415 5.2

Recognizing Culture Gaps

To prepare for this discussion, read the assigned textbook chapters and the articles,  How Leadership Affects Culture and Culture Affects Leadership (Links to an external site.)  and  The Critical Importance of Business Ethics for Effective Leadership (Links to an external site.) . Complete the “Leader's Self-Insight 14.2. Culture Preference Inventory,” the “Leader's Self-Insight 15.1. Resistance to Change,” and the “Leader's Self-Insight 15.2. Are You a Change Leader?” activities in the textbook. Reflect on what the results suggest about you as a leader and what observations others might make of you that are in your blind spot. You are not required to share your specific results when discussing these activities, but are welcome to, if you are comfortable doing so.

To successfully complete this discussion, your post should minimally include the following:

· Begin by comparing and contrasting the strong achievement culture with the strong involvement culture. Distinguish some potential advantages and disadvantages of each.

· Determine specific actions you can take to implement the five techniques discussed in the text to expand your own and others' creativity and facilitate organizational innovation in your current work environment or in a career/professional environment you are considering.

· Analyze the culture for an organization you are familiar with. You do not have to name the specific organization. In your description, include the following:

· Identify some physical artifacts (e.g., logo, mascot, building, marketing images) associated with the company and discuss what underlying values these suggest.

· Appraise the extent to which the actual business operation, staffing, and work environment of that organization are consistent with the values communicated by the physical artifacts.

· Describe any cultural gaps. If you are not aware of any cultural gaps, summarize how you might recognize a culture gap.

· Appraise the extent to which the organization reflects a responsive versus resistant culture.

· Classify the organization in terms of the Four Corporate Cultures discussed in the text. Explain your rationale.

· Compile a list of techniques a leader in that organization might use to influence and change cultural values when necessary. 

· Support ideas you share in your post with a minimum of three credible  scholarly and peer-reviewed sources (Links to an external site.)  published within the last ten years and document your sources by including APA-formatted  citations  (Links to an external site.) and  references (Links to an external site.) .

Post your initial response of 500 words or more by Day 3 (Thursday).

Required Resources

Text

Daft, R.L. (2018).  The leadership experience  (7th ed.). https://content.uagc.edu/

· Chapter 13: Creating Vision and Strategic Direction

· Chapter 14: Shaping Culture and Values

· Chapter 15: Leading Change           

Articles

Ebersole, G. (2007).  The Critical Importance of Business Ethics for Effective Leadership (Links to an external site.) . http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Critical-Importance-of-Business-Ethics-For-Effective-Leadership&id=450816.

Rosenberg, M. (2009).  How Leadership Affects Culture and Culture Affects Leadership (Links to an external site.) . http://ezinearticles.com/?How-Leadership-Affects-Culture-and-Culture-Affects-Leadership&id=1971055

Leader's Self-Insight 14.1. Working in a Responsive Culture

Instructions: Think of a specific full-time job you have held. Indicate whether each of the following items is Mostly False or Mostly Trueaccording to your perception of the managers above you when you held that job.

	MostlyFalse		MostlyTrue
1.		Good ideas got serious consideration from management above me
2.		Management above me was interested in ideas and suggestions from people at my level inthe organization.
3.		When suggestions were made to management above me, they received fair evaluation.
4.		Management did not expect me to challenge or change the status quo.
5.		Management specifically encouraged me to bring about improvements in my workplace.
6.		Management above me took action on recommendations made from people at my level.
7.		Management rewarded me for correcting problems.
8.		Management clearly expected me to improve work unit procedures and practices.
9.		I felt free to make recommendations to management above me to change existingpractices.
10.		Good ideas did not get communicated upward because management above me was notvery approachable.

Scoring and Interpretation

To compute your score: Give yourself one point for each Mostly True answer to questions 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 and for each Mostly Falseanswer to questions 4 and 10. Total points:   .

A responsive culture is shaped by the values and actions of top and middle executives. When managers actively encourage and welcome changeinitiatives from below, the organization will be infused with values for responsiveness and change. These 10 questions measure yourmanagement's openness to change. A typical average score for management openness to change is about 4. If your average score was 5 orhigher, you worked in an organization that expressed cultural values of responsiveness. If your average score was 3 or below, the culture wasprobably a resistant one.

Thinking back to your job, was the level of management openness to change correct for that organization? Why? Compare your score to that ofanother student, and take turns describing what it was like working for the managers above you . Do you sense that there is a relationshipbetween job satisfaction and management's openness to change? What specific manager characteristics and corporate values accounted for theopenness (or lack of) in the two jobs?

Source: Based on S. J. Ashford, N. P. Rothbard, S. K. Piderit, and J. E. Dutton, “Out on a Limb: The Role of Context and Impression Management in Issue Selling,”Administrative Science Quarterly 43 (1998), pp. 23–57; and E. W. Morrison and C. C. Phelps, “Taking Charge at Work: Extrarole Efforts to Initiate WorkplaceChange,” Academy of Management Journal 42 (1999), pp. 403–419.

Leader's Self-Insight 15.1. Resistance to Change

Instructions: Please respond to each of the following items based on how you handle day-to-day issues in your life. Think carefully in order tobe as accurate as possible.

	MostlyFalse		MostlyTrue
1.		I generally consider changes in my life to be a negative thing.
2.		When I am told of a change of plans, I may tense up a bit.
3.		Once I have made plans, I am not likely to change them.
4.		I often change my mind.
5.		Whenever my life fits a stable routine, I look for ways to change it.
6.		I feel less stress when things go according to plan.
7.		I sometimes avoid making personal changes even when the change would be good for me.
8.		My views are very consistent over time.
9.		I prefer a routine day to a day full of unexpected surprises.
10.		If I were informed of a significant change in my work, I would tighten up.
11.		When someone pressures me to change something, I tend to resist it.
12.		Once I have come to a conclusion, I stick to it.

Scoring and Interpretation

Give yourself one point for each Mostly True answer to items 1 to 3 and 6 to 12 and for each Mostly False to items 4 and 5. Everyone feelssome resistance to change, but people do differ in their tolerance for frequent change. A higher score of 8 or above on this scale means youprobably prefer a predictable and routine life. Frequent or dramatic changes at work may be difficult for you, probably creating feelings ofresistance, stress, and tension. If you received a score of 5 or lower, your resistance to change may be low, so you probably find surprises andchanges to be somewhat stimulating.

Source: Source: Based on Shaul Oreg, “Resistance to Change: Developing an Individual Differences Measure,” Journal of Applied Psychology 88, no. 4 (2003), pp.680–693. Used with permission.

Leader's Self-Insight 15.2. Are You a Change Leader?

Instructions: Think specifically of your current or a recent full-time job. Please answer the following 10 questions according to yourperspective and behaviors in that job. Indicate whether each item is Mostly False or Mostly True for you.

	MostlyFalse		MostlyTrue
1.		I often tried to adopt improved procedures for doing my job.
2.		I often tried to change how my job was executed in order to be more effective.
3.		I often tried to bring about improved procedures for the work unit or department.
4.		I often tried to institute new work methods that were more effective for the company.
5.		I often tried to change organizational rules or policies that were nonproductive orcounterproductive.
6.		I often made constructive suggestions for improving how things operate within theorganization.
7.		I often tried to correct a faulty procedure or practice.
8.		I often tried to eliminate redundant or unnecessary procedures.
9.		I often tried to implement solutions to pressing organizational problems.
10.		I often tried to introduce new structures, technologies, or approaches to improveefficiency.

Scoring and Interpretation

Please add the number of items for which you marked Mostly True, which is your score:  . This instrument measures the extent to which peopletake charge of change in the workplace. Change leaders are seen as change initiators. A score of 7 or above indicates a strong take-chargeattitude toward change. A score of 3 or below indicates an attitude of letting someone else worry about change.

Before change leaders can champion large planned change projects via the model in Exhibit 15.2, they often begin by taking charge of changein their workplace area of responsibility. To what extent do you take charge of change in your work or personal life? Compare your score withother students' scores. How do you compare? Do you see yourself being a change leader?

Source: Academy of Management Journal by E. W. Morrison and C. C. Phelps. Copyright 1999 by Academy of Management. Reproduced with permission ofAcademy of Management in the format Textbook via Copyright Clearance Center.