The Multiple Meanings of Culture
- Social sciences allow using plural definitions;
- Each researcher may define culture themselves;
- Meaning multiplicity is a widespread practice;
- Culture may be material or invisible (Stein, 2017);
- It is a point of commonality (Alvesson, 2013);
- Outlining its meaning allows investigating processes.
In social sciences, each researcher may choose and even create their definition of the selected concept, making each interpretation unique. Culture, as one of the most popular study topics, may be tangible or intangible, but what remains undisputed is that it provides people with a common ground, based on which they may feel connected (Alvesson, 2013; Stein, 2017). However, before it becomes possible to research any topic, it is necessary to define the idea that is being studied, understand it, and acknowledge its multifaceted nature trough finding differences and similarities with other concepts.
What is Organizational Culture?
- People form culture based on mutuality;
- Modern-day business organizations are social groups (Belias & Koustelios, 2014);
- Collective existence may stimulate cultural development;
- Culture urges imitation after its creation;
- Organizational culture (OC) is “socially expressed” (Alvesson, 2013, p. 4);
- It becomes a company’s identifying factor.
Culture may be identified as something that unites people, allowing them to find points of contact where there may otherwise be none. Modern-day companies and firms create their own business culture due to the social nature of such organizations, developing a system in which people are urged to imitate and propagate it (Belias & Koustelios, 2014). Alvesson (2013) defines organizational culture (OC) as something that employees may “express” in an everyday setting, thus creating a loop of culture exhibition (p. 4). This OC, which is present within an organization, becomes its separating factor from many other similar companies, making it stand out.
Modern-Day Relevance
- OC continues to interest many researchers;
- Studying it allows establishing beneficial theories (Alvesson, 2013);
- Acknowledging OC enables professionals to work (Stein, 2017);
- Understanding the mechanism permits achieving results;
- Optimizing OC theory allows guiding production;
- OC carries theoretical and practical implications.
While creating a firm that is distinct from other companies may be a bonus to attracting potential clients, there are many other benefits to studying the mechanics of OC establishment and propagation. Through confirming possible theories, researchers may give rise to their practical uses that, in turn, allow professionals to optimize their methods and achieve better results regardless of their position in the enterprise (Alvesson, 2013; Stein, 2017). Thus, guiding personnel towards heightened productivity becomes one of the main driving factors of studying OC, which retains its interest as a concept.
Social Science and Metaphors
- Using metaphors may create new perspectives;
- “Mechanistic” and “organic” OC metaphors exist (Rivera, 2014, p. 68);
- These metaphors allow analyzing the company;
- A “pyramid” metaphor pertains to structure (Alvesson, 2013, p. 17);
- A firm’s framework decides employee interactions;
- OC and synergy may link together.
Social sciences allow the use of creativity to find new ways of analyzing situations and using metaphors is an example of such a technique. There are various ways of examining OC, such as using “mechanistic” and “organic” metaphors, which identify a company with either a rigid machine or a responsive system (Rivera, 2014, p. 68). However, Alvesson (2013) instead presents a “pyramid” metaphor that permits studying a company’s internal communication based on employee’s status and hierarchy (p. 17). Thus, using creative metaphors allows linking together the concepts of OC and effective personnel collaboration.
The Issue of Using Metaphors
- No single research method is faultless;
- Metaphors cannot adequately convey most ideas (Alvesson, 2013);
- Metaphors may have practical, company-oriented uses (Stein, 2017);
- Setting apart scientific metaphors is difficult;
- Some people may take them literally (Alvesson, 2013);
- Researchers should use creative methods moderately.
Despite their apparent uses, metaphors may pose problems to researchers attempting to study OC within a single company due to their visual nature. When implementing metaphors, a good portion of the studied concept may be left out due to the possible non-inclusivity of the chosen metaphor or because of the researcher taking the idea too literally (Alvesson, 2013). Additionally, since people are prone to using metaphors in their every-day lives, they may have personal reactions to specific wording (Stein, 2017). Therefore, while metaphors are beneficial to the research process, it is up to the scientist to decide the appropriate time and extent of their use.
Organizational Culture and Metaphors
- Metaphors help accurately formulating OC’s effects;
- Acknowledging similarities and differences becomes crucial (Alvesson, 2013);
- OC affects control and decision methods (Alvesson, 2013);
- It forms societies and their goals (Alvesson, 2013);
- It may also severely confine employees (Alvesson, 2013);
- These findings allow controlling personnel’s actions.
Various metaphors examine the effect of OC on the actions of employees, attempting to figure out the motivational factor behind multiple types of behavior. Alvesson (2013) outlines six OC metaphors, which deal with cultural methods of control, decision-making, the formation of communities, goal setting, and emotional confinement, as well as commitment to the system. These metaphors permit not only predicting possible situational developments inside a company but also controlling and molding the actions of hired personnel. Thus, satisfying the necessary criteria for the six outlined metaphors may allow a company to achieve success through a degree of employee manipulation.
References
Alvesson, M. (2013). Understanding organizational culture (2nd ed.). Washington, DC: Sage.
Belias, D., & Koustelios, A. (2014). Organizational culture and job satisfaction: A review. International Review of Management and Marketing, 4(2), 132-149. Web.
Rivera, J. C. A. (2014). Metaphors of organizational creativity: From symbolic interactionism and constructivism. Review of Business & Finance Studies, 5(2), 67-74. Web.
Stein, H. F. (2017). Listening deeply: An approach to understanding and consulting in organizational culture (2nd ed.). Columbia, MO: University of Missouri Press.