D1: Organisational Effectiveness

Please note that the characteristics presented in the case of this dimension don’t oppose each other. Thus, six characteristics are shown which should be read as follows:

• “We only do what we are told to do” (very means-oriented) versus “We do our utmost best, without being told to do so” (very goal-oriented)
• “No internal entrepreneurship whatsoever” (very means-oriented) versus “A lot of internal entrepreneurship” (very goal-oriented)
• Etc.

In the case of five of the six dimensions you will see that one area is coloured, in the case of dimension D1 it is area A. This area represents, what we call, the internal normative window. That means that if your actual culture scores within that area, your culture scores dysfunctional, irrespective of the strategy you or your management wants to realize and irrespective of the context in which your organization has to operate, unless exceptions are given as in the case of dimensions D4 and D5.

By using the word “internal” it implies that we also make use of “external normative windows”.

The internal normative windows have been defined by us. Some of the answers given by respondents when measuring their culture may, per definition, be dysfunctional. Thus, until now we have not met clients who claim that it is functional that managers and non-managers alike don’t keep their promises. The size of these internal normative windows are fixed and don’t change.

The external normative windows are defined by the client. This is done by assessing the environment in which the culture is embedded, such as the number of employees, degree of seniority, type of technology, degree of competition, etc. The sizes of these windows vary according to the answers given online. These questions are unrelated to the questions used to measure the actual culture. The internal and external windows together define the strategic window

The actual culture is the culture as it is now. Whereas the optimal culture is the culture as one would like it to be, in order to realize one’s objectives in the best possible way.
We measure the actual culture online by asking respondents to answer 76 questions. This is done in such a way that respondents will give socially desirable answers as little as possible.

In the case of measuring labour satisfaction, the aim is to know how respondents feel about their work situation. In the case of culture one wants to describe objective reality in comparative terms as adequately as possible, therefore trying to avoid socially desirable answers.

The strategic window is that part of the dimension in which management can position its optimal culture successfully. If management would position the optimal culture within the internal normative window, then management would make its culture dysfunctional. If management would position the optimal culture within the external normative window, it may suck away too much energy as it is either not feasible or it may backfire. Thus, in a nuclear power plant safety is of the utmost importance, whereas productivity is only defined by whether the plant is in operation or not. Preventive maintenance and control is therefore most important, but next to that productivity cannot be increased by the way people relate to their work. In that case, the external normative window will push the optimal culture into a means-oriented direction, leaving a strategic window of not more than 10 points.

We make a distinction between actual culture, i.e. the culture as it is now, and optimal culture, i.e. the culture, which, if put in place, will enable the realisation of your objectives in the best possible way.

Cultures that score in this area are being characterized by the fact that the “how” is not being translated in terms of “how” do I make sure that nothing goes wrong in order to ensure that my organization does a good job. Instead, the “how” is being translated in terms of “how” do I make sure that I will benefit on the short run even if this will harm the long term interests of my organization. This is the more true the more a culture scores closer towards 0.

If area A represents dysfunctionality, then the other three areas together represent potentially the functional area, running from 35 to 100. Potentially, because where you want your culture to be, the optimal culture, of course depends on your strategy and on the context in which your organization has to operate.

The four areas are clearly divided from each other, because we are capable of measuring culture precisely. Yet, in reality one cannot capture complex work reality in a precise number. Therefore, in order to be on the safe side, we say that only a difference of 10 points or more matters. Thus, these areas are in reality not all that clearly divided. Moreover, characteristics identified in area A may, to a degree, also be found in area B and to a smaller degree also in area C, but to all likelihood not in area D. The same applies to characteristics to describe area D.