STDC 26 th Annual Convention

1. STDC 26th Annual Convention POWER AND AUTHORITY IN CULTURAL CONTEXTS Joseph Suico, PhD www.josephsuico.com

2. Outline • Introduction • Culture Matters • Understanding Values and Organizational Culture • Shaping Organizational Culture • Negotiating Power and Authority in Filipino Context LDI 2006

3. INTRODUCTION “Key to understanding power and authority in organizations is a good grasp of how values shape organizational culture.” “There is a need for Church leaders to understand their own culture.” LDI 2006

4. CULTURE MATTERS “Culture is the commonly held and relatively stable beliefs, attitudes and values that exist within the organization.” “The way people think about things around here.” LDI 2006

5. CULTURE MATTERS Uncovering the Levels of Culture Visible Organizational structures and processes (Hard to decipher) Artefacts Espoused Values Strategies, goals, philosophies (espoused justifications) Unconscious, taken for granted beliefs, perceptions, thoughts and feelings (Ultimate source of values and action) Basic Underlying Assumptions LDI 2006

6. CULTURE MATTERS Culture and Behavior Observable Behaviors ATTITUDES & VALUES Reportable Beliefs Sub-conscious LDI 2006

7. CULTURE MATTERS Culture shapes • Norms of behavior • Symbols and symbolic acts • Ethical codes • Historical context • Language, jokes, methaphors, myths, and legends • Social mores and rituals, ceremonies, celebrations • Basic assumptions • Beliefs, values and attributes • . . . And much more . . . . LDI 2006

8. UNDERSTANDING VALUES & ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE What are Values? “Values are beliefs, convictions and goals. An individual has a set of values. Most of these values are shared by the group, community or society that s/he belongs to, and will be part of the larger culture.” – W. Arce LDI 2006

9. UNDERSTANDING VALUES & ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE Norms and Values? Explicit culture reflects deeper layers of culture, the norms and values of an individual group Norms are the mutual sense a group has of what is ‘right’ and ‘wrong’. Norms can develop on a formal level as written laws and on an informal level as social control. It defines what a person in a group should do. LDI 2006

10. UNDERSTANDING VALUES & ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE Norms and Values? Explicit culture reflects deeper layers of culture, the norms and values of an individual group Valuesdetermine the definition of ‘good & bad,’ and are therefore closely related to the ideals shared by a group. It defines what a person in a group likes to do. LDI 2006

11. UNDERSTANDING VALUES & ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE Norms and Values? Explicit culture reflects deeper layers of culture, the norms and values of an individual group Norms, consciously or subconsciously, give us a feeling of ‘this is how I normally should behave,’ Values give us a feeling of “this is how I aspire or desire to behave.” LDI 2006

12. UNDERSTANDING VALUES & ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE The Core Assumptions about existence • Culture comes from the same root as the verb ‘to cultivate’, meaning to till the soil, the way people act upon nature. • The problems of daily life are solved in such obvious ways that the solutions disappear from our awareness, and become part of our system of absolute assumptions. • Basic assumptions are accumulations of solutions to survival problems. LDI 2006

13. UNDERSTANDING VALUES & ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE The Seven Dimensions of Cultural Diversity Universalism Particularism (rules, codes, laws, generalizations) (exceptions, special circumstances) Individualism Communitarianism (personal freedom, human rights, competitiveness) (social responsibility, cooperation) Specificity Diffusion (analytic, objective, atomistic) (holistic, relational, synthetic) Achieved Status Ascribed Status (what you’ve done, track record) (who you are, potential, connections) Inner Direction Outer direction (conscience & convictions located inside) (examples & influences outside) Sequential Time Synchronous Time (time is a race along a set course) (time is a dance of fine co-ordination) Neutral Emotional (interactions should be objective & detached) (expressing emotion acceptable) LDI 2006

14. UNDERSTANDING VALUES & ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE Universalism vs Particularism • Universalistic approach is roughly “what is good and right can be defined and always applies to everyone without any exception.” (Greater attention to abstract and societal codes) • Particularistic approach pays far greater attention to “obligations of relationships and unique circumstances.” (Less attention is given to abstract societal codes, friendship and special obligations may come first.) LDI 2006

15. UNDERSTANDING VALUES & ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE Your Friend Hits a Pedestrian 30 LDI 2006

16. UNDERSTANDING VALUES & ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE The Car and the Pedestrian You are riding in a car driven by a close friend. He hits a pedestrian. You know he was going out at least 35 mph in an area of the city where the maximum allowed speed is 20 mph. There are no witnesses other than you. His lawyer states that if you testify under oath that he was driving only 20 mph, you will save him from serious consequences. LDI 2006

17. UNDERSTANDING VALUES & ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE What right has your friend? • My friend has a definite right as a friend to expect me to testify to a lower figure. • He has some right as a friend to expect me to testify to the lower figure. • He has no right as a friend to expect me to testify to the lower figure. LDI 2006

18. UNDERSTANDING VALUES & ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE What would you do? What do you think would you do in view of the obligations of a sworn witness and the obligation to your friend? • testify that he was going 20 mph. • not testify that he was going 20 mph. LDI 2006

19. UNDERSTANDING VALUES & ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE Individualism vs Communitarianism • Individualism – a “prime orientation to the self.” • Communitarianism – “a prime orientation to common goals and objectives within a community framerwork.” • People tend to see individualism as a crucial element of modern society (exception, 5 dragons: Japan, Singapore, S. Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong). • These dimensions affect negotiations, decision making and motivation. LDI 2006

20. UNDERSTANDING VALUES & ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE “Whether in the individual carrier or in the group, values are many and re-arranged in some hierarchical fashion, and in some means-ends relationship. The lower-level values are the ones that are more easily observed.” LDI 2006

21. VALUES IN FILIPINO SOCIETY Studies in Filipino values (1970s – 1990s) Values that have influence on behavior in Philippine society may be best represented in the writings of the anthropologist Frank Lynch, S.J., and F. Landa Jocano; the psychologists Jaime C. Bulatao, S. J., and Virgilio G. Enriquez; and the sociologist Mary Racelis Hollnsteiner. LDI 2006

22. VALUES IN FILIPINO SOCIETY Studies in Filipino values (1970s – 1990s) • Social Acceptance – to be accepted for who one is. • Smooth Interpersonal Relations (SIR). Getting along well with others. • Pakikisama. Concession • Use of euphimistic language. Stating an unpleasant truth pleasantly. • Use of go-between. Facility for avoiding bad feelings. • Sensitivity to personal affront (amor propio) • Hiya. Uncomfortable feeling that one is in a socially unacceptable position. LDI 2006

23. VALUES IN FILIPINO SOCIETY What are your FOUR IMPORTANT VALUES that you think shapes your personal lifestyle goals? LDI 2006

24. VALUES IN FILIPINO SOCIETY Bulatao’s Four Important Values from his sample of factory workers. (1) Emotional closeness and security in the family; (2) Approval by the authority figure and by society; (3) Economic and social betterment of the individual and family. (4) Patience, suffering, endurance in the face of forces that are difficult to overcome and that bring about poverty, injustice and sickness. LDI 2006

25. STUDIES IN ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE “Values in organizations are derived from the larger culture of the society. The values seen among organizational participants are simply a specification of those values in the organizational context.” LDI 2006

26. KEY CONCEPTS IN MAKING VALUES LIVE IN YOUR ORGANIZATION From Susan M. Heathfield, Your Guide to Human Resources. • Each person brings his or her own set of values to the workplace. • Sharing similar or agreed upon values at work helps clarify: • expected behavior and actions to each other and customers, • how decisions are made, and exactly what is important in the organization. LDI 2006

27. KEY CONCEPTS IN MAKING VALUES LIVE IN YOUR ORGANIZATION From Susan M. Heathfield, Your Guide to Human Resources. • Integrity: We maintain credibility by making certain our actions always match our words. • Respect: We respect each patient's right to be involved, to the greatest extent possible or desired, in making informed decisions about his or her health and plan of care. • Accountability: We accept personal responsibility to efficiently use organization resources, improve our systems, and help others improve their effectiveness. LDI 2006

28. KEY CONCEPTS IN MAKING VALUES LIVE IN YOUR ORGANIZATION From Susan M. Heathfield, Your Guide to Human Resources. Examples of Values: A Human Resources Development office chose: • Integrity • Belonging/Caring • Helping/Contributing • Inner Harmony, Peace of Mind • Personal Growth, Learning, and Self-Actualization • Achievement /Accomplishment • Financial Stability • Fun LDI 2006

29. KEY CONCEPTS IN MAKING VALUES LIVE IN YOUR ORGANIZATION From Susan M. Heathfield, Your Guide to Human Resources. Examples of Values: A University Student Health Center staff developed the acronym "I CARE" as a tool for remembering and expressing values. In the final document, each word is defined by a series of value statements which describe how the value is expressed in their workplace. • Integrity • Compassion • Accountability • Respect • Excellence LDI 2006

30. KEY CONCEPTS IN MAKING VALUES LIVE IN YOUR ORGANIZATION What would be ours? • ____________ • ____________ • ____________ • ____________ • ____________ • ____________ LDI 2006

31. STUDIES IN ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE What do you think are the common Filipino Values that shape organizations including local churches? LDI 2006

32. STUDIES IN ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE In Search of Excellence (Peters & Waterman, 1982) – Why some American companies are more successful than others. Theory Z (Ouchi, 1982) – provides insights on why Japanese companies are more productive than their counterparts in the West. Ouchi (1982:82) says that this culture “consists of a set of symbols, ceremonies and myths that communicate the underlying values and beliefs of that organization to its employees.” Peters and Waterman (1982:75) say simply that this culture consists of the organization’s “shared values.” LDI 2006

33. STUDIES IN ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE Local experts: Leonardo R. Silos – implicit; F. Landa Jocano – explicit Oikos: The Two Faces of Organization (Silos, 1991) – discusses the “clan” or “patricarchal” system of organization and credits it for the success of the Japanese organization’s superiority over its Western counterpart. It is superior in summative principles and characteristics to the conflict-prone Weberian bureaucracy which took root in the West. It is traditional and personal, and its organizational pattern is like that of the household. Filipino Corporate Culture (Jocano, 1988) Management by Culture (Jocano, 1990) Filipino Value System (Jocano, 1997) LDI 2006

34. STUDIES IN ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE Jocano espouses a reorientation in the organization to three core values: • Kaugnayan (Identity) • Karangalan (Pride) • Katapatan (Commitment) To accentuate these core values, corporate leaders emphasize: • Paternalism (Pagbabahala and Pananagutan) • Personalism (Pakikipagkapwa) – treating a person as a fellow human being. • Familism – giving importance to the family as a social unit. LDI 2006

35. STUDIES IN ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE Jocano also suggests that, to nurture these values, corporate organizations should be structured after the angkan (a number of related families) or the mag-anak (the family), corporate managers should function like the bagani (members of the warrior class of old), quality circles should be organized along the ancient samahan (“dominant sentiment that held small groups of kinsmen or peers together, thus allowing them to undertake collective and economic activities without much conflict”). LDI 2006

36. STUDIES IN ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE “In Management by Culture (1990), Jocano discusses how Filipino cultural values may be integrated into the training of organizational participants, in management techniques, and in the use of technology. He has further suggestions on how cultural values may be used for effective recruitment, job delineation, use of compensation to strengthen employee’s identity with company, a productive monitoring system and the use of discipline among organizational participants.” LDI 2006

37. SHAPING ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE LDI 2006

38. STUDIES IN ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE Culture basically springs from three sources: • The beliefs, values, and assumption of founders of organizations; • The learning experience of group members as their organization evolves; • New beliefs, values, and assumptions brought in by new members and leaders. LDI 2006

39. STUDIES IN ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE The Functions of Organization Culture • Foster social cohesion • Conflict reduction • Co-ordination and control • Reduction of uncertainty • Important source of motivation • Provides continuity and identity LDI 2006

40. STUDIES IN ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE Strategy and Culture • The strategic objective of many organizations is to achieve the best performance in light of the environmental givens. • While achieving the best performance involves robust planning, development of resources, etc., it also requires appropriate beliefs, values, and assumptions which specify efficient and effective patterns of behavior. • It is the right mix of plans, assets, and culture that would lead to superior performance. LDI 2006

41. STUDIES IN ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE Characteristics of organizational culture • Culture is learned • Culture is both input and output • Culture is partly unconscious • Culture is historically based • Culture is commonly held rather than shared • Culture is heterogenous LDI 2006

42. STUDIES IN ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE What type of change culture change? Big system change vs. Specific focus change • Transactional change • Transformational change LDI 2006

43. STUDIES IN ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE What type of change culture change? • Transactional change • Climate change • Logic=internal climate affects individual and organizational performance • Requires some shift in behavior • Focus on structure, systems, management, practices, motivation, task requirements, and individual needs and welfare. LDI 2006

44. STUDIES IN ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE What type of change culture change? • Transformational change • Logic=stems from external environment • Requires radical shift in behavior • Needs to be led by the leaders of an organization • Focus on leadership, mission and strategy, culture and value, and the interaction between them. LDI 2006

45. CREDITS References used in this presentation: Arce, Wilfredo. “Values, Organizational Culture and Organizations.” Unpublished paper. Heathfield, Susan, Your Guide to Human Resources. Judge, Mee Yan Cheung. “Cultural Differences in Christian Organizations – Problem or Opportunity?” A paper presented at the Oxford Centre for Mission Studies, 31 January 2002. Trompenaars, Fons. Riding the Waves of Culture: Understanding Diversity in Global Busines. NY: McGraw-Hill, 1998. LDI 2006