Running head: ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE MANAGEMENT
(Stream: Comparative and cross-cultural dimensions of HRD
or Diversity issues in HRD)
(Type: Refereed Paper)
Organizational Culture of Judicial Institute:
Mixed Culture between Existential and Role Culture
Chanida Jittaruttha
ChulalongkornUniversity
Dr. Chanida Jittaruttha
Lecturer at Department of Public Administration,
Faculty of Political Science, Chulalongkorn University
Henri-Dunant Rd., Patumwan District,
Bangkok 10330, Thailand
E-mail address:
Telephone: 662-2187026
Mobile: 668-0850660030
Copyright © 2012 Chanida Jittaruttha
Organizational Culture of Judicial Institute:
Mixed Culture between Existential and Role Culture[*]
Chanida Jittaruttha PhD, Chulalongkorn University
Abstract
Modern organizational culture theorists widely agree that “Cultural-Fit Management”
approach is an important practice affecting behavioral management of organizations.
The relationship between individual personality and organizational culture is a topic
typically considered in theoretical terms. This article addresses empirical evidence
relating to one aspect of this relationship. It aimed to explore appropriate
organizational culture that fit to individual culture and investigate determinant factors
which lead to cultural-fit of judicial institute. The methodology used in this research is
mixed methods conducted by analyzing academic works and a field survey as well.
The article postulates that there is sufficient evidence to conclude that organizational
culture of judicial Institute is mixed up with ‘Existential’ and ‘Role’ culture, as the
basic assumptions enter into several different relations at the value level.While
‘existential culture’ is providing most beneficial contribution to ‘operating core’,
professional Dionysian, ‘role culture’ is providing predictable regularity for those
‘supporting staff’, rational Apollonian. Executives need to be aware of making cultural
balance to strike organization achievement or having a ‘clash culture’ situation in
organizations. The extent of congruency between the values and norms of the
organization and individual will proceed cultural-fit if determinant factors of culture
are matched with their right conditions.
Keywords: Organizational Culture, Individual Culture, Cultural-Fit Management,
Mixed Culture
At present, it is widely accepted that a vital factor in the selection of new
employees in any organization is a factor called “cultural fit”. While the role of
government is being reshaped or being reform, public management has to cope with
this degree of change. Organizational culture is considered as the critical instrument
that is being implemented to promote the extent of congruency between the values
and norms of the organization and individual. Cornwall and Perlman (1990)
concluded that culture is the most importantcriterion for selecting, hiring and firing
employees. On account of the rapid change of managerial context in this century,
public organization must pay more attention to a much broader and more important
factors including organizational characters and employee’s identity. Handy (1991;
p.10) stated, “Inappropriate cultures lead to unhappiness and inefficiency”. Every
organization desires for employees whose attitudes and behaviors are compatible
with those of the organization.
1. Problem Statement and Purpose: Important of Cultural-fit Approach on
Public Management and Public Organization
It is much harder for public manager, accustomed to former approach, to face
with various new challenges stemming from new paradigm of work. Not only dealing
with individual differences of the employee known as “knowledge worker” or
“intellectual asset” (Stewart, 2002) but public manager is now facing with new
organizational conditions resulting from changes in both technical and conceptual
complexity.
In effect, the concept of an organizational culture is another expression of
realization that organization itself takes on features which can be characterized as
organizational personality and character. Organizations are thus perceived as having
their ways of thinking, feeling and acting just as human individuals do. Not only be
considered in descriptive sense as ‘soft criterion’, but organizational culture is
understood in prescriptive sense as creating the normative context for shaping
behavior of members as well. The great advantage of the approach is that it starts
with realorganizations and behaviors. Organizational culture theorists (Ott, 1989;
Bolman and Deal, 2003; Denhardt and Denhardt, 2003) asserted that organizations
have their own cultures, roles, and needs for achievement such as progress,
reputation and successfulemployees. On another side, individuals are different in
many aspects and have their own ways of living and working. If organizational
culture does not match with individual one, there will have conflict between both
sides. Achieving a best cultural fit between the employee's values, styles, and
priorities and the conditions, requirements, and payoffs offered by an organization is
a key to cultural congruence. There will be a mistake and damage if the work pattern
of organization doesn’t match with the pattern of employees. Public manager needs
to know what an organization’s true culture is.(Handy, 1991). A better cultural fit
means a person will be happier on the job, will want to stay, and will have greater job
satisfaction and organizational commitment (Johns and Saks, 2005). Without best
cultural fit, the chances for success and retention plummet; with bestcultural fit, the
chances for success ascend.
The Administrative Court is an important judicial institution with a focus on
promoting the concept of justice, maintaining the right balance in protecting freedom
of citizens and concerning with public benefits fairly. The goal of organization is
fulfilling the expectations of citizens on its ability, which can be relied on fairness and
neutrality strand. Cultural-fit management in Administrative Court is critical since it
will not only help enhance the effectiveness of those above vital key concepts, but
also help ensure the work’s efficiency of the government agencies. If the executives
have good insights of organizational cultures that appropriate with the kinds of
organization, the types of work and thecharacteristics of worker, it will be easier to
create the desirable values and behaviors that lead to organizational achievement.
Moreover, they need to be aware of making cultural balance to strike organization
achievement or having a ‘clash culture’ situation in organizations.
2. Research Questions
This article is aimed to determine the cultural-fit between organization and
individual of Administrative Court and to explore determinant factors which lead to
cultural-fit and success of bothorganization and individual, including ‘operating core’
with ‘supporting staff’, on 4 major issued: a) cultural-fit between organizational and
individual perceived culture in judicial Institute, Administrative Court, Thailand, b) key
success factors leading to cultural-fit in judicial institute, c) factors causing mismatch
or incongruent culture, and d) specific motivating factors appropriated with individual
culture in judicial institute,Administrative Court, Thailand.
3. Theoretical Framework
Organizational culture is a subject of intense interest in both the popular and
academic literature, especially in the finding of ‘best fit’ and the ‘cultural fit’ approach.
Cultural fit is considered as the most significant key success factor to fulfill individual
and organizational need, goal and success. On diagram 1, Judicial institution is
considered as a machine bureaucracyorganization as Mintzberg’s (1983) proposed,
which has specification of ‘role culture’ in part of ‘supporting staff’ and ‘existential
culture’ in part of ‘operating core’ as Handy stated. The interesting point is that
organizations are perceived as having their ways of thinking, feeling and acting just
as human individuals do, and just as the gods of ancient Greece. By this way of
thinking, Handy (1991) used the four gods of ancient Greece to be representative of
the four different cultures existed in organizations. This metaphor is very interesting
and challenging tool for pursuing research on organizational culture. This research
specifically explored Handy’s Theory of Cultural Propriety, which was found
necessary for this study by this reasoning: Handy proposed in his theory that worker
will be happy if they can find the workplace appropriated with their cultures. The key
concept emphasized in his theory is: (a) inappropriate cultures lead to unhappiness
and inefficiency, which gave support to investigate cultural-fit of judicial institute
organization and its determinant factors, (b) Handy exclusively separated the
typology of cultures into four patterns by using a smart metaphor. Each god
represented quite different assumptions of four cultures and was clearly defined, (c)
While every organization and every individual is different, his theory offers four
patterns of culture that can be discerned. It is not quite easy to find organizational
culture theory that is properly used in all type of organizations, and (d) His theory can
be applied in both organizational culture and individual culture. Besides, it goes
beyond time, space and settings. No scholarly work has ever been proposed such as
the one created by Handy. Handy’s theory promotes cultural-fit as the best solution
to help both organization and individual meet their values, proper behaviors and fulfill
their needs.
Herzberg, Mausner, and Snyderman (1993) proposed in ‘Two Factors Theory’
that providing motivation factors to motivate people with opportunities for
responsibility achievement and personal growth will be better than focusing on
hygienic factors. For this is the same as enabling people to achieve their self-
actualization needs. Individuals with stronggrowth needs respond positively to
enrich jobs. He asserted that empowerment is about enriching jobs; allowing
individuals to achieve higher level needs. Importantly, public manager should take
account that individuals can be both very satisfied and very dissatisfied at the same
time. This study also attempts to investigate whether Herzberg’s theory can lead
to the answer regarding to motivation factors appropriated for individual in mixed
culture of machine bureaucracyorganization.
Diagram1.Theoretical Framework
Judicial Institute Organizational Culture Normative value
Organization (Role & Existential Culture)Behavioral value
Mintzberg’s organizational structure
HRM
Recruitment and selection Cultural- Fit Management
Process (Handy’s Theory ofCultural Propriety)
Personality
Capability Characteristic
Individual Culture Behavior
Appropriate person (Role & Existential Culture) Value/Belief
Herzberg’s Two Factors Theory Need
(Motivation Factor) Priority
4. Literature Review
The literature Review in this study serves two main purposes. The first is to examine the fundamental theories or concepts which contribute to the research questions. They are: (a) theories on organizational culture and individual culture, particularly Handy’s (1991) theory and organizational culture concepts from Smircich (1983), Ott (1989), Schein (2004), and Denhardt and Denhardt (2007), (b) best-fit management and cultural-fit management concepts from Cornwall and Perlman’s (1990), Bardwick (1998), Bolman and Deal (2003), Johns and Saks (2005) and Neece (in Hardy and Taylor, 2005), (c) organizational structure concept, particularly Mintzberg’s (1983) theory of organizational structure, (d) individual culture: Maccoby’s (1976) personality concept , individual emotion and brain concept of Handy (1991).
The second purpose of the literature review is to examine theories which help explain the research findings. Those are: (a) Likert’s (1961) concept of ‘System four’ management, (b) leadership in Blake and Mouton’s (1964) concept of managerial grid, (c) Stewart’s (1986) concept of work system and Handy’s (1991) concept of work type, and (d) psychological theories: Herzberg’s Two Factors theory(Herzberg, Mausner, and Snyderman, 1993), Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Theory (1970), Murray’s Needs Theory (1971), and Hy and Loevinger’s Theory of Ego Development (1996). Table 1 illustrates four types of Handy’s culture compared with essential involved theories or concepts which were reviewed and synthesized by the researcher.
Table 1.
Handy’s four cultures with essential involved theories
InvolvedTheories
& Concepts / Club Culture
ZEUS / Role Culture
APOLLO / Task Culture
ATHENA / Existential Culture
DIONYSUS
Leadership
(Blake & Mouton) / Paternalism / Authority
Obedience / Team
Management / Organization Man
System 4
(Likert) / Benevolent
authoritative
management / Exploitative
authoritative
management / Participative
management / Consultative
management
Organization Structure
(Mintzberg) / Simple
Structure / Machine Bureaucracy
Structure / Adhocracy
Structure / Professional
Bureaucracy
Structure
Motivation factor
(Herzberg,
Mausner,
& Snyderman)) / Acceptance/
Challenge / Responsibility/
Security / Success/
Reputation / Growth/
Actualization
Needs
(Murray) / Affiliation / Power / Achievement / Autonomy
Ego
development
( Hy &
Loevinger) / Stage 5 Conformist
Stage 7
Conscientious / Stage 5
Conformist
Stage 7
Conscientious / Stage 5
Conformist
Stage 7
Conscientious
Stage 8
Individualistic / Stage 8 Individualistic
Stage 9
Autonomous
Stage 10
Integrated
Individual Personality (Maccoby) / Jungle Fighter / Company Man / Gamesman / Craftsman
Individual
Emotion
(Handy) / Choleric / Phlegmatic / Sanguine / Melancholic
Individual
Brain
(Handy) / Right brain
Intuition/
Hunch / Left brain
Order/
Sequence / Left brain
Logic/ Reason/
Sequence / Right brain
Imagination/
Creativity
Work type
(Handy) / Asterisk
Task / Steady-state
Task / Development
Task / Asterisk
Task
Work system(Stewart) / Maintenance
System / Administration
System / Project
System / Project
System
4.1 Organizational Culture and Individual Culture
Organizational culture vitally and inseparably relates to individual culture (Handy, 1991). As to Cornwall and Perlman (1998), a culture is an organization’s reality, and culture shapes all that goes on within an organization. It is reflected in an organization’s philosophies, rules, norms, values, climates, symbols, heroes, and almost everything its members do. A different group of people has a different way of life and different ways to give meaning to things and different values and behaviors. Therefore, organizational culture is dictated by the values, beliefs, behaviors, and norms which permeate organization members and are expressed through the words and behaviors of each member in organization. Culture reveals organizational life, both organization and individual sides, and creates particular patterns or ways of its identity. As Ott (1989) states, “It functions as an organizational control mechanism, informally approving or prohibiting behaviors” (p.50). Schein (2004) suggested that the often hidden and largely unquestioned assumptions and beliefs held by members of the organization that guide their behavior constitute the core definition of culture: a pattern of basic assumptions that has worked well enough to be considered valid, and therefore, to be taught to new members as the correct way to perceive, think, and feel in relation to those problems. Organizational culture expresses the ideas and overall values that define an organization and has a significant and long-lasting influence on its members (Denhardt and Denhardt, 2007).
Organizations are selecting people whose core needs or highest priorities can be met. In turn, individuals have to know what most matters to them at the time, and the conditions in which they're most likely to flourish. They must know what their cultures are as well as understand under what conditions of work they can be most successful. Therefore, Neece (in Hardy and Taylor, 2005) suggested that individuals are necessary to evaluate and understand their individual cultures, from their standpoints. Although individuals cannot examine the task situation or organizational environment that may suit their satisfaction in advance, they should seek an organization of which the same value and behavior pattern is most appropriate for them. In the selection process, whenrecruiters or managers say that a candidate ‘fits’ or ‘doesn’t fit’ to explain why a candidate should be offered a job or not offered one, what interviewers are really saying is the candidate fits or doesn't fit into the organizational culture (Bardwick, 1998; Neece, in Hardy and Taylor, 2005).
4.2 Cultural-fit Management
At present, successful organizations do not select people only on work-based consideration of "ability" as a basis, but also focus on “best-fit” to ensure consistency in both organizational culture and individual culture. Experts in human resources realize that culture should be a major determining factor in selecting, hiring, and even firing employees (Cornwall and Perlman, 1990), given that an organization is looking for those who fit well with the organizational norms and culture. Manager needs to know what an organization’s true culture is, the one that the logic of the work demands, or the one that exists in the existing complex of the individuals and their cultures (Handy, 1991). Cultural fit, which is at the heart of employee satisfaction and organizational success, requires that people and organizations really know what they're like and what they want to become.There are no ‘best organizations’ or ‘best employees’. There's no one size that fits all. Instead, there's a best cultural fit, a match between an individual's values, priorities, and behaviors and those of an organization, which also decreases conflict between organizations and individuals (Bardwick, 1998).Best cultural fit, compatibility between what the organization requires and the employee desires, leads to high motivation, comfort, and success. On the contrary, bad cultural fit leads to discomfort, high stress, and failure. A better cultural fit means a person will be happier on the job, will want to stay, and will have greater job satisfaction and commitment (Johns and Saks, 2005).
4.3 Theory of Cultural Propriety
Charles Handy (1991) proposed the concept of cultural- fit management in the ‘Theory of Cultural Propriety’, which holds that what matters is getting the right culture in the right place for the right purpose. The key concept emphasized in Handy’s theory is congruence between organizational culture and individual culture. He illustrated his concept by symbolic analogies of four ancient Greek gods to represent four different cultures that exist in organizations. The Greeks chose their gods to share the values and interests which they represented. Thus, Handy categorized organizational culture into four aspects follow to characteristics, duties, roles, emotions, satisfaction, and competency of each god. Those are: (1) Club Culture, ruled by Zeus; the dynamic entrepreneur, characterized by speed of decision, rapid, and intuitive communication, (2) Role Culture, ruled by Apollo; god of order and bureaucracy which based on definition of the jobs to be done, (3) Task Culture, ruled by Athena; goddess of craftsmanship, recognizes only expertise as the basis of power and influence, and (4) Existential Culture, ruled by Dionysus; the god preferred by artists and professionals who owe little or no allegiance to a boss.