presentation for honours program

1. RETHINKING ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE
INSIGHT IN CULTURAL CHANGE DURING
ORGANIZATIONAL TRANSFORMATION
Wouter Smit (researcher/teacher HvA)
LI: smitw
w.smit@hva.nl
1

2. LEARNING OUTCOMES AFTER THIS
LECTURE
- The essence of culture during
transformation
- What is achievable in cultural
change
- The relation between culture
and change capacity

3. THEOREM 1
It takes several years until a
fundamental cultural change
can be established

4. THEOREM 1
It takes several years until a
fundamental cultural change
can be established
true

5. CULTURE: DEFINITIONS &
CHARACTERISTICS
“The way we do things around here”
(Deal & Kennedy)
Characteristics
• Invisible and complex
• The core is robust/ hard to change
• The (immuun)system hits back
• Exists of multiple ‘layers’, different ‘types’
• More than 70% of transformations fails, mostly due to culture
problems
• Preferably in alignment with the strategy/mission and surroundings
5

6. 6

7. CULTURE: THE ICEBERG PRINCIPLE
DNB, 2013

8. MINDSET
• Values and beliefs
• Developed over time
• Collectively internalized
• Difficult to change
8

9. TRANSFORMATION AND CULTURAL CHANGE
An organizatonal transformaton can only be successful if it is
accompanied by a change in organizatonal culture.
9

10. THEOREM 1: CULTURE IS ROBUST
Sustainable cultural change takes 4 to 10 years
with a mean of 6 years
Heskett & Kotter (1992)
Culture functions as an ‘immune system’ that
neutralises threats
Kavanagh en Ashkanasy (2006)

11. 11

12. THEOREM 2
It takes a strong and
influental leader to change a
culture

13. THEOREM 2
It takes a strong and
influental leader to change a
culture.
Not
true

14. THEOREM 2: CHANGE IN INFLUENTIAL
RELATIONS
A change of influence relations precedes a
change in culture
Straathof (2009)
New values, perspectives and behavior come
into practice
Homan (2005)

15. CULTURE: THE ICEBERG PRINCIPLE
DNB, 2013

16. LEADERSHIP & CULTURAL CHANGE
Transformational leadership Adressing change capacity

17. THEOREM 3
A strong culture benefits the
organization

18. THEOREM 3
A strong culture benefits the
organization
Not
true

19. PRO/ CONS OF STRONG CULTURES
A strong mindset benefits socialization and identification
Is a threat for second order change (Bartunek)
Solution: create change capacity (Dyer & Shafer):
1. Proactive signaling opportunities & threats
2. Fast relocation of task & functions
3. Spontaneous cooperation/ project collaboration
4. Fast & continuous learning process

20. THEOREM 4
(cultural) conflicts are a threat
to organizational goal-
achieving

21. THEOREM 4
(cultural) conflicts are a threat
to organizational goal-
achieving
not
true
true

22. THEOREM 4: CULTURAL CONFLICTS
Conflicts are part of a good functioning
organization
(Remerswaal, 2006)
Too intense conflicts can lead to ‘trenches’ or
'mental emigration'
(Kampen, 2010)
No cultural conflicts equals no ‘cultural
awareness’
(Cartwright & Cooper, 1993)

23. DIVERSITY: NO OLD BOYS, NO FRUIT BASKET

24. WRAP-UP
• Transformation acquires a change in cultural
mindset
• The mindset is robust
• Changing the mindset requires a change of
influence relations
• Leaders can address/ develop the change
capacity within the culture
• Conflicts that will arise are, when not too
intense, useful

25. QUESTIONS