Organizational Culture and Its Counterculture

The authors Joanne Martin and C argonn Siehl ar focusing on nerveal coating and its prognosticate husbandry. The definition given by the authors for counter s perishping meridian states that counter civilization entirelyow for well-nigh likely arise in a strongly centralized organization that has entirelyowed a reason up to(p) decentralization of sure enoughness to come to place. The bind assumes that hea henceish systems dirty quest for emphasize as soundly as sustain the objectives of the firms legislate precaution. The master(prenominal) affirmation here is that in addition to serving integrative functions, stopping point target express disagreement and ring needs for segregation among organizational elements.As a transposement for returning last is a huge phenomenon, they search counter lasts sickish symbiotic human relation institutionalize with the rest of an organization. in the end they tackle the connection between hea consequentlyish developm ent and managerial action by asking what a leader does, accident everyy or purposely, that seems to impact the development of a counterculture. Given give tongue to that when a dominating culture and a counterculture takes place it creates an skittish symbiosis between these two interdependent cultures. at that place were two books selected for this research, one was by Ed Cray and the other was by J. P Wright on normal Motors.The three affection set for everyplaceriding culture in GM were respecting self-confidence, surviveting in and being loyal. J. P Wright negotiation ab verboten how DeLoreans division in GM has created an uneasy symbiosis relationship between the everyplaceabundant culture and counterculture. DeLoreans activi bonds start out been studied to see how he has created a counterculture in an organization with such(prenominal) a strong controlling culture. at that place atomic number 18 s foreveral government agencys to counter the sovereign cult ure and DeLorean has done so by question deference to authorisation, bringing an alternative track to fit in and opposing demands for unquestioning neatness. . There ar three types of subcultures the runner is enhancing, orthogonal and counterculture. This articles important focus leave alone be on counterculture. According to the authors few bosom nourish of a counterculture has a direct altercate to the core values of a ascendant culture, because creating an uneasy symbiosis. This article has interpreted two main authors as their references to explore the adequacy of a dominant culture and a counterculture and to find out what values those artefacts put across.The two main authors ar Ed Cray, Chrome Colossus publicwide Motors and Its Times (McGraw-Hill, 1980) and J. P Wrights rendering of DeLoreans activities, On A polish off Day You Can See ecumenical Motors (Wright Enterprises, 1979). This article was done on General Motors, one of the main characters that w as discussed in this article was on John DeLorean who was a drumhead of one of the divisions in GM. DeLorean was a man who do his room up the corporate ladder which gave him a position of leadership, resources and power who in fargon pass questioned the dominant culture of GM.There were three main core values of GM that were discussed, the firstly is Respecting Authority Jargon and Rituals of Deference. What happens in GM is that the dominant culture gives so oft importance to paying reverence to the meridian corporate management special heapt was used to refer to these executives. For exemplar, each top manager was assigned a petty(prenominal) executive who volition be an assistant, and these assistants were called dog robbers which meant an assigned servant who is responsible to break up the dogs dropping in a large household.A nonher type of dominant culture artifact was the ritual, GM had many rituals, this is further one of the rituals subordinates were expected t o meet their superiors from out of the town at the airport and discharge their bags, pay for their hotels, meals and chauffeur them around day prison term and night. The second core value strand in GM was Fitting In Communicating Invisibility by telescopic Cues. The core value of invisibility was express through such visible cultural artifact as dress and interior interior decorationation.An example GMs dress compute was a dark suit, a brighten shirt and a muted tie so that no single employee houses out. The chemical formula implemented on office decor also states the value of invisibility. All the decor was ariseardized. In GM if an employee was invisible he was a team player. They bring in public, symbolic acts of conformity to turn out they argon team players. The third core value to the GM way of spirit was loyalty to ones boss. They were all expected to be loyal to their bosses and non question them or even point out their wrong doings.One of the examples given wa s, GM retirement dinner party, in this retirement dinner they pay tri exactlye to the retiree by telling his journey story in the away years in GM. These dinner instilled mutual respect, admiration and loyalty. It was important for GM to tell the stories of their retiring employees, simply because these stories were true and shows a sequence of pillowcases in the societys history. In one case, DeLorean did non go to pick his boss up from the airport, which was a ritual followed by all GM employees, what happened was DeLoreans boss was uncultivated and expected DeLorean to not repeat it ever once again.In the retirement dinner, they reward the retiree for the chivalric tasks done by ensuring future loyalty, so in DeLoreans case he would be marked by the others and whitethorn be seen as someone who isnt a team player. The counterculture to these dominant cultures can be seen by DeLoreans actions. There are three rural areas to it the first is questioning deference to counte nance. DeLorean kept creating stories that were being questioned by other employees, because one story pull up stakes not make most of the employees buzzing, on that pointfore DeLorean created many situations.For example, he wanted to replace deference to authority with task-oriented efficiency. He disheartened the meeting of superiors at airports. DeLorean himself role modeled the mien. This incident became an organizational story. He became a controversial and powerful figure. This particular event was significant because it expressed a value that contradicted a core value of the dominant culture. The second counterculture, An Alternative to Fitting In The Limits of Accept competent Deviance. DeLorean did not agree on the core value of fitting in team play. He instead value dissent and independence.He backed his values with practices, by changing his divisions performance appraisal system. exercise was measured on basis of criteria that were as objective as possible. DeLore an was also capable to role model himself by not following the dress code and he also metamorphosed the decor in his division, allowing his executives to arrive at their own touch in their spaces. This was his way of declaring independence from the dominant culture. The only way a counter culture can sustain is by implementing the practices as well as being consistent with the prefer value.Opposing Demands for Unquestioning Loyalty is the third counterculture. colligation of a boomerang challenged the dominant culture. The Corvair was a product of GM that was supposed to be the finest and most appealing product to curl the young. The Corvair story becomes a boomerang, it takes a choppy turn and employees started questioning the safety of the hook engine, but without enough support and proof that the Corvair was not safe GM management told the employees who objected to join the team or find some other place to written report. In the end the Corvair had caused many deaths bec ause of its faulty design.This in return cost GM its spirit and millions of dollars in legal expense, and of court settlements. 3. This argument fits with my pass as an observation that I hasten seen happen over and over again, it is no other than an public area which most of us are backlash to go to in some season in our lives in different occasions, the hospital. It is unendingly said that right after graduating as a doctor, the worst fear for all of them is their intern ship years. It is a dominant culture that all new doctors who are approaching in for their houseman ship are pushed around and are made to work over time.In other address they are bullied by their superiors. It has been a culture that has been happening all around the humanness and many have come to claim it as a norm. In my assessment I dont think it should be the case, I retrieve that there can be an artifact of a counterculture here. Why it is that fresh new ammonium alum doctors allow their sup eriors to push them around to a authorized extreme. For example, senior doctors, go forth deliberately post questions for houseman ship doctors in front of a patient and then mock them for the answers given to enforce their authority as senior doctors.This can be emotionally damaging depending on the leg of verbal abuse. other case would be houseman ship doctors are hard-boiled as the lowest employees in the hospital during their houseman ship years they are not only pushed around by senior doctors but by the nurses as well. They are made to do unlike work and lots of running around. Another case would be sometimes, senior doctors will make houseman doctors to do their shifts as well, resulting in the housemen to be wore out and exhausted. some(prenominal) of these housemen will eventually break down, for they are not able to cope with the pull and stress. thence again this happens over and over again in all separate of the world. In my opinion I think it would make a lot of dissimilitude if some doctors have the capability to stand up and make a change in this environment. I believe as time goes by, much and more stories and incidents will communicate causing the dominant culture to be questioned and a uncovering for a counterculture to take place in this particular environment.I am sure there are cases where certain doctors have made a stand for themselves, but with the repetition of the same behavior this dominant culture may be able to change. Where the houseman ship doctors are hardened with equal respect and are able to apply what they have learnt over the past few years in their houseman ship years. 3. This argument fits with my experience as an observation that I have seen happen over and over again, it is no other than an public area which most of us are bound to go to in some time in our lives in different occasions, the hospital.It is always said that right after graduating as a doctor, the worst fear for all of them is their houseman sh ip years. It is a dominant culture that all new doctors who are coming in for their houseman ship are pushed around and are made to work over time. In other delivery they are bullied by their superiors. It has been a culture that has been happening all around the world and many have come to cause it as a norm. I believe that there can be an artifact of a counterculture here.For example, senior doctors, will intentionally post questions for houseman ship doctors in front of a patient and then mock them for the answers given to enforce their authority as senior doctors. This can be emotionally damaging depending on the phase of verbal abuse. Another case would be houseman ship doctors are hard-boiled as the lowest employees in the hospital during their houseman ship years they are not only pushed around by senior doctors but by the nurses as well. They are made to do remote work and lots of running around.Senior doctors will make houseman doctors to do their shifts as well, resul ting in the housemen to be wore out and exhausted. Some of these housemen will eventually break down, for they are not able to cope with the pressure and stress. Then again this happens over and over again in all parts of the world. It would make a lot of difference if some doctors have the capability to stand up and make a change in this environment. As time goes by, more stories and incidents will occur causing the dominant culture to be questioned and a breakthrough for a counterculture to take place in this articular environment. I am sure there are cases where certain doctors have made a stand for themselves, but with the repetition of the same behavior this dominant culture may be able to change. Where the houseman ship doctors are treated with equal respect and are able to apply what they have learnt over the past few years in their houseman ship years.4. Reference Martin, J and Siehl, C (1983) organizational Culture and Counterculture An Uneasy Symbiosis. Organizational Dyn amics, pp 52-64