As the most superficial layer of organizational culture, observable artifacts are the tangible and perceptible elements that represent underlying cultural assumptions. Examples include company symbols, specialized language or jargon, organizational stories and legends, and established practices or rituals.

Observable Artifacts in Organizational Culture

Espoused values are the principles, beliefs, and rules that an organization's management or members officially endorse. This layer of culture serves to guide employees' actions and decisions in various situations by clarifying what is considered important and appropriate within the organization.

Espoused Values in Organizational Culture

Constituting the deepest layer of organizational culture, basic assumptions are the ingrained, unobservable, and unquestioned beliefs that guide behavior. These assumptions are often taken for granted by members of the organization and form the core of its culture.

Basic Assumptions in Organizational Culture

According to a model by Ostroff, Kinicki, and Tamkins (2003), organizational culture can be analyzed in three hierarchical layers. These layers range from the most visible to the most deeply embedded aspects of the culture and include observable artifacts, espoused values, and basic assumptions.

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Organizational culture refers to the collection of shared values, visions, hierarchies, norms, and interactions that define an organization. It dictates how the organization operates, makes decisions, and manages its employees, and can be influenced by the industry it belongs to. This culture shapes employee behavior and their understanding of the workplace, impacting performance and job satisfaction.

Organizational Culture

Spielman, R. M., Jenkins, W. J., & Lovett, M. D. (2020, April 22). Psychology (2nd ed.). OpenStax. https://openstax.org/books/psychology-2e/pages/1-introduction

OpenStax Psychology (2nd ed.) Textbook

Organizational culture is shown to be a mediating factor in the organizational learning process. Culture is embedded into any form of organizational learning. Organizational culture helps connect and understand learning in an organization to learning by an organization. 

Influence of Organizational Culture on Organizational Learning

A form of organizational training designed to educate employees on cultural differences. The primary goals are to help participants bridge and understand these differences, ultimately leading to improved teamwork and collaboration in a diverse workplace.

Diversity Training

Layers of Organizational Culture

Within a single organization, different departments or groups can form their own distinct subcultures. These subcultures exist within the broader organizational culture but may have their own unique values, norms, and practices.

Organizational Subcultures

Sexual harassment refers to any sexually-characteristic behavior that is unwelcome and creates a hostile and intimidating work environment. It can also impact an individual's performance at their job.

Sexual Harassment

Organizational psychology investigates the role of organizational culture, analyzing how its various elements can influence overall organizational productivity.

Impact of Organizational Culture on Productivity

The prevention and handling of sexual and other forms of workplace harassment are considered significant components of a healthy organizational culture.

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