin what
is good and functional about the present culture. Schein (1985) has suggested that the
most powerful primary mechanisms for culture embedding and reinforcement are:
● what leaders pay attention to, measure and control;
● leaders’ reactions to critical incidents and crises;
● deliberate role modelling, teaching and coaching by leaders;
● criteria for allocation of rewards and status;
● criteria for recruitment, selection, promotion and commitment.
Other means of underpinning the culture are:
● re-affirming existing values;
● operationalizing values through actions designed, for example, to implement total quality and customer care programmes, to provide financial and non-financial rewards for expected behaviour, to improve productivity, to promote and reward good teamwork, to develop a learning organization (see Chapter 36);
● using the value set as headings for reviewing individual and team performance – emphasizing that people are expected to uphold the values;
● ensuring that induction procedures cover core values and how people are expected to achieve them;
● reinforcing induction training on further training courses set up as part of a continuous development programme.
Focus
In theory, culture change programmes start with an analysis of the existing culture. The desired culture is then defined, which leads to the identification of a ‘culture gap’ that needs to be filled. This analysis can identify behavioural expectations so that development and reward processes can be used to define and reinforce them. In real life, it is not quite as simple as that.
A comprehensive change programme may be a fundamental part of an organizational transformation programme as described in Chapter 24. But culture change programmes can focus on particular aspects of the culture, for example performance, commitment, quality, customer service, teamwork, organizational learning. In each case the underpinning values would need to be defined. It would probably be necessary to prioritize by deciding which areas need the most urgent attention. There is a limit to how much can be done at once except in crisis conditions.
● what leaders pay attention to, measure and control;
● leaders’ reactions to critical incidents and crises;
● deliberate role modelling, teaching and coaching by leaders;
● criteria for allocation of rewards and status;
● criteria for recruitment, selection, promotion and commitment.
Other means of underpinning the culture are:
● re-affirming existing values;
● operationalizing values through actions designed, for example, to implement total quality and customer care programmes, to provide financial and non-financial rewards for expected behaviour, to improve productivity, to promote and reward good teamwork, to develop a learning organization (see Chapter 36);
● using the value set as headings for reviewing individual and team performance – emphasizing that people are expected to uphold the values;
● ensuring that induction procedures cover core values and how people are expected to achieve them;
● reinforcing induction training on further training courses set up as part of a continuous development programme.
Focus
In theory, culture change programmes start with an analysis of the existing culture. The desired culture is then defined, which leads to the identification of a ‘culture gap’ that needs to be filled. This analysis can identify behavioural expectations so that development and reward processes can be used to define and reinforce them. In real life, it is not quite as simple as that.
A comprehensive change programme may be a fundamental part of an organizational transformation programme as described in Chapter 24. But culture change programmes can focus on particular aspects of the culture, for example performance, commitment, quality, customer service, teamwork, organizational learning. In each case the underpinning values would need to be defined. It would probably be necessary to prioritize by deciding which areas need the most urgent attention. There is a limit to how much can be done at once except in crisis conditions.
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