Showing papers on "Culture change published in 2004"

Enabling continuous improvement: a case study of implementation

Abstract: Widespread recognition of the strategic imperative posed by a turbulent external environment has brought into focus a key challenge for firms – that of increasing involvement in innovation by the staff in the organisation. Much research has suggested that organisations that mobilise a large proportion of their staff to participate in innovation can make significant gains. Achieving this depends on a systematic process of organisational development in which the facilitative patterns of behavioural routines are extended and reinforced, so that they become a major culture change. This paper reports on progress with this organisational development methodology using a detailed case study of its use within a major mining company in South Africa. It makes use of a reference model framework to help structure and direct the change process towards enabling higher involvement in innovation. In particular it explores practical issues involved in moving a large organisation along a path of high involvement innovation.

Breaking Out of the Box: Interdisciplinary Collaboration and Faculty Work

Abstract: The first section of the book, including the introduction, presents a discussion of concepts and definitions of interdisciplinarity and collaboration, and introduces a model of Interdisciplinary Collaboration Stage One - Tradition Stage Two - Transition Stage Three - Transformation The second section of the book examines how the interdisciplinary collaboration model and concepts make sense in academic organizations and affect academic work. The chapters focus on organizational, cultural, cognitive, and leadership aspects of interdisciplinary collaboration and are organized as follows: Organizational Structure and Bureaucratic (Re)Alignment Including departmental structures, faculty role expectations, alignment of bureaucratic processes, and organizational neutral space Interdisciplinary Collaboration and Academic Culture Including disciplinary cultures, creating culture change through graduate training and expanding the culture of faculty rewards, and matrix organizations Intellectual Perspectives and Interdisciplinary Collaboration Including sociocultural perspectives, interdisciplinarity as transformative learning, and intellectual neutral space Leadership and Interdisciplinary Collaboration Including institutional challenges, team leadership, the role of cultural leadership, and learning leadership. The book concludes with observations from the research and provides summary thoughts on issues of neutrality, changing academic work to accommodate interdisciplinary collaboration, and leading the learning organization.

A process perspective on leadership and team development

Abstract: This monograph summarises the key influences of leadership behaviour on the transformation process associated with creation of an effective and high performing team. It clarifies the key factors that are relevant to a team at each stage of the transformation process and the leadership roles that each team member can play. The role of an organisation's senior management is considered both in terms of the impact it has on the transformation process within specific teams and in terms of creating the necessary organisational environment to make effective teams the norm. Some reasons why senior management behaviour is often perceived as inconsistent and unhelpful are explored. Specific recommendations are made to help senior managers to adapt their behaviour, and in so doing become more context‐sensitive to the needs of the environment as it changes. Some tools and techniques are presented that have been found in practice to help senior managers adapt their behaviour to that most appropriate at a given time, and to create the organisational infrastructure needed to make effective teams the organisational norm rather than the exception. A case study is presented illustrating the networked nature of leadership and the culture change associated with making effective teams “the way we do things around here.”

The internal brand: successful cultural change and employee empowerment

Abstract: In common with many well-established organizations, City & Guilds has had its fair share of challenges but has continually evolved, remaining just as relevant today in training today's workforce as it was 125 years ago. In this article, Jo Causon, former head of group marketing at City & Guilds, takes us through the process of managing the change programme within the organization as it rebrands and repositions itself in the marketplace. She is a firm believer in the brand as a business tool and in empowering all staff to support embedding the organization's values and driving through culture change.

A Review of the Concepts and Definitions of the Various Forms of Relational Contracting

Abstract: Construction project teams are unique entities, created through a complex integration of factors, with inter-disciplinary players, varying roles, responsibilities, goals and objectives (Goodman and Chinowsky, 1996). Collaboration and teamwork are therefore crucial since sharing up-to-date information between participants leads to minimising errors, reduction of time delays and breaking the widespread rework cycle, which allows a sustainable relationship between participants to evolve. Benefits of collaborative, rather than adversarial, working relationships within construction organisations are well documented (Walker and Hampson, 2003). Successful sustainable relationships rely on relational forms of exchange characterised by high levels of trust. However, it was shown in the past that the construction industry has a stronger preference for distrust rather than the full benefits of cooperation (Wood and McDermott, 1999). There is a need for culture change to bring about increased cooperation between parties on a long-term basis. With relational contracting, based on the sustainable relationship and trust, a win-win situation can be created for both the client and contractor. The development of trust between organisations is seen as a function of the length of the relationship between them (Bresnen and Marshall, 2000a). It is also believed that the construction industry is one which requires lots of trust between participants due to the high uncertainty in the industry. This paper aims to look at the how traditional procurement methods are changing and moving towards sustainable procurement forms through the relational contracting approach. A critical review on first and second generation partnering will be presented, followed by a discussion of how change in procurement culture, towards sustainable business relationships, can be investigated.

Can culture be changed? a study of internal marketing

Abstract: The article explores the ways in which internal marketing initiatives work in a number of UK retail banks from the point of view of both managers and employees. It suggests that although internal marketing attempts to function as a culture change mechanism, the resulting organisational cultures rather than being homogenous and united around the imagery of the consumer and service quality are in fact fragmented, ambiguous and contested by a variety of organisational stakeholders.

The impact of organizational change on the perceptions of UK managers

Abstract: Redundancy, delayering, downsizing, and various other forms of organizational change have become increasingly prevalent. This article focuses on the impact of different forms of organizational change on managers' perceptions of the organizations they work within and the comparison between changes that involve redundancy and/or delayering and those that do not involve such changes. The literature has many accounts of the negative effects associated with redundancy and delayering, but are these effects unique to these types of change or are they a consequence of negative experiences of a range of organizational changes? Hypotheses were tested to assess, first, whether there are differences between different levels of management, notably between directors and nondirectors in the way they perceive organizational change, second, to assess how change has affected managers' perceptions of their organizations and their working lives, and third, to explore if different forms of change are associated with differences in managers' perceptions of their organizations “as a place to work”. Hypotheses were tested with data from a cross-sectional survey with 830 managers from the UK. Organizational changes include cost reduction and culture change programmes, delayering, mergers/demergers, outsourcing, redundancy programmes, and contract/ temporary workers. The analyses reported here indicate clearly that specific forms of change are associated with managers' reports of their experiences at work; some forms of change (notably redundancy and delayering) seem to have particularly damaging implications for managers' experiences in the workplace. The analyses also show that there is a difference in the way directors and nondirectors perceive the changes. Finally, the article considers strategies for ameliorating the effects of change including the role of HR.

September 11, 2001 Two Quasi-Experiments on the Influence of Threats on Cultural Values and Cosmopolitanism

Abstract: This article investigates whether the September 11 attack had an impact on cultural values and the level of cosmopolitanism of US university students. Extending a model proposed by Esses, Dovidio a...

Communicating culture change: HRM implications for public sector organizations

Abstract: Using a case study of a large public sector department the relationship between communication and change in a public sector department and the human resource implications of that relationship are considered Senior administrators of the department signified their intention to change the culture from one that was considered to be bureaucratic, technically oriented and inward-looking to one more outward-looking, continually learning, more relationship-oriented internally and inclusive of broader 'whole of government' objectives such as commercialization, the environment, social justice and community relations Findings from the research indicate that, despite an objective of shifting to a state of continual change with the mode of communication becoming two-way and dialogic, the communication mechanism has faltered due to a failure to address the need of lower-level staff for a set vision and stated future direction Implications of these findings are drawn for public sector organizations in general

If Person‐Centred Planning did not Exist, Valuing People Would Require Its Invention

Abstract: Person-centred planning is one important tool in making the culture change necessary to realize the Government's promise in Valuing People. Some potential dangers in large scale implementation are identified, a logic for local action is described, the criteria for effective person-centred planning are defined in terms of supporting personal choice, the contribution of person-centred planning to organizational culture change is identified, the possibility of failure to implement policy change is acknowledged, and the potential benefits of person-centred planning under conditions of policy failure is described.

Work Identity at the End of the Line?: Privatisation and Culture Change in the UK Rail Industry

Abstract: What do we mean by workplace culture? Is culture change in an organization possible, and what happens when managers and politicians try? Work Identity at the End of the Line? is the story of workplace culture and identity in the railway industry before, during and after privatisation in the mid-1990s. Drawing on original interviews as well as autobiographies from those who worked for British Rail, the author analyses the experience of the privatisation process. By placing those events in their historical context of previous private and state ownership, this book provides a critical and highly readable understanding of what happened to the railway industry and its workforce during the 1990s. It provides a powerful critique of the attack on the wider public sector and the culture of its workforce since the 1980s. The book will be of interest to sociologists, cultural and economic historians, policy makers, as well as those studying culture change in business and management.

To Make It 'Total': Quality Management over Subcultures

Abstract: Although the concept of Total Quality Management has been fuzzy for decades, academics currently appear to agree that it should concern the entire organization. Total Quality Management inevitably involves a change in the organizational culture, and this, therefore, seems to be a key area in the success of any TQM-efforts. Moreover, any culture change programme in a large company will have to take into account the existence of subcultures with their values and beliefs. Any universally planned uniform change will probably fail to satisfy the expectations in large sectors of the organization. This article first discusses the concept and existence of subcultures and the difficulties in analysing them through two studies conducted by the authors. Then, some culture change problems encountered following the introduction of TQM are addressed through yet another study. Finally, conclusions are drawn to act as guidelines for practitioners.

Environmental culture change in local government: a practised perspective from the international council for local environmental initiatives—Australia/New Zealand>

Abstract: Environmental culture change, a seemingly intangible concept, is fast becoming an important indicator of success for organisations delivering sustainable development around the globe. This article provides an analysis of local government's ability to affect culture change within its organisations and communities, and the role the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives—Australia/New Zealand (ICLEI-A/NZ) has in assisting local government with this process. While the impact ICLEI-A/NZ has had on the culture change movement is difficult to define, the methodologies adopted by the organisation have been designed to institutionalise the integration of environmental decision-making concepts and practices in local government. This article discusses the degree to which ICLEI-A/NZ's capacity-building campaigns and other performance-focused initiatives have instilled core environmental values in local government.

Managing Technology and Administration Innovations: Four Case Studies on Software Reuse

Abstract: A software process innovation, such as software reuse, involves both technology and administration innovation. Following literature on organizational change, absorptive capacity, innovation assimilation stages, and software reuse, we develop a process model of the assimilation trajectory of an organization’s innovation. The model postulates that actors at different organizational levels implement strategy, process, and culture changes in order for an organization to advance through the stages of innovation assimilation. The actions at these levels instill routines that establish the absorptive capacity for implementing future innovations. Case-study data collected from four software development sites – two reporting failure in the reuse program, and two reporting success – revealed that programs that implemented change at the strategy, process and culture levels scored higher on all paths in the model than nonsuccessful programs. The right incentives help in the latter stages of innovation assimilation during which culture change by operational staff is important.

Implementing lean: UK culture and systems change

Abstract: For the IGLC 12 Conference the authors reported the results of implementing Last PlannerTM methods with a large UK contracting company The projects studied demonstrated some success but also some cultural, organizational and systemic barriers to its effective implementation Alarcon and Conte’s White Paper for the IGLC11 conference discussed these issues and invited researchers to consider them In response, the authors have reflected upon and critically re-analysed the research as a means to refocus their future work in implementing Lean Construction methods in UK construction Based on a review of the literature on construction culture we have identified theoretical factors that, together with Alarcon and Conte's list of critical organizational elements, provide a framework against which the results of the research have been considered We conclude that the implementation of Last Planner was hindered by not fully considering cultural, organizational and systemic problems and by failing to recognize how deepseated these problems could be We intend, in future projects, to take a more considered, and wider approach to Lean Construction (possibly using the LCI’s Lean Project Delivery System) and to focus our attention upon construction ventures where efforts at culture change have already started - in particular, where strategic partnering arrangements are in place

Developing a Customer-focused Culture in the Speculative House-building Industry

Abstract: The UK house-building industry has often been criticized for the quality of its products. Its business drivers are less focused on the needs of customers compared with much of the manufacturing sector. A recent survey revealed considerable dissatisfaction among buyers of newly built homes, particularly with the after-sales service provided by vendors. However, this cannot be viewed in isolation from the general business culture that prevails. This paper examines existing practices in the industry that act as barriers to a change in culture and discusses the steps that are being taken in a major house-building company to overcome them. Work on implementation of the policy through a balanced set of performance measures as the drivers for change and a participative programme for its deployment is presented. The objective is the development of a customer-focused culture that views service and product quality as contributing to future sales and profitability, instead of simply in terms of costs.

The Engaged Institution.

Abstract: This article discusses university efforts to institutionalise community engagement. A seminal study conducted by the Kellogg Commission on the Future of State and Land-Grant Universities expressed concern over the unresponsiveness of institutions of higher education to community issues. Land-grant institutions were established to educate individuals for democracy by increasing access to a university education. University resources provided support for local problem-solving. Over the years the mission diverged to one of careerism for students and competitive global research agendas. In 1999 the Kellogg Commission recommended that universities once again become engaged with citizens. Nothing short of culture change serves such an initiative. Tools to facilitate such engagement are discussed, including a methodology to define collaborative projects, a process to assess community and university strengths, and creative funding opportunities for these initiatives.

Cultural Long-Term Orientation and Facework Strategies

Abstract: This study added to extant research by investigating the relation between cultural long-term orientation (LTO) or Confucian Dynamism and harmony and cooperation facework strategies. Studying intercultural communication is particularly vital at this time given the increasing global nature of today's communication interactions. Respondents from two cultures-Hong Kong and the United States-completed questionnaires. Multivariate analysis of variance results showed that LTO culture members were more likely to use harmonious and cooperative facework strategies than their short-term orientated counterparts. An inadvertent finding from this study was that Hong Kong, originally thought to be high on the LTO dimension, actually scored moderate. This finding brings into question the assumption that "culture" can be classified by country and advocates use of Hofstede's Value Survey Measure for determining culture change.

Relational contracting, culture and globalisation

Abstract: Successful sustainable relationships rely on relational forms of exchange characterised by high levels of trust but it is generally accepted that the construction industry has a stronger preference for distrust rather than the full benefits of cooperations (Wood and McDermott, 1999). There is a need for culture change to bring about increased cooperation between parties on a long-term basis. However, this trust must be developed across cultures with different values and mores and this presents a unique and complex problem when taken in the context of the temporary multi-organisations which are endemic in the construction industry. With relational contracting, based on sustainable relationships and trust, a win-win situation can be created for both the client and contractor. The development of trust between organisations is seen as a function of the length of the relationships between them (Bresnen and Marshall, 2000). It is also commonly believed that the construction industry is one which requires lots of trust between participants due to the high uncertainty in the industry. This paper aims to look at how procurement methods are changing and moving towards sustainable procurement forms through a relational contracting approach in a global context. A critical review of partnering and alliancing approaches will be presented, followed by a review of how the change in procurement culture towards sustainable business relationships benefits different parties in the industry and has the potential to achieve empowerment and regional development despite, or maybe because of, the global perspective of the key players. This review is based on research being undertaken in Queensland, Australia but has general applicability.

The Weight of the Past in the Experience of Health: Time, Embodiment, and Cultural Change in Morocco

Abstract: Over the past thirty years, the introduction of new technologies into household life in southeastern, Saharan Morocco has decreased both the labor and time needed for the daily tasks of cooking and cleaning. Despite these benefits, Saharan housewives view the changes in diet and food preparation as the cause of an increase in fatigue and poor digestion. They construct this etiology by means of historical metaphors, which locate health in the aesthetic and moral virtues of life in the past. This article examines this example of collective memory from the perspective of cultural phenomenology, focusing on the relationship between habitus and culture change. P. Bourdieu argues that habitus has a “hysteresis effect,” (1977:78, 1990:59) in which the disproportional weight of early experience in the generation of embodied dispositions creates a temporal lag in the logic of practice. In the Moroccan case, the persistence of embodied structures of the body in time from the premodern past fuels a moral discourse that links unrefined food, manual labor, and Islamic practice to meanings of health.

How Research Helped Us To Move From Awareness to Action and Then to Systems Development

Abstract: How can an organisation move from awareness raising, in the form of natural history poster production, to the development of systems that change organisations? Through close integration of research and practice, the Gould League has achieved this transformation It began with extensive research into best practice environmental education, going beyond the traditional boundaries of environmental education to areas that included the psychology of culture change, business management, systems thinking, governance, drug education, marketing and organisational psychology This broad approach to research has led to the development of highly effective sustainability education programs, such as Waste Wise Schools and Sustainable Schools The Waste Wise Schools Program, funded by EcoRecycle Victoria and managed in consultation with the Gould League, is an action-based waste education program Originating in Victoria in 1998, it has been adopted by over a third of Victorian schools and has led to widespread outcomes, including waste reductions of up to 95% There is strong evidence from surveys that this program is sustainable in schools over time and research confirms that the program is contributing to changes in the waste-wise thinking and behaviour of the families of the children at these schools A model for culture change in schools, based on the experiences of the Waste Wise Schools Program, has also been developed This model, a valuable tool in the continual improvement of Waste Wise Schools, has applications to sustainability education in general

Changing Organizations for Their Likely Mass-Casualties Future

Abstract: The threat of bioterrorism presents an opportunity for health care organizations to transform into more resilient, learning organizations. Rather than focusing solely on preparing for what is known or expected in a bioterrorist attack, organizations should strengthen their infrastructures to better manage surprises of all types. We advocate a combination of guidelines derived from conventional and complexity science perspectives on organizational change, including the need for leadership commitment, self-organization, culture change, and interorganizational connections.

Young Adult College Students Reflect on Their Interaction with Frail Elders in Culture Change: In Light of World Religions

Abstract: The traditional way of caring for frail elders in long-term care facilities is based in the medical model. This type of care focuses primarily on the biological needs of individual elders. A new paradigm for these care facilities is seen in the idea of culture change. This paradigm implicitly has within it elements of compassion emphasized in the teachings of world religions. The focus of this article is on the thoughts of Hesston College students in a World Religions class who spent two hours a week during the spring term 2003 interacting with frail elders in a long-term care facility. These intergenerational interactions are analyzed from the perspective of six world religions. The article concludes with reference to culture change and intergenerational relationships as related to practitioners, policy makers, and researchers.

Make Outcomes your Big Idea: Using Outcomes to Refocus Social Care Practice and Information

Abstract: This paper explores how a research‐based understanding of outcomes in social care can be incorporated into practice. Drawing on research by the Social Policy Research Unit and the practical experience of North Lincolnshire Social Services Department, this paper highlights how culture change and the involvement of stakeholders are key to using outcomes ideas as a motivational framework for service improvement.

Journey to excellence: a systemwide culture change begins with the board.

Abstract: When a hospital system decided its goal should be becoming "best in the nation," it determined that the board should lead a systemwide culture change. It started with an innovative "shadowing" program.

From Epiphany to Culture Change: Reflections on the Promise of Prevention

Abstract: The author brings to life her first hand experience teaching preschoolers in an early childhood education program in the Henry Horner Homes, and how the evidence gathered from that program 35 years ago finds support today in the latest research on brain development and the importance of capitalizing on early opportunities for growth. She reviews the major primary prevention and family support programs of the 1970s and provides evidence of their effectiveness at reducing multiple social and individual problems. Above all, she takes issue with the culture's longstanding worship of individualism, explaining how this philosophy is implicated in a generalized crisis orientation, as well as a lack of public and policy support for early childhood and family support programs. She makes an impassioned plea for widespread cultural change in the direction of taking collective responsibility for all children and families, and a comprehensive care plan that would not only prevent poor outcomes, but that would promote healthy development starting from the first moments of life. “Americans are uniquely able to respond when a crisis arises. It is only then that tremendous energy is mobilized to respond to the situation. The same talents are not used to prevent it.” - Margaret Mead

The Viability of a Culture Change Agenda in the Public Sector

Abstract: Most of the original drivers of change in the public sector in Australia have been political and external to individual departments. In Queensland change was spurred by the Savage Report (Public Sector Review Committee 1987), where the implementation of the report's recommendations moved the public sector towards a more business-like and commercial approach to operating. This paper uses the case of the Department of Main Roads in Queensland, Australia, as an example of the viability of a culture change agenda adopted by an individual government department in its internal efforts, to respond to the demands of the externally imposed changes. It is concluded that as culture change is very time-consuming, it may be that behaviour change rather than complete culture change is the only option in the case of change externally imposed by government.