85–95 minutes (10 minutes for introduction; 10 minutes for individual work; 30 minutes in small groups; 20–30 minutes for group reporting and discussion; 15 minutes for debriefing)
Work M–H P, T, O, D, M
1. To illustrate the ways that values influence our behavior
2. To examine the differences between visible and invisible cultural norms
3. To identify an organization’s culture
4. To identify how organizational behavior is affected by dominant cultural values
• Paper and pencil
• Flipchart and marking pens
• Overhead projector
• Transparency of the Top Ten American Values sheet
1. Introduce the concept of visible and invisible rules in organizations. Visible rules are verbal and/or written and are stated as rules, policies, procedures, or values. Invisible rules are unspoken and unwritten but important. Insiders (members) know these rules, either consciously or unconsciously.
2. Ask participants to individually answer the following question: A good employee in this organization is or does what? Caution participants to focus on invisible rules, not written policies and procedures. Give them approximately 10 minutes to individually identify the characteristics of a good employee, or give this as a homework assignment the day before the training.
Note: Participants may ask if their answers are to be from management’s perspective or from that of co-workers. Because managers usually develop the organization’s culture by what they reward, have participants assume the point of view of management.
3. In groups of 4–5, ask participants to share their answers and try to reach group consensus on the four most important characteristics or behaviors for being perceived as a good employee in their organization. Allow approximately 30 minutes for this discussion.
4. Ask each group to share their top four items, recording them on newsprint so everyone can see them. Place a check next to any item that is duplicated by another group, rather than rewriting the item.
Note: The most important invisible organizational rules will likely have several checks because everyone knows how important they are.
5. Ask the entire group to identify any rules that they don’t think should be on the list. This will rarely happen, but occasionally there is something unique that surfaces in one small group that, upon discussion, isn’t universally valued by the organization and should be removed from the list.
6. Point out to the group that organizational cultures form in the context of a larger national culture. The organizational culture has been developed by its members and leaders over the history of the organization and includes both written and unwritten, visible and invisible rules. Place the “Ten Top American Values” transparency (see transparency master on page 170) on an overhead projector. Now go through the list of invisible rules generated by the group and ask, for each item, if it supports one of the U.S. values. For example, many groups will say their organization values the employee who consistently shows up early, works hard, and stays late. That organizational value may be seen as supporting these U.S. values: work ethic, competition and winning, and doing and achieving.
7. If there are invisible rules that do not fit into any of the top ten U.S. cultural values, explore why that rule might be important in this particular organization.
8. At the end of this “comparison” process, identify how many of the U.S. values show up within this organization’s rules and procedures (values).
1. What part of this activity was easiest? Most difficult?
2. Do you have any personal values that might be in conflict with those of the organization? Might this conflict help explain areas of your work that are uncomfortable for you? What options do you have in managing those value conflicts?
3. What have you learned? If there are invisible rules that employees are being judged by, what can you do to help newer employees adjust to the organization’s culture more quickly?
4. How can you apply what you have learned to your everyday work life?
1. Our organizational behavior tends to be consistent with the dominant national cultural values.
2. Some of our behaviors or values at work may be different if the organizational purpose, mission, or operations fall outside the key dominant national cultural values.
3. We can make choices about which values and associated behaviors we embrace as an organization, but such choices require a conscious, ongoing process.
4. Employees who are culturally different from the organizational culture may have difficulty recognizing the invisible rules. As a result, these employees may be labeled as not “fitting in.” The more we can translate those values into written rules or verbalize them to new employees, the more quickly each person can succeed in the organization.
5. Valuing diversity (and desiring to fully use the resources that diversity offers) leads us. to examine organizational culture and to eliminate invisible rules that may be barriers to employee success.
6. Organizations that value diversity try to make rules visible by putting them in writing and/or stating them verbally.
7. The same values may drive very different behaviors. Sharing both the value and the expected behavior will lead to clearer understanding and success for most employees.
For use with managers or executives:
1. After obtaining the participants’ list of characteristics and behaviors valued by the organization, ask the group to identify the business purpose each item serves.
2. For each item listed, ask the group to identify whether there is any group of individuals within the organization who might be excluded from full participation by any rule identified (and its underlying value). For example, if one of the organization’s unwritten rules is people being at the office long hours (“face time”—being seen by insiders early in the morning and late at night), single parents or individuals with elderly parents or other family obligations will be at a distinct disadvantage. That same individual may be working just as many hours but may do so at home in the evenings. For each item where a potential detrimental effect is identified, ask the group to consider (a) alternative ways of achieving the same business goals and (b) a method for changing the informal rules to be more inclusive.
Note: The above two steps can also be done with employees but only if management has indicated an interest in hearing ideas from employees and has a commitment to consider implementation of some of the ideas. If management has not indicated such interest and commitment, asking employees to engage in this process would only result in their dissatisfaction.
© Executive Diversity Services, Inc., Seattle, Washington, 1996.
Individualism
Competition and Winning
Material Possessions and Comfort
Work Ethic
Doing and Achieving
Cooperation and Fair Play
Youth and Attractiveness
Progress/Change
Equality
Family
Sources (see Resource Bibliography for complete citations)
Gary Althen, American Ways: A Guide for Foreigners in the United States. 2d ed.
Edward C. Stewart and Milton J. Bennett, American Cultural Patterns: A Cross-Cultural Perspective. Rev. ed.