In Charles Handy’s 1978 book, Gods of Management, he articulated four organizational cultures or models for how the organization works.
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The Nature of Organizations
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This video is part of course module number 6.1.2
Program 6: Managing within Organizations
Course 1: The Nature of Organizations
Section 2: Organizational Models
Other videos in this section include:
Edgar Schein's Two Organizational Cultures - https://youtu.be/9C64CXJw83E
Henry Mintzberg's 4 plus 2 Organizational Types - https://youtu.be/JmvYcskjh3E
Charles Handy's Shamrock Organization - https://youtu.be/dGGKT0Mr_HA
Charles Handy's Federal Organization Model - https://youtu.be/69AYxCvT7m4
Charles Handy's Triple-I Company - https://youtu.be/gFRXiMkIg6k
The Matrix Organization Model - https://youtu.be/hJ9wbFgmtKM
Peter Senge's Learning Organization - https://youtu.be/k1k2h1l2VO0
Adhocracy - https://youtu.be/7QKm0Y3_Hr0
The Agile Organization - https://youtu.be/67NVUeFQMy4
Brian Robertson's Holacracy - https://youtu.be/hz3khhOLT5E
Virtual Organizations - https://youtu.be/Hsovj2jPNPA
LESSON NOTES
Charles Handy described 4 types of organizational dynamic, according to how formal their structure is, and how centralized power is. He named them from 4 archetypal Olympian gods from ancient Greek mythology.
Power Culture (or Club Culture)
Zeus - impulsive, powerful, absolute ruler of the Greek gods
- A highly centralized ‘Club’ culture, where one dominant executive holds all the power
- They control all the important resources and can have low acceptance of under-performance
- Tends to arise under a dominant and successful founder, or with the ascendancy of a charismatic leader
Political parties, start-ups, and crime families often share this culture
Roles Culture
Apollo represents order, stability, and rules
- Mature, bureaucratic organizations adopt a solid, stable, rule-based culture, where everyone has a specific role
- People know what is expected of them and will rarely step beyond those boundaries
- Reporting lines are well-defined and decisions follow set procedures.
- Job positions confer authority to make decisions, and processes can be long-winded and inflexible
- Struggles to adapt to a changing environment
Task Culture
Athena was goddess of wisdom and an able problem-solver
- Meritocracy, where ability to think and get things done is highly valued, and rewarded well
- Talent is well rewarded, and teams are fluid, with people coming together to work on projects and solve problems
- Authority is less important here than knowledge, expertise, and the ability to influence and persuade
- Innovative and shun routine
See this culture in consultancies, research organizations, and in agile business units of larger, forward-thinking businesses that may be stuck with an Apollo or Zeus culture
Person Culture
Dionysus stands for personal freedom and lack of formality.
- About me, me, me
- Serves individuals and can lead to creative freedom and also internal discord and unproductive competition
- The organization is little more than an infrastructure: a home and resource pool for a set of self-motivated individuals who often care more about their own position than that of the organisation
Accounting and law firms are examples, because of the partnership nature of the businesses. So too are pressure groups
RECOMMENDED EXERCISE
1. Consider your current organization. Which of Handy's 4 Gods of Management best describes it? (2 MC CPD Points)
2. Repeat your assessment for each organization you have worked for. (2 MC CPD Points each)
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RECOMMENDED READING
- Understanding Organizations https://geni.us/oB774Do
- Images of Organization https://geni.us/hrOemEs
- Inside Organizations: 21 Ideas for Managers https://geni.us/YwwL
- Gods of Management: The Four Cultures of Leadership https://geni.us/bpPeC5
Managers Need a Basic set of kit to do your job well. Here are my top recommendations: https://kit.co/MikeClayton/manager-s-work-kit (the links are affiliated)
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