discuss what watkins mean by “ghetto centric imagination”? course hero

by Dr. Leonel Konopelski 4 min read

What is implicit in evolutionary view?

Note: implicit in this evolutionary view is the idea that established cultures can become impediments to survival when there are substantial environmental changes. “Culture is the organization’s immune system.”. — Michael Watkins. Culture is a form of protection that has evolved from situational pressures.

What is the role of culture in society?

Culture is a social control system. Here the focus is the role of culture in promoting and reinforcing “right” thinking and behaving, and sanctioning “wrong” thinking and behaving. Key in this definition of culture is the idea of behavioral “norms” that must be upheld, and associated social sanctions that are imposed on those who don’t “stay within the lines.” This view also focuses attention on how the evolution of the organization shaped the culture. That is, how have the existing norms promoted the survival of the organization in the past? Note: implicit in this evolutionary view is the idea that established cultures can become impediments to survival when there are substantial environmental changes.

Why is organizational culture important?

It says that organizational culture functions much like the human immune system in preventing viruses and bacteria from taking hold and damaging the body.

What is culture in organizations?

Sense-making has been defined as “a collaborative process of creating shared awareness and understanding out of different individuals’ perspectives and varied interests.” Note that this moves the definition of culture beyond patterns of behavior into the realm of jointly-held beliefs and interpretations about “what is.” It says that a crucial purpose of culture is to help orient its members to “reality” in ways that provide a basis for alignment of purpose and shared action.

What is organizational culture?

Organizational culture is shaped by and overlaps with other cultures — especially the broader culture of the societies in which it operates. This observation highlights the challenges that global organizations face in establishing and maintaining a unified culture when operating in the context of multiple national, regional and local cultures. How should leaders strike the right balance between promoting “one culture” in the organization, while still allowing for influences of local cultures?

Is culture monolithic or multilithic?

The cultures of organizations are never monolithic. There are many factors that drive internal variations in the culture of business functions (e.g. finance vs. marketing) and units (e.g. a fast-moving consumer products division vs. a pharmaceuticals division of a diversified firm).

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