Organisational Culture And Context

With forty well structured and easy to follow topics to choose from, each workbook has a wide range of case studies, questions and activities to meet both an individual or organization's training needs. Whether studying for an ILM qualification or looking to enhance the skills of your employees, Super Series provides essential solutions, frameworks and techniques to support management and leadership development.

In 1989, the well-known organisational culture scholar, Stephen Ott, lamented what he saw as the failure of the organisational culture perspective to have the kind of lasting influence - whether empirical, or in terms of its contribution to practice - that had been hoped for. In attempting to explain this state of affairs, Ott observed that, Some of the most important unanswered questions are methodological, and without methodological advancement, the perspective will not achieve maturity.'Some two decades on, the question of how best to decipher or measure an organisation's culture is today no less of a challenge for researchers and practitioners than it was when Ott first wrote about it. This book is an important step toward breaking this methodological impasse. Based on the findings of many years of research, it examines what would be required to develop a measure for organisational culture that is practically useful and also capable of accessing culture at its deepest, and arguably most important yet most elusive, level. It is an essential read for both scholars and practitioners seeking to go beyond easy answers and quick fix' solutions to the methodological complexities of studying and working with organisational culture.

In 1989, the prominent organisational culture scholar, Stephen Ott, lamented what he saw as the failure of the organisational culture perspective to have the kind of lasting influence — whether empirical, or in terms of its contribution to practice — that had been hoped for. In attempting to explain this state of affairs, Ott observed that: “Some of the most important unanswered questions are methodological, and without methodological advancement, the perspective will not achieve maturity.” The situation today, more than two decades after Ott voiced these concerns, is that academics, researchers, and practitioners alike continue to struggle with the question of how best to decipher and measure an organisation's culture. "Organisational Culture: Concept, Context and Measurement (In Two Volumes)" aims to encourage an agenda for organisational culture research that gives a renewed emphasis to methodological issues. In pursuit of this aim, consideration is given to both conceptual questions and questions of measurement. In Volume I of the book, the main focus is on the concept of organisational culture. Based on an analysis and critique of existing treatments, as well as a comparison of organisational culture with a number of closely related concepts, consideration is given to how the concept might usefully be elaborated and further refined. In Volume II of the book, the focus is on methodological issues. Drawing on the findings of a series of empirical studies conducted over a number of years, consideration is given to what would be required to develop a measure for organisational culture that is practically useful and also capable of accessing culture at its deepest, and arguably most influential yet most elusive, level. In particular, an approach is advocated that seeks to contextualise organisational culture, in terms of various time and experience domains, and that also promotes the use of attributions analysis as a means whereby to further understand culture at this level. A valuable resource for scholars and practitioners alike, the book provides readers who are interested in understanding the role and influence of culture in organisations with a comprehensive analysis of the development and application of the organisational culture concept. For readers who are interested in conducting research into the measurement and practical application of organisational culture, the book provides a methodological approach that can be used to guide their research.Contents: "Volume I: "The Concept: Organisational Culture: Development and Early ApplicationConceptualising Organisational CultureDescribing Organisational Culture: Structure, Strength, and DifferentiationRelated Concepts: Organisational Climate and National CultureSocial RepresentationsMeasurement and Context: Deciphering Organisational CultureIntroduction to a Contextual Framework"Volume II: "Exploring Method: An Exploratory Study of Organisational Culture (Study 1)Piloting a Prototype Method (Study 2)Analysis Context: Towards a Refinement of the Method (Study 3, Part 1)The Use of Semi-Structured Interviewing (Study 3, Part 2)The Operationalisation of Context (Study 3, Part 3)Evaluation and Further Research: A Contextual Analysis of Organisational Culture: Evaluation and Recommendations for Future ResearchDeveloping Attributions Analysis for Assessing Organisational Culture Readership: Advanced undergraduate and postgraduate students in organisational psychology and business (including students enrolled in coursework and/or research Mast

øIt would be unusual for a framework as powerful and predictive as the Competing Values Framework to remain unchallenged and absent of criticism. In addition to updating the examples and references, this second edition provides a new chapter motivated

Regarded as one of the most influential management books of all time, this fourth edition of Leadership and Organizational Culture transforms the abstract concept of culture into a tool that can be used to better shape the dynamics of organization and change. This updated edition focuses on today's business realities. Edgar Schein draws on a wide range of contemporary research to redefine culture and demonstrate the crucial role leaders play in successfully applying the principles of culture to achieve their organizational goals.

With his usual engaging and inimitable style, Mats Alvesson takes the reader on a riveting journey through the diverse ways in which culture itself can be understood and how these powerfully inform organizational life.′ - Blake E. Ashforth, Arizona State University ′Understanding Organizational Culture comunicates complex ideas in a manner that will illuminate for those who are less familiar with the concepts discussed, as well as providing a depth and critique of interest to those familiar with the topics.′ - Claire Valentin, The University of Edinburgh Unlike prescriptive books about organizations, Understanding Organizational Culture challenges and provokes the reader to think critically. It provides an insight into organizational culture, aided by numerous empirical illustrations from ethnographic studies that develop and illustrate how cultural thinking can be used in managerial and non-managerial organizational theory and practice. Mats Alvesson answers questions of definition, explores alternative perspectives and exands on substantive issues, before discussing key issues of research and developing his framework. Further more, the advances in the field of organizational culture are synthesized for the reader by drawing upon the range of relevant literature within organization studies. Understanding Organizational Culture provides great breadth within a textbook approach - covering a wide spectrum of management and organization while at the same time developing a new theoretical approach to organizational culture. The new edition contains improved pedagogy and expanded coverage of topics such as identity and organizational change. It is essential reading for students taking undergraduate and postgraduate modules in Organizational Behaviour and Organizational Theory on Management and Organization Studies programmes, including MBA.

The concept of culture is a key issue within management and organization studies. Understanding Organizational Culture provides a useful and comprehensive guide to understanding organizational culture, from a range of angles, contexts and sectors. The book answers questions of definition, explores alternative perspectives, and expands on substantive issues (such as leadership and change), before discussing key issues of research and providing a new framework for this topic. Mats Alvesson synthesizes for students the advances in the field of organizational culture, drawing upon the range of relevant literature within Organization Studies. The author also uses examples to develop and illustrate ideas on how cultural