by Culture managers are focused on establishing a work environment that helps people contribute and collaborate at their full potential. This means developing an organizational culture that creates a great place for people to work together. The benefit to the business in cultivating a great work culture is sustained, high performance by the people working in the organization.
The confrontational strategy
This strategy believes that, if you can arouse and then mobilise anger in people to confront the problem, they will change. Much depends on the strategists’ ability to argue the points, as well as being able to stir up emotions without promoting violence and to control these emotions. This approach encourages people to confront problems they would prefer not to address, but tends to focus too much on the problem and not on the solution. Anger and conflict tend to polarise people and can cause a backlash.
The engineering strategy
This technocratic approach assumes that, if the physical nature of a job is changed, enough people will be forced to change. The strong emphasis on the structural aspects of jobs: what people do, how and why they do it, and what the realistic alternatives are. A major channel of communication can prompt structural change but fails to commit most people. It is a method of re-engineering. Such change can also break up happy and efficient teams. The strategy is limited because only high-level managers can really understand it, it is impersonal and it ignores the question: ‘What is in it for me?’ But it can work well once those who can’t change leave or get out placed.
The economic strategy
This cynical culture change strategy believes that money is the best persuader. The person who controls the purse strings can buy or change anything. Everyone has a price. A serious increase or decrease in money will change behaviour which reflects the values of the new culture if sufficiently incentivised. This is the approach that assumes people act more or less logically, but that their logic is based on entirely economic motives. But ‘buying people off’ can be costly and the effects short term. The strategy also ignores emotional issues and all questions besides bottom-line profit. It too often is a strategy at odds with the new desirable cultural values of the organisation.
The fellowship strategy
The fellowship strategy relies heavily on interpersonal relations, using seminars, dinners and events to announce and discuss what needs to be changed and how. People at all levels are listened to, supposedly treated equally, and conflicting opinions are expressed. This ‘warm and fuzzy’ approach emphasises personal commitment over ideas; but, the process may have serious problems getting underway if at all. Because this strategy is averse to conflict, it can miss crucial issues and waste time. It rarely succeeds in changing culture.
The military strategy
The military strategy is reliant on brute force. The emphasis in on learning to use the weapons to fight the law, the union and the media. Physical strength and agility are required. Following the plan is rewarded. But the change-enforcer cannot relax, in case the imposed change disappears. Furthermore, force is met by force and the result is ever-escalating violence. It only ever works when organisations are in real crisis seriously struggling to survive.
The academic strategy
The academic strategy assumes that if you present people with enough information and the correct facts, they will accept the need to change and how to do it. The academic strategist commissions studies and reports from employees, experts and consultants. Although such strategists are happy to share their findings, it is difficult to mobilise energy and resources after the analysis phase. ‘Analysis paralysis’ often results because the study phase lasts too long and the results and recommendations are often out of date when they are published. Also, most managers do not really know what they should do, to whom, how or when. They often feel left out and ignored by the consultant academic.
The political strategy
The power structure is targeted by attempting to influence the official and unofficial leaders the ‘keepers of the culture’. The strategy seeks to identify and persuade those most respected, who have large constituencies and who therefore shape the culture. Political strategists’ flatter, bargain and compromise to achieve their ends, which is usually the introduction of new methods that reflects different values. But this destabilises the organisation because of continuing shifts in people’s political stances. Maintaining credibility can be difficult because the strategy is so obviously devious and paradoxically often it is the very opposite of the values that the new company is proposing in the new culture.
