Running Head A Primer on Organizational Culture .docx

Running Head: A Primer on Organizational Culture
A Primer on Organizational Culture
Royneshia smith
Belhaven University
Author’s Note:
This paper was prepared for Ethical Problems in Business 624,
taught by Dr. Eleanor Nabor.

Introduction
In 1851, Rowland Hussey Macy founded a small dry goods store
in New York called Macy’s. He was the son of a Nantucket-
based shopkeeper. When he was fifteen years old, Rowland
sailed on a whaling ship. After four years of sailing, he returned
home to Massachusetts where he began to work in his father’s
shop before opening his own business in Boston. Shortly after
opening his needle and thread business, it failed (Hanson,
2017).
Around the early 1840’s, he proceeded to open a dry goods store
with his brother, but just like the first business it failed also.
Following events of failed businesses, one day Rowland wanted
to give the dry good business another chance. This time the
store pulled $11.06 on the first business day and from that day
sales continued to grow. For the year, the store sales ended with
a gross totaling around $85,000 (Hanson, 2017). R.H Macy’s
success has resulted in a big part of his advanced sales and
advertising practices over the years which eventually
transformed the retail industry. Overtime, the company
expanded and began to offer services such as same-day delivery,
buy online and pick-up in store, and apple pay mobile payment
etc.
There are approximately 50+ people employed at the Macy’s
located in the Galleria including managers, security, sales
associates, floaters and ringers etc. Currently, I am a Fragrance
Sales Associate at Macy's located in Houston, TX. My role
within the company is to advertise different fragrances to help
customers decide what kind of fragrance best fit their needs.
When I am advertising these fragrances, it also helps me
because I am commissioned. Therefore, the more I sell the more
I receive a certain an extra percentage along with my pay. I

also encourage Macy’s customers to open a credit line with the
business in order to receive other great deals and discounts.
Macy’s want their employees to experience a positive work
environment at all times. So, the company’s attention is focused
on servicing the customers and staying focused on the job at
hand. Whenever anyone is experiencing a difficult situation,
Macy’s have what is called “
Solution
sInStore.” This is where employees can discuss issues they are
experiencing in the store in order to resolve any inconvenience
in a timely manner. The company in fact demonstrates
appreciation for their employees by throwing a party or offering
a gift when a goal is reached. Even when a goal is not reached,
they still show appreciation towards the employees. They look
to find new ways to motivate everyone and provide
opportunities when they present themselves.
Culture Influencing Ethical Behavior
Ethics are a set of moral principles that help guide individuals
behavior. Whereas, ethical behavior is based on a set of written
and unwritten codes of principles and values within society. In
terms of human behavior, ethics reflect people’s beliefs about
what is just and unjust or what’s right or wrong. According to
Rae and Wong, individuals make certain decisions because they

feel as if they adhere to their company’s policies and
procedures that they are doing what is right. Sometimes that is
not the case. On the other hand, culture simply describes the
way of doing things or a collective way of life which reflects
the moral and ethical beliefs and standards to how people
should behave and interact with others. Culture can also vary
among different races, organizations or countries.
One of the most important steps towards being a good leader is
to lead by example. By doing this, an individual would be
leading to build trust. When my supervisor need extra help, I
volunteer to stay past my shift to make sure the goal is met for
the day, for example. Demonstrating credibility is another way a
person can become valuable.
For a group leader, it is essential that an individual
communicate and listen to others. This will assure clear and
consistent boundaries amongst one another. As a leader,
modeling active listening allows others to give accurate
feedback. Displaying curiosity about others shows that an
individual is capable to be trustworthy which leads to building
relationships with others, for instance. Giving voice to values is
what a company needs to help employees to take action. At least
three times a week, the store manager gather everyone in a
huddle before the store opens to discuss ways to improve
business. This is when everyone as well as myself give
suggestions about what actions we should take to serve each

other and the customers.
Working for Macy’s has given me an in-site on how a business
should be run properly. Employees within the company are able
to easily make ethical decisions that promote the company’s
values. The reason for this is because everyone’s personal
values matches the company’s norms. The culture of this
institution grant me the opportunity to apply what I learn to
improve my business ethics on a daily basis in society.
References
Hanson, K. (2017, June 12). The History of Macy's: From
Humble Beginnings to Stunning Success. Retrieved from
https://www.visitmacysusa.com/article/history-macys-humble-
beginnings-stunning-success

Rae, S., & Wong, K. (2013). A Judeo-Christian Approach to
Business Ethics Beyond Integrity.
COM 100 PEER EVALUATION FORM
Name of Peer: Shaun Ranney
Name of Reviewer: Julienne Mata
Use this peer review evaluation form to provide feedback for
two peer presentations for the Final Project. Do not just write
“yes” or “no” to the guiding questions under each prompt.
Instead, offer substantive feedback that will prove beneficial for
the writer.
Please choose presentations that have not been reviewed yet, or
have fewer reviews than others. Provide feedback in a reply
post to the corresponding peer and attach the filled-out peer
review form.
For your evaluation, please consider the following critical
elements and write your comments in the space provided below:
· The effectiveness of the design:

· Is your peer’s presentation visually appealing?
· What did you like about their presentation?
· What did you learn from their presentation?
· What would you suggest for improvements to the design?
Comments:
Shaun’s presentation was visually appealing. I like the color
combination/color scheme that he chose because it was the same
to that of Facebook. I think the pictures he chose helped to
support the major points he was making, especially the one used
in support of his third major point. I learned more about
Facebook addiction – I have heard of it vaguely, but never knew
the extent of it. Design-wise, I wouldn’t suggest anything than
wasn’t already done because it is visually appealing and the
pictures used helped illustrate the points being made.
· Strength and clarity of the ways in which the specific media
reflects and/or impacts culture.
· Does the presentation clearly communicate the ways in which
the media reflects and impacts culture? If not, suggest ways
for improvement.
· Do the supporting quotes back up the major points being
made?
· Does the content in the presentation consistently refer back to

this central subject, or does the writer stray off-topic?
Comments:
I think that Shaun does a great job of exploring the way that
Facebook reflects culture in the points that he makes. His
supporting quotes do back up the major points he states. I
especially like how he used an infographic for the support of his
third major point, since it adds some multi-modality to the
presentation.
· Strength of support from resources and visual elements.
· Comment on how effectively or ineffectively the visual
aspects (graphs, charts, images, etc.) illustrate the point being
made. Do the visuals add or detract from the reader’s overall
understanding of the information?
Comments:
Overall, Shaun did a great job of choosing visual aspects that
effectively illustrate his three major points.
· Integration of appropriate terms and concepts
· Does the presentation appropriately incorporate concepts from
the course?

· Can you think of any other course concepts that should be
included in the presentation?
Comments:
The presentation is linked to how Facebook reflects the culture,
behaviors, and values of the Internet generation, changed the
way we stay in contact with our friends and family, and the
creation of a culture of “Facebook addicts.” The course did
explore the way Facebook interacts with culture, especially in
Chapter 10 (“The Internet and Social Media”) in the book.
· Reflection
· Can you think of any other ways in which the chosen media
impacts or reflects culture?
· After having seen your peer’s work, what could you have done
better in your own presentation?
· How does peer review strengthen your own learning?
Comments:
I think some other ways that Facebook impacts culture is the
way that the platform has affected its users psychologically, so
I’m glad that Shaun mentioned it is something he would

research further if he had the chance. After seeing his work, I
think I could’ve probably used more quotes to put in my support
slides. I think peer review strengthens your own learning
because it helps you look at things from a different perspective,
and from an outlook that otherwise not have had, or thought
about.
On the Origin of Species/The Descent of Man
By Charles Darwin
Com 100 Final Project
Presented by: Kevin Mello
Specific Media - On the Origin of Species/The Descent of Man
Category: Print
Channel: Books
This presentation will explore the ways that Darwin's books
impacted culture in regards to racism as well as presenting a
scientific foundation for ethics.

I figured that we have seen enough powerpoint presentations on
the impact of new technologies on our culture. I wanted to go a
little old school while still maintaing significance.
Anti-Racism
Darwin presented the idea of one human race
Branching Evolution = Common Descent
“As natural selection acts by competition, it adapts the
inhabitants of each country only in relation to the degree of
perfection of their associates; so that we need feel no surprise at
the inhabitants of any one country...”― Charles Darwin, The
Origin of Species
We are all of the same race, Homo Sapien.
http://humanorigins.si.edu/evidence/human-
fossils/species/homo-sapiens
Darwin's theory of branching evolution implies that all species
of living things on earth have evolved from a single unique

oranism. This would mean that all humans, no matter which
race, have common ancestory. Genetics, a later form of biology,
has now confirmed that race is nothing more than a social
construct.
Pro-Racism
Some used Darwin's theories to promote racism.
Unfortunately, some people misinterpreted Darwin's theories or
misapplied Darwin's language in order to advance their own
agendas.
Misapplying the Language of Evolution = Racism
Social Darwinism
Eugenics
Even Hitler's Nazi party drew some inspiration from Darwin's
theories.
https://www.csustan.edu/sites/default/files/History/Faculty/Wei
kart/Darwinism-in-Nazi-Racial-Thought.pdf
Herbert Spencer
"This survival of the fittest, which I have here sought to express
in mechanical terms, is that which Mr. Darwin has called

'natural selection', or the preservation of favoured races in the
struggle for life." -Herbert Spencer
Misapplication of Darwin's thoughts and ideas began political
and social groups that believed in one groups superiority over
others like Social Darwinism, Eugenics, and even the Nazi
party. People like Herbert Spencer were able to take the
language of evolution from Darwin's theories and apply them to
politics, economics, and society in general. A small example of
this is the supplied quote from Herbert Spencer himself.
Spencer is actually the one who coined the phrase “survival of
the fittest,” not Darwin. Unfortunately, ideas of Social
Darwinism prevaded many aspects of American society during
the late 19th to early 20th centuries, including policies that
affected immigration, imperialism, and public health. Some of
these policies remained in our society until the 1970's!
Ethics Biologicized
Darwin created a scientific foundation for ethics by exploring
morality from an evolutionary standpoint.

Altruism in Social Animals (Humans)
Darwin's follow-up book, “The Descent of Man” dedicated large
sections to evolutionary explanations for the moral sense found
in humans. https://www.iep.utm.edu/evol-eth/
"any animal whatever， endowed with well-marked social
instincts, the parental and filial affections being here included,
would inevitably acquire a moral sense or conscience, as soon
as its intellectual powers had become as well, or nearly as well
developed, as in man."-Charles Darwin, The Descent of Man
Read More of Darwin on the Evolution of Morality at:
https://repository.kulib.kyoto-
u.ac.jp/dspace/bitstream/2433/73086/1/KJ00000077867.pdf
Darwin connects morality with natural selection by explaining
that the survival and prosperity of a social group depends to a
large extent on the harmonious cooperation of the members of
the group, and this behavior must be based on altruism. Such
altruism, by furthering the survival and prosperity of the group,
also indirectly benefits the fitness of the group's individuals.

The result amounts to selection favoring altruistic behavior.
Conclusion
This presentation should have addressed the ways in which
Darwin's 1-2 punch of On the Origin of Species and The
Descent of Man impacted culture by influencing racism and
establishing a scientific foundation for ethics.
I would like to research in which ways Darwin's theories
impacted religion during his era and during ours.
Hopefully this has given you some idea of the huge impact that
Darwin had on our culture. Not bad for a couple of books that
were published almost 150 years ago!
Presented By:
Amanda Overbay
COM100-Jan 2020
Final Project

We’ve all seen people at restaurants taking photos of the food
that just arrived at their table. And odds are, we have all taken a
selfie before. And what do we do with these photos? We post
them on social media. And because they are photos and we
don’t need to be wordy about it, we post them to Instagram.
1
The media channel I chose is Instagram, in the New Media
category.
This presentation will explore how Instagram reflects culture
through fashion, impacts culture through diverse
representations of beauty, and has created its own culture
through “instagramization” of the world.
Specific Media: Instagram
I chose Instagram because I used to love it. It was easier than
writing a blog, quicker than a Facebook post, and I could be
less witty than writing a Tweet. I only use it now to post things
to keep my extended family up to date with my goings on
because I just am not a fan of how people only show their best

lives, or post to get attention because of their struggles. When I
post, I don’t scroll. I just post and hop off. I like the idea of
Instagram, but in practice it just doesn’t match who I am.
2
Instagram reflects culture by making all aspects of the fashion
industry more visible.
“[Instagram] allows people to raise awareness,” Chen
told Vogue, whether that’s acknowledging an act of plagiarism
that would have otherwise gone unnoticed, or highlighting the
injustices present in the industry.”
Main Point #1
https://www.vogue.co.uk/article/how-instagram-is-changing-
fashion-eva-chen-interview
Instagram has led to an interesting change in the fashion
industry. No longer are the fashion weeks kept behind closed
doors; now, if there is one influencer in the audience, the show
can be seen by thousands or millions of people either by being
live streamed or within seconds by being uploaded to Instagram.
3

“Instagram Stories provides that real-time close up that you
might only otherwise get as an industry insider”
Read more:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/rachelarthur/2017/09/16/how-
brands-used-instagram-stories-during-new-york-fashion-
week/#68e808202637
Support of Main Point #1
“Instagram played a role in initiating real change, with
conglomerates such as LVMH and Kering signing a charter to
safeguard models from abuse and create better standards for
shoots and shows.”
Read more: https://i-d.vice.com/en_us/article/bj9nkz/how-
instagram-transformed-the- fashion-industry
Instagram has made the entire fashion industry more
transparent. It allows regular people to see what happens
backstage through Instagram Stories and helps bring to light
abuses of power through the use of hashtags. When a former
model gathered abuse stories from other models and published
them with the hashtag #MyJobShouldNotIncludeAbuse, it
inspired change within the fashion industry. While this change
shows a way that Instagram has effected the culture of fashion,

the change would not have happened without the transparency
that Instagram has allowed.
4
Instagram has influenced culture by exposing the world to
diverse representations of beauty.
Main Point 2
Before Instagram, the general public had only a few places they
might hope to see a non model body shape in any kind of
advertising. Now, with regular people having hundreds of
followers, and influencers having maybe millions of followers,
the likelihood of seeing any kind of body, hair, or skin color in
any kind of ad is a lot more likely.
5
“Instagram has seen a shift in the type of content users are
publishing, favouring 'realness' over 'flawlessness'.”
Read more:
https://www.cosmopolitan.com/uk/fashion/style/a29145591/inst

agram-fashion-diversity/
https://www.thefashionspot.com/runway-news/828413-
diversity-report-fall-2019-runways/
Instagram has helped redefine how people see beauty. Being
inundated with unretouched photos of people who are of all
different shapes, sizes, and ethnicities has shown the fashion
industry that the public is ready to see “real” people on the
runways and in advertising. What’s even better, is the fashion
industry is listening and becoming more diverse. You can see in
the graph here the stready increase of the percentage of models
of color from Spring 2015 to Fall 2019 in the fashion weeks in
New York, London, Milan, and Paris combined. Now people
from all backgrounds, with all kinds of abilities are being
shown as not only beautiful, but fully capable.
6
Instagram has created its own culture by “Instagramization” of
the world.
Main Point #3

Instagramization is the strategic use of color and texture to
enhance a photos likeability. It’s the exploitation of graffiti art
to get people into an unknown town, so that town can become
more well known. It’s the entire world-restaurants, cities,
muesums-becoming more photo friendly so they can be seen and
liked on social media. I like this cartoon because it shows
exactly what I would do if I had a lemonade stand. People don’t
necessarily care about the product itself, but being able to share
the experience with others via social media is what makes the
stand attractive.
7
“For things to sell these days, it has to be Instagrammable,” a
Los Angeles restauranteur told the website Thrillist.”
Read more: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/how-
instagram-changing-way-we-design-cultural-spaces-180967071/
“Club Med designers and architects are urged to design holiday
resorts that are not necessarily beautiful or pleasant, but
“instagramable” because today customers prefer places they can
share on the social network”
Read more: https://medium.com/@paulvacca_58958/the-
instagramization-of-the-world-34048a258611

Chefs have always tried to make their food visually appealing,
but now they are having to step up their game to get noticed.
The rainbow everything, the bacon wrapped anything, the
stunning table set up. It’s all to get noticed by the people
constantly taking photos of their food and posting it to social
media sites and apps, like Instagram.
Museums, cities, and even hotels have all bought into
Instagramization by making sure that there are photo ops
everywhere. They advertise by telling consumers what great
pics they will get, they ensure their restaurants and views are
Insta-worthy. The entire world has become photograph-able,
hashtag-able, and ready for social media.
8
This presentation explored how Instagram reflects culture
through fashion, impacts culture through diverse
representations of beauty, and has created its own culture
through “instagramization” of the world.
If I were to research this subject further, I would look at
whether or not Instagram has an effect on mental health.
Depression, anxiety, and eating disorders have all blamed social
media and I would like to see how those statistics look.

Conclusion
COM 100 PEER EVALUATION FORM
Name of Peer:
Name of Reviewer:
Use this peer review evaluation form to provide feedback for
two peer presentations for the Final Project. Do not just write
“yes” or “no” to the guiding questions under each prompt.
Instead, offer substantive feedback that will prove beneficial for
the writer.
Please choose presentations that have not been reviewed yet, or
have fewer reviews than others. Provide feedback in a reply
post to the corresponding peer and attach the filled-out peer
review form.
For your evaluation, please consider the following critical
elements and write your comments in the space provided below:
· The effectiveness of the design:

· Is your peer’s presentation visually appealing?
· What did you like about their presentation?
· What did you learn from their presentation?
· What would you suggest for improvements to the design?
Comments:
· Strength and clarity of the ways in which the specific media
reflects and/or impacts culture.
· Does the presentation clearly communicate the ways in which
the media reflects and impacts culture? If not, suggest ways
for improvement.
· Do the supporting quotes back up the major points being
made?
· Does the content in the presentation consistently refer back to
this central subject, or does the writer stray off-topic?
Comments:

· Strength of support from resources and visual elements.
· Comment on how effectively or ineffectively the visual
aspects (graphs, charts, images, etc.) illustrate the point being
made. Do the visuals add or detract from the reader’s overall
understanding of the information?
Comments:
· Integration of appropriate terms and concepts
· Does the presentation appropriately incorporate concepts from
the course?
· Can you think of any other course concepts that should be
included in the presentation?
Comments:
· Reflection
· Can you think of any other ways in which the chosen media

impacts or reflects culture?
· After having seen your peer’s work, what could you have done
better in your own presentation?
· How does peer review strengthen your own learning?
Comments:
Assignment Overview: The purpose of this assignment is to
provide students with an opportunity to interact with their
colleagues to discuss and provide feedback on the final projects
of their peers.
Requirements: There are two parts to this assignment. The first
is to post your final project PowerPoint into the body of a
discussion post, the second part is where you interact with other
course participants by filling out a Peer Review form for two
different students and inserting the file into a response to their
initial post. See below for further details.
When to Post: Please post your Final Project PowerPoint in the
discussion board by Thursday at 11:59pm PST. You may
review other student’s final projects on Friday through Sunday
after all initial posts have been made, and your two Peer Review
forms are due Sunday at 11:59pm PST.
Netiquette: Please be respectful to other members of the class.

The goal is to have an open discussion without insulting one
another; disagreeing is healthy, but please do so in a respectful
manner.
1 Final Project Post + 2 Peer Review Forms = 3 posts required
to earn maximum points for Week 3 Discussion
Please click the link above entitled Week Four Discussion.
Week 4 Media Analysis Instructions:
Step #1 – Locate the Week 4 Discussion Board and create a new
thread. Attach or insert your final project PowerPoint into the
body of the discussion thread with “Your Name Final Project”
as the title of the thread.
Step #2 – Select and review the final project PowerPoints of
two other students and fill out a Peer Evaluation Form for each.
Attach your completed Peer Evaluation word document into a
response post on the student's original post.
COM 100 Peer Evaluation Form.docxCOM 100 Peer Evaluation
Form.docx - Alternative Formats

Running Head A Primer on Organizational Culture .docx

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