Organizational

Culture
 Group Members
Akifa Amjad (01) Morning
Iffat Fatima (13) Morning
Misha Farhan (19) Morning
Rimsha Saleem (22) Morning
 Tabel of Contents
Transformation to a Knowledge-Sharing
13
Introduction 4 Culture

Defininitions of Organizational 5 What Does a Successful KM Culture Look

17
Culture Like?

Key Elements of Organaziational 6 Impact of a Merger on Organizational 19

Culture Cullture

Organizational Culture Analysis 7 Impact of Virtual on Organizational 20

Culture
Culture at the Foundation of KM 11
KM and Change: Can or Should KM 21
The Effects of Culture on Change Organizational Culture?
12
Individuals
Conclusion 23
 Introduction
Culture includes the shared values, beliefs, and
behaviors of a group.

It influences how people understand problems

and choose solutions.

Culture is shown in daily actions, symbols,

language, and communication.

Organizations have their own cultures, shaped by

society but also unique.

People bring their personal and community

cultures into the workplace.

Changing organizational culture means changing

shared values, behaviors, and ways of thinking.
 Definitions of
Organizational Culture
Morgan (1977), who more recently
(1997) describes culture as “an active,
living phenomenon through which
people jointly create and recreate the
worlds in which they live” (1997, p. 141).

Schein (1999), who is generally considered the

founding father of organizational culture,
provides the following definition:
“Organizational culture is a pattern of basic
assumptions—invented, discovered, or
developed by a given group as it learns to cope
with its problems of external adaptation and
internal integration—that has worked well
enough to be considered valid and, therefore,
to be taught to new members as the correct
way to perceive, think, and feel in relation to
those problems” (p. 385).
 Key Elements of Organizational Culture
Shop talk—
typical
language
Stated and Customs and
used by and
unstated rituals
about the
values group
Overt and
Stories and
implicit
myths about
expectations
the history of
for member Climate—the
Metaphors and the group
behavior feelings
symbols—which
may be evoked by
unconscious or the way
embodied in members
other cultural interact with
elements one another,
 Organizational Culture
Analysis

Understanding culture
means understanding how
your organization works at
its core. Schein (1992)
describes three levels of
culture.
Artifacts (Surface Level):
Artifacts are the visible and tangible
elements of culture, such as dress codes,
office layout, formal processes, logos, and
ceremonies.

These are easy to observe but often hard to

interpret correctly without understanding
the deeper layers of culture.

Artifacts are like the tip of an iceberg, they

show symptoms of culture but not its
cause.

They reflect behavior and organizational

norms but not the reasoning behind them.
 Values (Middle Level)
Values are the shared beliefs and ideals
that guide behavior and decision-making
within the organization.

They express what the organization

considers important, such as innovation,
teamwork, or efficiency.

Values are often shaped and reinforced by

leaders and become reference points for
evaluating actions and setting
expectations.

They are less visible than artifacts but

easier to articulate and discuss than basic
assumptions.
 ASSUMPTIONS (DEEPEST
LEVEL):
These are unconscious beliefs,
perceptions, and feelings that
are taken for granted and
deeply embedded in the
organizational culture.
They shape how members
interpret reality, human
behavior, truth, and
relationships.
Basic assumptions are difficult
to identify or challenge because
they feel obvious and natural to
members.
They form the foundation of
culture and are the most
resistant to change.
 Culture at the Foundation of KM
2 Resistance is
common when
employees feel
KM initiatives often excluded from the
1 require changing change process or
existing culture, perceive it as
3 A knowledge-sharing
especially to promote imposed.
culture must be
trust, openness, and intentionally created
collaboration. —inform, involve, and
inspire employees to
4 Cultural maturity build buy-in.
evolves through KM
implementation;
change triggers
culture growth and
vice versa.
 The Effects of Culture on Individuals
Culture Shapes Behavior Through Norms.
Culture drives consistent behavior across
individuals through social norms.

Social Norm types (Kilmann et al., 1986):

Peripheral norms – minor, courteous
behaviors (e.g., greetings); mild sanctions if
broken.
Relevant norms – important for group
cohesion; breaking them can lead to
exclusion.
Pivotal norms – essential for group
functioning; breaking them risks expulsion.
Transformation to a
Knowledge-Sharing Culture

Structural changes (rules,

rewards) are easier but often
fail without culture change.

Culture is deep-rooted, tied

to identity, and resistant to
quick fixes.
Without aligning culture, KM
efforts often face hidden
resistance and fail.
Methods to Change and Reinforce Culture
Role Modeling
Leaders must "walk the talk"—they are the primary transmitters of values.
Visible actions (e.g., sharing knowledge) influence behavior more than policies.
Storytelling
Organizational myths and stories communicate values (“how things are done here”)
Stories about successes/failures guide behavior informally.

Rewards and Recognition

Aligning incentives with desired behaviors reinforces cultural values.
Recognizing top knowledge sharers sends a clear message of what’s valued.

Resource Allocation
Budget priorities (e.g., cutting training first) reflect real cultural values.
Practical Strategies to Build KM Culture
KM gatherings: Informal meetups, lunch-and-learns.

Knowledge journalists: Capture stories, lessons learned.

Workplace design: Open, collaborative spaces to spark interaction.

Performance reviews: Include knowledge-sharing behaviors.

Open-space meetings: Let staff choose and lead knowledge

discussions.
 BUILD TRUST ENCOURAGE
AND MUTUAL TWO-WAY
RESPECT COMMUNICATION

DON’T IMPOSE
Lessons Learned CHANGE, LET
for Cultural IT EVOLVE

Change
FOCUS ON
PEOPLE AND USE TECH TO
RELATIONSHIPS EXTERNALIZE
,NOT JUST AND SHARE
TOOLS AND KNOWLEDGE
CONTENT
What Does a Successful KM Culture Look Like
Characteristics of a Successful KM Culture

Openness & Trust: Safe space for contribution and

collaboration.
Transparency & Accountability: Knowledge flowsfreely—no
hoarding.
Collegial, not Competitive: Emphasis on teamwork over rivalry.
Learning Culture: Time and space to reflect on both success and
failure.
Barriers and Possible Solution for Successful KM Culture
In a successful KM culture, knowledge workers feel comfortable
contributing what they know and offering their advice.
 Impact of a Merger on Organizational
culture
Culture is like the DNA of an organization, it is how people work and interact.

When two organizations merge, their cultures may be very different.

Merging isn’t just about combining systems or people, it is also about creating a new
shared culture.

This new culture should keep the best parts of both old ones and avoid major
conflicts.

To build this new culture, people must talk openly, decide what’s important, and work
together to shape how things will be done in the future.
 Impact of Virtual Work on Organizational
Culture
Virtual work means less face-to-face contact, so people have fewer shared
experiences and weaker connections.

Without in-person interaction, employees can feel isolated and less part of
the team, especially new hires.

Virtual teams often lack common rules, shared values, and clear guidelines.

Communication depends heavily on technology like video calls, which limits

natural conversations and informal bonding.
 KM and Change: Can or Should KM
Change Organizational Culture?
KM is often expected to “change the culture” — but it’s not that simple. It
expected fast cultural change through KM, but staff didn’t know how to make it happen — no clear
strategy or guidance.
There are obstacles faced by KM to change culture of organization
People weren’t resisting sharing — they just didn’t know each other across departments.

Organizations had no time for reflection or learning — always focused on action.

“Lessons learned” were kept in silos — not shared across the organization.

There was no system to help people learn from each other or the past.

Without space and structure, culture didn’t shift.

Stories about successes/failures guide behavior informally.

 How KM Can Support Cultural
Change

But small wins Communication

Culture change is slow — along the way are is the starting
it can take 8–10 years possible and point — people
important must share ideas
and perspectives

KM success =
Culture change
building a culture
should be customized
where knowledge is
for different shared, valued, and
subcultures used
Conclusion
Organizational culture shapes how knowledge is shared, used, and valued.

Mergers, virtual work, and change efforts all challenge culture in unique ways.

Knowledge Management (KM) cannot simply "fix" culture — but it can support
gradual, meaningful change.

Technology helps, but people, communication, and trust are the true drivers of
a knowledge-sharing culture.

Long-term success comes from aligning KM strategies with cultural

understanding, inclusion, and time.