ABS International Journal of Management

EMBED THE CULTURE OF EMBRACING Ankita Shukla Teaching Assistant, Mangalayatan CHANGE University

Abstract: Change generates emotions as employee’s experience the processes and outcome of amend, including cultural change. An organization’s affective culture, which shape the way emotions are experienced and expressed, plays a particularly important part during changes to the culture or to any other significant aspect of managerial life. This article contributes tothe literature by illustrating the associations between culture, change and emotions and presents the results of a qualitative study. We found that when participants’ values were harmonizing with those of the organization they tended to react to change more optimistically. Cultural change provoked emotional reactions, often of an intense nature. When emotions were acknowledged and treated with respect, people became more engaged with the change.

Keywords: Organizational Culture, Organizational Change, etc.

Introduction Literature Review used instead of culture, or in addition Change is fundamentally about feelings; Emotions are direct responses to to it, and is the employee perception companies those want their workers to events, issues, relationships and objects of the culture and a manifestation of contribute with their heads and their that are important to people (Lazarus, it (Allen, 2003). The debate as to the hearts have to accept that emotions are 1991; Frijda, 1988), whereas mood is similarities and differences between central to the new management style. longer lasting, more diffuse and not them, and the multiple theoretical The most successful change programs always linked to something specific perspectives on each (Payne 2002; reveal that large organizations connect (Isen, 2000; Weiss, 2002). Affect is a Denison, 1996), lie outside the scope with their people most directly through broad term including emotion, mood of this article, and to simplify matters values and those values, ultimately and disposition (Barsade and Gibson, the term organizational culture will be are about beliefs and feelings (Duck, 2007). Organizational change has used throughout. More colloquially, 1993, p. 113). There are number of the potential to trigger positive and culture is “how things are done around ways in which organizational culture, negative emotions and moods in the here” (Martin, 2002, and it shapes the organizational change and emotions employee that depend on a range of behaviour of its members in overt and are related. Firstly, organizational factors. These include the perceived covert ways. It has also been called a culture is imbued with emotion and valence of the outcomes, the change system of shared meanings (Pizer and therefore cultural change is especially processes that are used, the speed, Härtel, 2005) but how widely it is really emotional. A change in culture can timing and frequency of change, shared is debatable (Martin, 2002). be the goal of management and but the nature of leadership and the For example, sub-cultures exist in could occur indirectly as a result employee’s personality and emotional organizations (Allen, 2003; Ryan, 2005) of strategic, tactical or operational intelligence (Kiefer, 2005; Jordan, 2005, which are often based on categories such changes. Secondly, an organization’s Wanberg and Banas, 2000; Smollan, as hierarchy, department, professional affective culture influences how 2006). The culture of the organization identity, ethnicity and gender, but may these emotions are experienced and can also play an important role in both also be conceptualised as differing expressed. Thirdly, there might be generating emotions during change value systems. For example, Palthe and specific elements of a culture that an and influencing their expression or Kossek (2003) developed a typology employee likes or dislikes and these suppression. The affective culture, of sub-cultures that are employee- influence emotional responses to any in particular, will help or hinder centred, professional-centred, task- type of change. There is little literature employees’ adjustment on an individual centred and innovation-centred. that integrates employees’ emotional level. Organizational culture is regarded Employees’ responses to change are responses to change with an analysis of as a set of assumptions, beliefs, values, often coloured by their perceptions of, their organizations’ affective cultures. customs, structures, norms, rules, and engagement in, the sub-culture as traditions and artefacts (Schein, 2004). well as in the broader organizational The term organizational climate is often culture (Harris and Ogbonna, 1998;

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Morgan and Ogbonna, 2008). Sub- energy and passion” to be competitive may not be socially acceptable to cultures may become counter-cultures (Keown, 2006, p. C4). express more directly” (p. 80). If, as or anti-cultures (Elsmore, 2001) and Branson (2007, p. 377) claims, “Values according to Armenakis, Harris and Researchers have explored the alignment is the bedrock of successful Moss holder (1993, p. 687), “these emotions-culture nexus. Schein (1990, organizational change”, this process cultural memberships may polarize p. 111) indicates that “Culture is what needs to be carefully managed but the beliefs, attitudes and intentions of a group learns over a period of time nevertheless cannot always work. A members” through group discourses as that group solves its problems of person’s sense of identity is partly and undermine readiness for change. survival in an external environment and determined by his or her values, which its problems of internal integration”, can mesh or clash with organizational Organizational culture is substantially and he emphasizes that “such learning values (Ashforth and Mael, 1989; about values (Kabanoff, Waldersee and is simultaneously a behavioural, Pepper and Larson, 2006). As Ryan Cohen, 1995; Ryan, 2005; Duck, 1993), cognitive, and an emotional process.” (2005, p. 432) puts it, culture “represents which have been termed “embedded Focusing on the affective process the often unwritten sense of identity, codes” (Branson, 2007, p. 382) – even he contends that one of the factors feeling part of the organization. It if these might be contested. Values may that contribute to the development provides a ‘glue’ and understanding evolve or be deliberately determined of culture is the “emotional intensity in that it can help individual members and articulated in mission statements of the actual historical experiences” make sense of events and change and websites and included in induction organizational or group members have activities.” According to Carr (2001, and training sessions. In this way, they shared (Schein, 2004, p. 11). Beyer and p. 429), “the processes involved in the are overt guides to behaviour but the Nino (2001) assert that culture both relationship between employee and messages and the mechanisms may engenders emotions and provides for organization are deep-seated, largely be more subtle. They often contain their expression in socially accepted unconscious, intimately connected to emotional language, as the following ways and that culture acts as a ‘glue’ the development of identity and have corporate websites indicate: The Virgin that binds people. According to van emotional content.” He suggests that brand is built upon Richard Branson’s Maanen and Kunda (1989, p. 46), “Any change ‘dislodges’ identity and leads to core philosophy - if you keep your staff attempt to manage culture is therefore anxiety and grieving. happy then your customers will be also an attempt to manage emotions.” happy, and if you keep your customers The role of emotion is emphasized Van Knippenberg, van Knippenberg, happy then your shareholders will be somewhat idealistically by Bratton, Monden and de Lima (2009) reported happy (Virgin, 2008). At The Walt Grint and Nelson (2005, p. 51), who from a study of a merger that members Disney Company, entertainment is claim that “The most critical function of the dominant company felt a much about hope, aspiration and positive of corporate culture is to generate stronger form of organizational resolutions (Disney Corporation, commitment and enthusiasm among identification than the members of the 2008). At The Walt Disney Company, followers by making them feel they are other company. Similarly, Larson and entertainment is about hope, aspiration part of a ‘family’ and participants in a Pepper (2006) found in a takeover that and positive resolutions (Disney worthwhile venture.” members of the acquired company Corporation, 2008). We have four core resisted the values of the acquiring values (or passions) that are the ‘glue’ Organizational values are often company, as a result of what they connecting Vodafone in every country reflected in the language that is used, termed ‘identity tensions’. Van Dijk around the globe. These are Passion and the language of culture in the and van Dick (2009) found that change for Customers, Passion for Our People, context of change can be suffused can undermine an employee’s identity, Passion for Results, and Passion for the with emotion. Martin (2002) explains particularly in terms of social status, World Around Us” (Vodafone New how jargon both defines a culture and while resistance to change undermines a Zealand, 2008). When Vodafone New shapes it. For example, in researching change leader’s identity as a person with Zealand acquired an internet service mergers and acquisitions she noted power. It should also be emphasized provider to enter a new market its that the informal use of terms such as that in addition to its cognitive and work culture was reported in the press ‘shark’, ‘ambush’, ‘stud’, ‘cupid’, ‘rape’ behavioural components, resistance to as being “energised”. According to a and ‘afterglow’ reflect themes of sex change is also affective (Piderit, 2000; senior manager, the company’s culture and violence and that these “metaphors Szabla, 2007), but the role of affect is was “youthful, casual and fun” and that tap the emotional aspects of life in frequently overlooked or Discounted “it was important for workers to have particular kinds of organizations and as irrational (Domagalski, 1999). In industries, alluding to emotions that the context of cultural change the

14 ABS International Journal of Management emotional elements, wrapped as emotions and change, all of which have has also been the subject of social they are in values and identity, are been subjected to social constructionist constructionist approaches. The way particularly salient. A number of other treatments in the literature. “A general in which change is framed by various examples provide evidence of the assumption of social constructionist organizational actors (for example, as dissatisfaction and alienation that can is that knowledge is not disinterested, an exciting opportunity or a response be experienced by employees when apolitical, and exclusive of affective to problems) can stimulate discourses the culture changes. Eight years of and embodied aspects of human about change (Bean and Hamilton, structural change at GE, according experience, but is in some sense 2006; Mills, 2000; Ford, Ford and to Huy (2001, p. 619), “left remaining ideological, political and permeated with McNamara, 2002) that may or may employees reeling from cultural shock values” (Schwedt, 2003, p. 307). One of not result in shared understandings. and its managers exhausted.” Kavanagh the major dimensions of organizational Resistance to change may be seen as and Ashkanasy (2006) found that when culture is a set of values (Schein, 1990; culturally acceptable and negotiable values were threatened by change in the Martin, 2002) which are moulded by - or as unacceptable as a barrier to be tertiary education sector, employees both intra- and inter-organizational ‘dealt with’ or ‘managed’ (Dent and responded with defensiveness, shock forces (Standard Pedersen and Dobbin, Goldberg, 1999; van Dijk and van and lower levels of trust. Having 2006). Organizational cultures can Dick, 2009). conducted in-depth studies of two be shaped by explicit management privatised organizations Elsmore (2001) intervention but are also influenced The emotions that people experience concluded that changing the culture on a by multiple employee (and managerial) express or suppress during large scale is a long term endeavour and discourses and sub-cultures so that organizational change, are shaped by causes pain and anguish, particularly there is often a divide between espoused social relationships inside and outside when the change is legislated in a top- and perceived values (Kabanoff et the organization (Bryant and Wolfram down fashion. Brooks and Harfield al., 1995). The social processes that Cox, 2006). To explore the interaction (2000) report on a culture change enact the values “endow them with between organizational culture, change programme in a local government the meaning” (Rosen, 1991, p. 6), and, and emotions we interviewed 24 authority from a civil service mentality as Allen (2003) put it, organizational people in Auckland, New Zealand, in to one of ‘public management’ where actors create, but are also constrained 2006 and 2007. There were 11 women the user pays for a service. The cultural by, organizational meaning. The and 13 men, 16 European, two Maori, change programme, known as ‘Giving social constructionist perspective of three Asian and three of Pacific Value - Being Valued’, was considered emotions takes the view that emotions Island background. The participants inequitable since the ‘Being Valued’ are phenomena that are culturally came from a variety of industries, component fell short of the effort mediated (Antonacopoulou and organizations, functional departments expended by staff in ‘Giving Value’, and Gabriel, 2001) and developed through and hierarchical levels. They had evoked negative emotions. At Hewlett- interaction in social relationships. experienced a wide range of changes Packard strategy, structure and culture Cultural factors influence not merely including mergers, restructuring, all changed with a new CEO (Forster, the experience of specific emotions redundancy, relocations, new systems 2006). The family-culture of previous (such as shame, anger or pride) but also and job redesign. Participants were years gave way to one more focused on influence how appropriate their display sourced through management the individual and profit-sharing was is. Commenting on this approach consultants who knew them so that replaced by individual performance Callahan and McCollum (2002, p. 14) we had no previous Relationship measures. A number of disaffected indicate that “emotions are created or with them. The interview was part staff resigned. Schein (2004, p. 309) constructed as part of a common sense of a larger project on emotions and points out that new leader, who are making process in social structures” organizational change and one question often brought in specifically to change and that “social constructionist knits participants were specifically asked was, the culture, need to deal with emotional together the personal and the social.” how did the culture of the organization reactions. Social constructionism underlies impact on your emotional responses much of the literature on emotional to the change? Some commented on Research Methodology labour (e.g. Mann, 1999; Bolton; 2005; how the change had affected other For this study we have adopted a Fineman, 2008). Zembylas (2006) employees and some also referred to qualitative/social constructionist notes that the feeling and display the influence of organizational culture approach because it provides a useful rules that operate in organizations are elsewhere in the interview. Part of way of understanding the three main both contributors to, and outcomes the social construction of knowledge constructs of organizational culture, of, organizational culture. Change rests on how researchers select and

15 ABS International Journal of Management interpret interviewee comments. We culture, and its affective elements, and organizational change. This study drew up a table of the 24 participants and of the influences of nationality, has contributed to the literature by and noted key issues and quotes ethnicity and gender. Ethnographic integrating affective culture with from the transcripts that deal with accounts could provide a deep and rich other elements of an organization’s organizational culture. We particularly vein of material that is peculiar to an culture and by presenting ideographic looked for the emotional ramifications organization, such as those provided by accounts that reveal how participants of changes to the culture, the influence van Maanen and Kunda (1989) Martin in change believe the affective aspects of the affective culture, and for how et al. (1998) and Elsmore (2001). of organizational culture shaped their positive and negative views of the Further research may have the capacity emotional reactions. Dramatic changes existing culture impacted on their to more completely capture the many faced by organizations in the economic emotional reactions to any of the variables at play when considering crisis, developing in late 2008 and changes they were discussing. We also emotional reactions to change events, mushrooming in 2009, have strained examined whether emotional support such as emotional labour, perceived and altered organizational cultures and has been provided by leaders and organizational support, organizational put an emotional burden on staff. The managers of change and whether this EI, systemic justice, sub-cultural lessons from our research study should was evidence of cultural norms. The issues, professional norms and gender be of benefit to managers struggling to analysis of the findings is, therefore, factors. In addition, the roles of leaders maintain, adjust or blend organizational our reconstruction (Schwandt, 1998) of in creating, sustaining and changing cultures and deal with the emotional the dynamics of culture, emotions and culture, and the degree to which they outcomes for staff. organizational change. infuse culture with emotion needs deeper exploration. References Limitations • Allen, D.K. (2003). Organizational In the present research, we investigated Conclusion climate and strategic change in individuals’ perceptions of how Organizational change has the capacity higher education: Organizational culture affected their emotions during to alter the culture, whether deliberately insecurity. Higher Education, 46(1), change events. This study, therefore, or not, and thereby influence people’s pp. 61-92. uses ideographic perceptions of emotional reactions. Conversely, the • Alvesson, M. (2002). Understanding organizational culture from individual culture affects the way in which staffs Organizational Culture (London: subjects influenced by change. respond to the change on an emotional Sage Publications). However, given that our focus has level. Arguments have been advanced by • Antonacopoulou, E.P. and been on emotions in relation to change researchers that organizational culture, Gabriel, Y. (2001). Emotion, events, this approach is justified in our change and emotions are socially learning and organization opinion. Methodological debates about constructed. Many have criticized the change towards an integration researching organizational culture are cynical way in which all these elements of psychoanalytic and as heated as they are in other areas of have been deliberately manipulated to other perspectives, Journal of organizational behaviour (e.g. Rosen, control people and harness them to Organizational Change Management, 1991; Martin, 2002). The wider project the organizational machine (Sturdy 14(5), pp. 435-451. covered many causes of emotional and Fineman, 2001; Zembylas, 2006). • Armenakis, A.A., Harris, responses to change and therefore did Yet if employee engagement is to S.G. and Moss holder, K.W. not delve into the culture in as much be authentic organizations need to (1993) Creating readiness for depth as a more narrowly targeted create cultures sufficiently strong to organizational change, Human study would. Quantitative studies embrace change without altering their Relations, 46(6), pp. 681-703. within organizations and across fundamental ethos and to develop national boundaries may give a much an acceptance that emotions are a more detailed picture of organizational natural part of organizational culture

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