Norms

Norms are the unwritten rules of behaviour, the ‘rules of the game’ that provide informal guidelines on how to behave. Norms tell people what they are supposed to be doing, saying, believing, even wearing. They are never expressed in writing – if they were, they would be policies or procedures. They are passed on by word of mouth or behaviour and can be enforced by the reactions of people if they are violated. They can exert very powerful pressure on behaviour because of these reactions – we control others by the way we react to them.

Norms refer to such aspects of behaviour as:


● how managers treat the members of their teams (management style) and how the
latter relate to their managers;


● the prevailing work ethic, eg ‘work hard, play hard’, ‘come in early, stay late’, ‘if
you cannot finish your work during business hours you are obviously inefficient’,
‘look busy at all times’, ‘look relaxed at all times’


● status – how much importance is attached to it; the existence or lack of obvious
status symbols;


● ambition – naked ambition is expected and approved of, or a more subtle
approach is the norm;


● performance – exacting performance standards are general; the highest praise
that can be given in the organization is to be referred to as very professional;


● power – recognized as a way of life; executed by political means, dependent on
expertise and ability rather than position; concentrated at the top; shared at
different levels in different parts of the organization;


● politics – rife throughout the organization and treated as normal behaviour; not
accepted as overt behaviour;


● loyalty – expected, a cradle to grave approach to careers; discounted, the
emphasis is on results and contribution in the short term;


● anger – openly expressed; hidden, but expressed through other, possibly political,
means;


● approachability – managers are expected to be approachable and visible; everything
happens behind closed doors;


● formality – a cool, formal approach is the norm; forenames are/are not used at all
levels; there are unwritten but clearly understood rules about dress.


                                                          Artefacts


Artefacts are the visible and tangible aspects of an organization that people hear, see or feel. Artefacts can include such things as the working environment, the tone and language used in letters or memoranda, the manner in which people address each other at meetings or over the telephone, the welcome (or lack of welcome) given to visitors and the way in which telephonists deal with outside calls. Artefacts can be very revealing.