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Fodder for the Brain
Posted Jul 9, 2007
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.
Discuss this Journal entry [23]
Latest reply: Jul 9, 2007
It's Been a Long Time
Posted Jun 27, 2007
It's suprising how quickly time passes when one is not paying attention to it. It doesn't seem like it's been almost a half year since I was last here.... I didn't mean to be gone so long, somehow life just happened.
As of this August, both of my kids will be in school and I'll be within a stone's throw of 40. I'm not sure what 40 is supposed to look like, but I hope I look younger than it. I know that I don't feel almost 40. I still am occasionally suprised when people seek me out for my opinions, advice, and expertise, until I remember that I'm not some green kid right out of school anymore.
I've started working on my Master's degree in Organizational Development. I wish I could say it will set me on the path to riches and glory, but in truth it's something I want "just because." Maybe this is my response to a mid-life crisis?
On the home front, my kids are normal kids. Nathanial struggles to do well in school, even though he consistently tests in the top of his subjects versus his peer-group. It is an on-going battle do get him to do his homework, and another battle to get him to turn it in once it's complete. Hunter has been tested for hyperactivity and attention deficit disorder - he's not. However, if you ever want to know what it looks like in other kids, just give us a visit after he's had anything with processed sugar. I often wonder if I'm failing my kids or if this is normal? I love them either way, but I do find myself longing for a beer more frequently than is probably good.
Pat still holds his place in my heart. I'm so grateful to have met such a loving, thoughtful, and sweet man (who meets all my ooh la la desires too). I hope that the time comes (soon) that we'll move past discussing marriage to actually doing it. I'm biding my time in the meanwhile, thankful for the time that we do have together now.
That's it... how much are you guys really going to read anyway? 
Discuss this Journal entry [7]
Latest reply: Jun 27, 2007
Sammy
Posted Jun 22, 2006
My beloved cat Sammy died yesterday at the age of 14.5 yrs. Sammy (Sampson Love) was a pure breed shaded-cameo persian that I rescued from a pet store. He had an eye infection that wouldn't clear up, so the breeder had given the pet store a credit and they were going to destroy him. With love, care, and a good environment, the infection cleared up and never returned again. He was my first pet in my life as an adult.
He rode with me when I relocated cross country and endured multiple local moves in his life. Each time he adapted quickly to his new surroundings. He put up with my unstable early adult years. He was there when I got married and there when I divorced. He received my children with grace and patience and would even let them pet him once in a while. He comforted me through the death of both my grandmothers. He kept me company on the late nights when I was working on homework and papers to finish my degree. He was more affectionate and cuddly than cats are supposed to be.
He will be dearly missed.
Discuss this Journal entry [19]
Latest reply: Jun 22, 2006
Age Activated Attention Deficit Disorder
Posted May 15, 2006
Recently, I was diagnosed with A. A. A. D. D. -- Age Activated Attention
Deficit Disorder.
This is how it manifests:
I decide to water my garden.
As I turn on the hose in the driveway, I look over at my car and decide my car needs washing.
As I start toward the garage, I notice that there is mail on the porch table that I brought up from the mail box earlier.
I decide to go through the mail before I wash the car.
I lay my car keys down on the table, put the junk mail in the garbage can under the table, and notice that the can is full.
So, I decide to put the bills back on the table and take out the garbage first.
But then I think, since I'm going to be near the mailbox when I take out the garbage anyway, I may as well pay the bills first.
I take my check book off the table, and see that there is only one check left.
My extra checks are in my desk in the study, so I go inside the house to my desk where I find the can of Coke that I had been drinking.
I'm going to look for my checks, but first I need to push the Coke aside so that I don't accidentally knock it over.
I see that the Coke is getting warm, and I decide I should put it in the refrigerator to keep it cold.
As I head toward the kitchen with the Coke a vase of flowers on the counter catches my eye--they need to be watered.
I set the Coke down on the counter, and I discover my reading glasses that I've been searching for all morning.
I decide I better put them back on my desk, but first I'm going to water the flowers.
I set the glasses back down on the counter, fill a container with water and suddenly I spot the TV remote, someone left it on the kitchen table.
I realize that tonight when we go to watch TV, I will be looking for the remote, but I won't remember that it's on the kitchen table, so I decide to put it back in the den where it belongs, but first I'll water the flowers.
I pour some water in the flowers, but quite a bit of it spills on the floor.
So, I set the remote back down on the table, get some towels and wipe up the spill. Then I head down the hall trying to remember what I was planning to do.
At the end of the day:
The car isn't washed,
The bills aren't paid,
There is a warm can of Coke sitting on the counter,
The flowers don't have enough water,
There is still only one check in my check book,
I can't find the remote,
I can't find my glasses,
And I don't remember what I did with the car keys.
Then when I try to figure out why nothing got done today, I'm really
baffled because I know I was busy all day long, and I'm really tired.
Discuss this Journal entry [122]
Latest reply: May 15, 2006
This is my son's poem - it is being published
Posted May 11, 2006
This is my son's poem... it's been selected to be published in a book of youth poetry. I'm pretty proud of him... (his formatting is centered so it looks prettier 
)
Shh...
Shh...
Can you hear the trees?
Whispering and swaying in the wind.
Hear the fish,
gently swimming through the stream.
Hear the birds,
whistling their sweet tune.
Can you hear the salmon,
jumping up the waterfalls?
Hear the robin
flying from perch to perch.
Hear the crickets
getting ready for night to conquer day.
Shh...
Can you hear the silent trees?
Hear the fish
swimming to find shelter for the night.
Hear the birds
tucking in their young.
Hear all the little woodland creatures
scurrying back to their homes.
Discuss this Journal entry [27]
Latest reply: May 11, 2006
teri_whoo_77 *Goddess of Whoo* American Ambassador to the Council of Thing (Slightly Odd, Mostly Mellow, Rather Risque)
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