h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

AN ANALYSIS OF THE LOVE FAMILY CULTURE

Families, regardless of their size or composure, have their own unique sets of traditions, expectations, values, and unspoken rules that lend understanding to the way family members interact. In broad perspective, this can be equated similarly to an organization’s culture. Given such, a family’s culture can be analyzed with the same methodologies used in diagnosing an organization’s culture. I will analyze and discuss the culture of the Love Family, using the Organizational Culture Assessment Instrument (OCAI) (Cameron and Quinn, 2006).

The OCAI was developed by Kim S. Cameron and Robert E. Quinn to provide a tool that assists in identifying culture within organizations, both in the current and desired states. The tool is based on the concept of competing values, called the Competing Value Framework. Six components are evaluated in identifying the organization’s dominant culture style, from four archetypal culture categories; Clan, Adhocracy, Hierarch, and Market. In brief, the archetypal cultures are categorized on the perceived organizational importance of key values in juxtaposition: Internal Focus and Integration in contrast to External Focus and Differentiation; and Flexibility and Discretion in contrast to Stability and Control. The cultures with the demonstrated values follow:

• Clan Culture – Internal Focus and Integration, with Flexibility and Discretion.
• Adhocracy Culture – External Focus and Differentiation, with Flexibility and Discretion
• Market Culture – External Focus and Differentiation, with Stability and Control
• Hierarchy Culture – Internal Focus and Integration, with Stability and Control.

In diagnosing the Love Family (hereunto known as the “Family”) culture, it is helpful to be familiar with the key Family stakeholders. There are four core internal stakeholders of the Family, a maternal unit, two juvenile units, and a paternal figurehead unit. The Family is influenced by one external stakeholder, the genetic paternal unit, which can be conceptualized akin to a hangover. The Family was initially incorporated in 1993 by the maternal unit and the genetic paternal unit, with the addition of juvenile units in 1994 and 2002. The genetic paternal unit spun off in 2004, after several years of internal managerial conflict. The paternal figurehead unit was introduced to the Family in 2005 and incorporated as a key stakeholder in 2006.

The Competing Values Framework assesses six key factors in the identification of an organization’s current and desired-state dominant culture. The six factors analyzed are Dominant Characteristics, Organizational Leadership, Management of Employees, Organizational Glue, Strategic Emphases, and Criteria of Success. These six factors may be analyzed individually to provide insight on the underlying norms of an organization. When analyzed in whole, they provide an important perspective of the greater organizational culture.

In assessing the Family’s Dominant Characteristics, high priority was given to personal attention and involvement, with emphasis on effective operations of the day to day business of raising the Family. This is not an unexpected result, given both that the family is working on achieving consistency after several major organizational changes and the relative inexperience of the juvenile units. The societal expectation that maternal and paternal units hold responsibility for the development of juvenile units also holds sway. With these issues in mind, the dominant values of Internal Focus, and Stability and Control are evident.

The ability of the Family leadership to provide a nurturing environment was identified as the most critical element in the Organizational Leadership factor. Maintaining this environment was more than twice as important as the other combined elements within the Organizational Leadership assessment. This reflects the key Family values of Flexibility and Discretion, and Internal Focus and Integration. The maternal and paternal figurehead units provide support and comfort to one another, while trying to create a positive and loving environment for the juvenile units.

Stability and Control, and Internal Focus and Integration, were again significant values identified in assessing the Family’s approach to Management of Employee, i.e., the juvenile units. Both the juvenile units are in periods of great transition, one entering puberty and the other kindergarten. Consistency in the application of employee behavior and productivity standards is critical to achieving the desired behavior from the juvenile units. The maternal and paternal figurehead units perceive that variations in these standards promote behaviors that try the patience and sanity of the management.

The Family is bound together through mutual trust and love, as was identified in the assessment of the factor of Organization Glue. The maternal unit places especially high priority in providing a strong family environment of honesty, commitment and support. This facet of the underlying culture can be traced to a perceived need to minimize the likelihood of further Family unit dissolution, as occurred with the genetic paternal unit.

The Family’s Strategic Emphases is two-fold: develop the juvenile units into healthy, responsible, and independently functioning units; and the comfortable retirement of management (the maternal and paternal figure head units). To accomplish these goals, there is a balanced emphasis on promoting the physical and emotional growth of the juvenile units within the guidelines of budgetary and behavioral control by management. The values of Stability and Control, and Internal Focus and Integration were apparent in the assessment of the Strategic Emphases.

Finally, an evaluation of the Criteria of Success within the Family was prepared. Of highest concern to the Family was the ability of the Family members to interact with honesty, integrity, and support with and for each other. The overarching focus within the Criteria of Success is providing an environment that will motivate all the Family units to identify and follow their dreams, in an atmosphere of love and trust. Family members receive fulfillment at the triumphs of all other members, and offer condolence and support with disappointments and setbacks.

Upon the complete analysis of the six underlying factor within the Family Culture, using the Competing Values Framework, the predominant culture is identified as the Clan Culture. Using the definition provided by Kim S. Cameron and Robert E. Quinn (Cameron and Quinn, 2006), the Clan Culture of the Family is one that “focuses on internal maintenance with flexibility, concern for people, and sensitivity to customers,” or, in lieu of customer in this case, sensitivity to peers, teachers and co-workers. The Family reflects the Clan Culture both in the current and desired culture states.

In analyzing the Family culture, Internal Focus and Integration is a dominant trait identified in each of the six factors assessed. Balancing Flexibility and Discretion with Stability and Control is an on-going theme. The Family is trying to foster independence in the juvenile units, while maintaining a semblance of control of the Family environment. In general, the current culture aligns with the desired state, as both are identified within the parameters of the Clan Culture. However, there is a desire to modify the culture to increase the emphasis of control. This is perceived as a necessary modification to the culture, as the juvenile units test the limits of their authority and autonomy. It is expected that this balancing of Control and Discretion will be an on-going emphasis within Family.

In conclusion, the Love Family’s current and desired cultures are both within the parameters of the Clan Culture. The OCAI identified that a modification in the level of Control and Stability is desired. The Competing Values Framework provided an efficient methodology in identifying both the current and desired state cultures, thus allowing for more effective cultural change initiatives. By using the OCAI, the Love Family will be able to narrow the focus of culture adaptation to the areas that are most critical to the stakeholders, while building on the strengths of the areas in alignment. As demonstrated by this assessment, the use of the OCAI is a practical method to identify organizational culture, even within the smallest organizational units.

REFERENCES

Cameron, K. and Quinn, R. (2006). Diagnosing and changing organizational culture. San Francisco, CA: Jossy-Bass.

I know I know, she must be doing her MBA.
I was like that just a few years back. Used to apply OB theories to everything in life.

But frankly Terri, I liked your writing.

Bed - I know, that's how I feel and I wrote the darn thing.

Gee, thanks Bomdon. That means alot to me. As just a note in passing, as you may have already guessed, I didn't write it just for fun. Since it took me about 5 hours to write (and more than that to research) I figured I would save it for prosperity. Masters in Organizational Development *sigh*.

You could try getting it "published" in the guide or even the under guide.




Prosperity?

That's it confuse me again

It's been so long since I wrote something to have published, I no longer remember the html code to use. I can't even figure out how to update my Space without screwing up the works!

It's no good asking "el-thicko" here, I wouldn't have a clue!!

I just about cope with this part of it

Thinking about it, it depends on what skin you are using but I use brunel and there are short cuts on the left of the page.
If you do do it you'll need to go through "peer review" before you publish just so others can rip it apart

Been there, done that. And at the time, I wrote it in the proper code. Actually, I think it was in peer review for a remarkably short period of time. However, that time has passed. I no longer write for the mere joy - every brain cell I have is needed to just comprehend the classwork I have to do.

You should be like me then...

I'd get a fortune for my brain when they start doing transplants as it's had such little use


We had new pooter thingy's at work today we had training last week and nothing seemed to work properly then. Today they switched it all on and the system promptly crashed

After a morning of struggle the techies finally got it up and running but it still isn't 100%

I think it is the internet in general. I've had system issues in all fronts... I hardwired my wireless router as it was having such issues in maintaining connectivity, and the computer is less than 3 feet from the router.

BTW - did you change jobs in the last 6 months? Did something else prompt your name change?

I haven't changed jobs, I just felt like a change to reflect the new man I've become

Who did you become? I thought you were pretty darn good to start with.

So: does this mean you are gonna marry the gorgeous guy?



zdt

Ah! There it is. You know Teri - the one with the single 'r' I mean - last night after I posted my reply and went to bed, I had a strange feeling that I had mis-spelt something.

So there you both are this morning - the first thing I see when I log on, the single 'r' Teri and the double 'rr' Terri. As it is the whole thing about remembering nicknames is a load on the minute processor inside this cranium, and to add these single and double 'r's .... Terrible.

Anyway Teri and Terri

*Looks very innocent*

It is rather odd how so many strange & powerful things begin with "Teri/Terri"

Terrible

Terrific

Terrifying

Territorial



zdt

No worries Bomdon... according to my mother, I don't have the right to complain about it being spelled correctly because, in fact, Teri (regardless of how it is spelled), is a nickname, not my God-given name.

As for my handsome man... we're talking about a permanent residency.

TY,
you have forgotten those cute terriers

Oooh yes! ALL Terriers are cute , are we not wonderful; cute yet protective,flexible when confronted with seemingly impossible obstacles, totally faithfull, easy to groom...i could go on, but we are also modest......

Plus we are renowned for taming Pats. Not easy, but rewarding when it finally happens.

zdt

You have to watch out for Pats though... they have a long reach and a tendancy for biting.