Managing Organizational Culture Case Study

Managing Organizational Culture

The challenges encountered by the Copenhagen-based company SACC (Scandinavian Architect Consulting Company) after the acquisition of several firms around Europe can be explained using Hofstede’s theory. Comparing different countries, he found that there are 4 dimensions of national culture within the organizational culture. The 4 dimensions are power distance, uncertainty avoidance, individualism and masculinity. SACC’s top management has chosen to implement their culture consisting of Danish values and norms: “An open and dialogue based culture, a fair mix of feminine and masculine values, a lower power distance of employees”. (Exam Case, 2016, p.2) Hofstede argues that difficulties arising from organizations
A Task Force in the Danish Staff has been set up to ensure a quick and efficient integration into the SACC culture. This is a highly ambitious goal since culture is deeply rooted within the organization and is difficult to change. Social psychologist Schein argues that: “Culture is hard to change because group members value stability in that it provides meaning and predictability. ” (Schein,2004, p. 354). He argues that culture is to be recognised in three different layers. Basic assumptions are the core of the organizational culture and is so deeply rooted that it has turned into an unconscious part of the groups identity. Values specify what is important while norms establish what sorts of behaviour to expect from one another. Artifacts are the manifestations or expressions of the cultural core that are tangible, concrete and physical. Artifacts are the easiest to identify and for this reason SACC needs to start with these in order to integrate a corporate culture for all countries within the company. The suggested video sessions etc. made by the external consultant is an improving step where staff in Copenhagen can present different artifacts to staff in London
Their definition of culture differs though since symbolic-interpretivists define culture as a context for meaning making and interpretation. Suggesting that the Task Force should talk to the different subordinates to understand the culture of the organisation since different cultures are present and a need to understand these are important to solve the integration. The Task Force need to understand how employees make meaning of different contexts in the organisation and interpret the Danish values set by the organisation in order to create a corporate culture starting with artifacts.
A way to analyse the problem of integration could also be to question the existing power relations and ideology of the culture as postmodernists does. In this perspective culture is compared to intertextuality symbolizing how corporate culture is seen as discourses of different cultures that itself is open to alterations by newcomers. The Task Force can use this perspective in realizing that culture is something that is constantly rewritten. Therefore, Task Force could develop a solution from analysing the discourses and get the overview of the different cultures that influence the