This is from the “Accounting Makes Cents” podcast episode #44 released on Monday, 17 July 2023.
In today’s episode, we are going to talk about organisational culture and the Cultural Web model.
Jump to show notes.
The Cultural Web
A bit of a backgrounder on the Cultural Web. It is a popular way of understanding and analysing organisational culture. The model was developed by Gerry Johnson and Kevan Scholes in the 1990s and consists of 6 elements that interact to shape an organisation’s culture. I’m going to try and explain the model using a garden as an example. Don’t be alarmed. I think regardless of whether you’re a gardener or if you’re like me, you’ve got hot hands and can’t keep a plant alive, you will still be able to follow today’s simple discussion on culture and the garden. So let’s start and break down the model into its 6 elements.
Stories
First up, stories. These are the stories, legends, and myths that are told within the company, such as how the company started, who founded it, how projects are created and completed, tales of past successes and failures, even inspiring stories of individuals who’ve contributed to the success of the company. Just like in the garden, each plant will have its own history and origin. And these history and origin, or stories are what shapes its culture and identity. It is a powerful tool because it builds a sense of shared purpose and commitment within the company, among its employees.
Rituals and routines
Second, we’ve got rituals and routines. These are the day-to-day practices and routines that employees undertake, such as morning meetings or end-of-day check-ins. These are understood by everyone within the company, they know that these routines need to happen. The routines establish norms and expectations and create a sense of continuity and stability. In our garden, these would include the daily tasks of watering the plants, pulling out weeds, checking for pests, etc. to ensure the plants grow and flourish.
Symbols
Our third elements are symbols. Symbols in general are tangible objects representing the company. This could be your company logo or even office decor. Images and artifacts are powerful tools in creating that sense of identity and belonging. Most of the time, these symbols are even used to communicate the company’s values and missions. In the garden, these would be perhaps your garden decorations or signs which help give the garden a unique personality or look.
Organisational structure
Next we have organisational structure. This refers to the way a company is structured, its hierarchy and reporting lines. It also includes flow of communication and decision-making, even division of labour. Structure shapes how work is done within the company and of course, has a significant effect on employees’ experiences. In the garden, this could be like the layout of the garden beds and the placement of plants, where the tomatoes are placed versus where the potatoes are and that kind of thing.
Control systems
The fifth elements are control systems. These are policies and procedures that help regulate behaviour within the company. It includes things like metrics, disciplinary procedures, compliance regulations, etc. Control systems help ensure that employees know what the rules are and that these established procedures should be followed. Failure of course could lead to risk of non-compliance or legalities for a company. In the garden, this could be your rules with regards to using pesticides or guidelines for watering plants, because you don’t wanna overuse pesticides or overwater your plants, both of which could kill the plant.
Power structures
Lastly, we have power structures. This refers to the distribution of power within a company, such as who are the decision-makers? Who has the most influence? Who has access to resources? Power structures shape how and what decisions are made, and how and what resources are allocated to jobs and projects. In the garden, this would be like your head gardener making decisions about how the garden needs to be tended, what tools to use and such.
By understanding and analysing these 6 elements, we gain a deeper understanding of a company’s culture and how it was shaped and how we can improve it.
Show notes simplified
Organisational culture is critical to the success of any company. Understanding and shaping an organisation’s culture can be a complex process. In this episode, MJ the tutor dives into the fascinating world of organisational culture and explores how the 6 elements of the Cultural Web model interact to shape an organisation’s culture.
Credits:
“Ding Ding Small Bell” (https://freesound.org/s/173932/) by JohnsonBrandEditing (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1RImxnsbfngagfXd_GWCDQ) licensed under CC0 Licence.
MJ THE TUTOR 