designing strategy for cultural change

Presented by Lakshmish.G

Strategies for cultural change

Strategies for changing culture can adopt a range of approach. These are often divided into Top down (Programmatic) Bottoms up (Critical path) Bottom-up approach have more chance of achieving cultural change because they start from concrete problems related to the organization whereas top-down approach start with people`s values. The choice of approach is, however, dependent upon what an organization wishes to achieve and the time frame available.

Top Down Approach

The top down approach is referred to as programmatic Change and is introduced and steered by the top or senior managers. These generally focus on artifacts of culture (including employees overt behavior) and to a lesser extent their espoused values and tend to extend to the entire organization. The typical changes involved in this approach are structural change, relocation of spaces, training and development, empowerment, quality initiatives and so on. HR initiatives such as organization wide human resource development program to enhance quality, excellence or empowerment might be introduced as a part of top-down approach although the outcome is likely to be representational learning (i.e., in the way participants talk) rather than behavioural learning (the way they do things). Often managers will try a succession of HR interventions using only anecdotal evidence to evaluate the impact each is having for example the introduction of performance related pay may force managers to differentiate between better and poorer performance. However, on its own it will help them to internalize the culture context of the new standards by which performance is to be judged or the way in which poor performer will be dealt with As a result the focus is on the process rather than understanding the organization problems and the consequent need for change. In addition, the succession of intervention tend to promote cynicism and scepticism thereby inhibiting change.

Top Down Approach cont

Top-down culture change programs also programs also suffer from three inter-related paradoxes. These on Paradoxes in this approaches as on the one hand it talks of autonomy and empowerment, on the other it follows directive approach like team briefing. Similarly, culture transformation is perceived as the task of a leader. Finally, if the values espoused by senior management are discordant with employees sense of reality the4 new culture may be acted out cynically and without being internalized into employees basic underlying assumption. HR interventions can play a valuable role when used in an integrative manner, ensuring that the implicit and explicit message provided constant cues to the desired culture.

Bottoms Up Approach
The bottoms up changes involve incremental changes and are linked with an organizations critical path Here the change is initiated by a manager in one part of the organization. There is no formal structure or system, the focus is on solving a concrete business problem. The bottoms up task alignment is an approach that may involve a series of over lapping steps at a site or a business unit emphasizing developing peoples capabilities, enhancing mobilizing commitment and shared vision.

Bottom-Up Approach to task alignment

6) Evaluate outcomes of changes and amend vision and actions as necessary. 5) Confirm changes by ensuring that policies procedures and structure support them. 4) Spread the changes out to other areas of the organization. 3) Work towards common agreement of the vision, and skills and actions to carry it forward. 2) Work jointly to develop a vision for the future of the organization. 1) Start to ensure commitment to the change by involving people in defining the problems.

General Principles for Successful Cultural change

1. Accepted and appropriate patterns of behaviors within organizations are defined by values and basic underlying assumptions. 2. Successful organizations tend to be those where the values and basic underlying assumptions encourage practices and behaviors which match the organization`s strategies. 3. Where values and basic underlying assumptions are incompatible with an organization`s strategy successful cultural change may be difficult to achieve. 4. If an organization is contemplating change it first need to establish whether the strategy necessitates a shift in values and basic underlying assumptions or if change can be achieved some other way. 5. Prior to any cultural change, senior management must understand the implication of the new cultural change for their own practices, artifacts and espoused values and be involved in all the main change phases 6. Adequate resource need to be allocated to support culture change and maintain it once it has been achieved 7. Cultural change programs must take into account an organization`s existing practices or artifacts such as approaches to recruitment, selection and retention, training, performance management and employee relations.

General Principles for Successful Cultural change cont..

8. Cultural change programs must pay careful attention to the organization`s power base and opinion-leader such as trade unions and employees associations. 9. In order to create a change in culture, organizations need to decide how practices or artifacts will be amended to support the new espoused values and contradictory practices removed. 10. Every opportunity should be taken to reinforce the practices or artifacts an re-state the espoused value of the new culture`s value and basic underlying assumptions.

Designing Parameters for Cultural Change

Parameter Aspects of the Organization Affective Component (feelings) Description The ability of the cultural change approach adopted to express a new symbol which capture employees attention and excites or converts them

Expressiveness

Commonality

Social Component (relationships) Demographic Component (number/depth) Development component (process) Institutional Component (Structure)

The ability of the culture change approach adopted to create a shared common understanding and sense of common purpose among the group of employees or the whole organization. The ability of the culture change approach adopted to spread throughout all levels of an organization and to affect employees basic underlying assumptions. The ability of the culture change approach adopted to adjust to changing organizational and wider environmental circumstances. The ability of the culture change approach adopted to create a lasting culture.

Penetration

Adaptability

Durability