Geertz and Pacanowsky Cultural Approach to Organization - Essay Example

Lecturer Applications of Geertz & Pacanowsky’s Cultural Approach to Organization The theory of Cultural Approach to Organization waspropounded by Clifford Geertz and Michael Pacanowsky. These are great scholars who did a lot of research on the area of organizational culture and came up with a theory which could be used to understand the complex nature of organizational culture. According to their opinion, an organization has its own set of cultural practices that determine its uniqueness. The corporate environment that surrounds each organization is made up of a wide range of components including climate, symbols, character and image. So, to transmit, share and spread its culture amongst the employees, an organization heavily relies on the use of stories. Thee narratives exist in three forms: personal, collegial and corporate. Personal stories refer to narratives of individual accounts which they tell to one another. Wherever they get an opportunity, employees can engage in formal and informal conversations. Here, each of them gets an opportunity to share their stories with their colleagues about a wide range of issues including their background, origin, cultural values and beliefs. Collegial stories are narratives which employees disclose about others with whom they work within the same place. On the other hand, corporate stories are narratives which are availed to employees by the management. It can be guidelines, rules or policies which the management requires employees to abide by and adopt as par of the organization culture. By using these narratives, employees can share a culture which, these theorists believe is embedded in a set of symbols through which a shared meaning can be obtained. The employees get to know about the uniqueness in the cultural beliefs of each of their colleagues. The more they learn this, the more they get to know about a certain cultural tradition which they had no idea about. The sharing of personal stories is a good thing. Since most organizations are multicultural, employees can learn about the culture that defines people with whom hey work. Although each organization has its own unique set of culture, it can not force it on employees. Instead, the management only provides rules and gives employees a freedom to choose whether to comply or not. It is at this point where each person brings in their own beliefs based on their interpretations. Actually, this theory can be of great contribution is applied in the management of organization in the contemporary society. The ideas expressed by the scholar can help in producing an excellent workplace which has ideal culture to suit everyone. The diversities in the workplace imply that the management needs to apply the theory in conducting a large number of activities. So, to demonstrate its application, the paper will allude to John C. Meyer’s ‘Tell me a story: Eliciting organizational values from narratives’ and Tom Rausch’s film ‘Developing Organizational Culture.’ To begin with, Meyer, in ‘Tell me a story: Eliciting organizational values from narratives,’ emphasizes the role of narratives in the understanding and promotion of organizational culture. According to her research, human being is a social animal who believes in interconnections. Meaning, for life to go on well, they need to foster an effective interpersonal communication amongst them. This is indeed the guiding principle behind her article in which she advocates for the acknowledgement that organizational culture can not be divorced from rituals and metaphors created and accepted by everyone as a standard representation f organizational culture. Therefore, everyone in the workplace needs to ensure that they cordially relate with one another. The idea expressed by Meyer is accurate because it provides the right information that needs to be known about organizational culture. It is a clear indication of how the theory of Cultural Approach to Organization can be applied in management. As she says, communication should ever be considered as a core pillar in any organization. With it, all the employees can freely interact with one another and get to learn about the views and values held by each of them. The sharing of narratives, in the long run, can obviously help in producing a set of standard and acceptable culture within the organization. It comes naturally without any unnecessary pressure from the management. Culture is necessary at all times because, a par from providing identity, it can be a guiding principle for every stakeholder who is associated with the organization. From the film ‘Developing Organizational Culture,’ Tom examines how the theory can be applied in promoting an organizational culture within a workplace. He says that culture needs to be inclusive. Meaning, it should not come from one dominant section, but be a blend that reflects the entire organization. He agrees that culture is not organization, itself, is a culture and does not necessarily need to have one. Also, he concurs that it is a unique and elusive system of shared meaning which should be embraced by everyone as it determines what the organization stands for. No organization is made up of one person. Their complexities and diversities dictate that they need to be favorable for all. Indeed, the ideas expressed by Tom in this film hold water. He is justified for doing a research and report on the nature of culture. In conclusion, Cultural Approach to Organization is a brilliant theory that, if effectively applied in management, can help in producing an ideal workplace. Geertz and Pacanowsky did a commendable by doing a great research that can help in producing an excellent workplace. Surely, no organization has a culture because it is the very organization which is a culture. At the same time, it needs to be drawn from the narratives from the personal, corporate and collegial stories. For all organizations to excel, they need to have a set of culture which defines their system. As seen in the article and film, its effective application can help in promoting effective interpersonal and organizational communication which can in turn help in creating harmony within the workplace. It shows that the theory can help a lot if properly applied. Read More