Social:Raz update of Schein's organizational culture model

Edgar Schein's model for describing and measuring organizational culture is a well known model which is used by organizational consultants. The model was published by Schein in the 1980s. However, it had some uncertain aspects, which inspired Aviad Raz to publish the Raz update of Schein's organizational culture model in 2006.

Schein's model

Schein model defines organizational culture as the deepest and strongest aspect of organization life. The culture has three cognitive levels which one can measure. The first level is where the organizational attributes that can be seen, felt and heard by the uninitiated observer – this level includes – behavior, colours, furnishings, recognition. The attributes can be measured by observation of anyone that meets the culture. The next level is about the professed culture of the organization members – this level includes – slogans, flyers, lists, statements. One can measure there by interviews and reading papers of the organization. The last and deepest level is where lie the organization's tacit assumptions – these elements are unseen, subconscious, the 'unspoken rules' of the organization. To find out those tacit assumptions, one needs to discover the in-depth of the organization by deep observation and interpretation of an expert. Schein's model gives an opportunity to measure these levels and to compare the links between them. if the links are strongs then there is a strong organizational culture.

Problems with Schein's model

First problem – It is not really clear what is the difference between the professed culture and the tacit assumptions. It is hard to define when some kind of professed culture becomes a tacit assumption. For example, principle of discipline could be professed or tacit. Moreover, the saying that the tacit assumptions cannot be examined by interviews and questionnaires gives too much credit to the investigator to decide what he sees.

Second problem – the term of organizational attributes is too vague and general. It includes almost everything that happens in the organization – from a smile to the color of a desk. By being too wide this term loses its power.

Raz update of Schein's organizational culture model

Aviad Raz published an update that tries to deal with these two problems. First – he puts together both the professed culture and the tacit assumptions, and set them against the norms – so there are values – the wishful situation - which one can measure by reading papers and interviewing, against the norms which are really happening, and that one can measure by observing and interviewing. Second – Raz suggest to treat the attributes only as the physical objects at the organization – then, the term becomes much more accurate and stronger.
The strength of the organizational culture will be measured through two gaps – Objective gap – the gap between the values and the norms. Subjective gap – the gap between the values and understanding of the employees of what the values are. If these two gaps are not excised or mild – then there is a strong organizational culture.

External links

• Official Ed Schein Website
• Schein three level of culture
• Aviad Raz "Riding the Black ship"
• Aviad Raz at BGU University site

Bibliography

• Adey, P. & Shayer, M. (1994) Really Raising Standards. London: Routledge
• Edgar Schein. (1993) Organizational Culture and Leadership. In Classics of Organization Theory. Jay Shafritz and J. Steven Ott, eds. 2001. Fort Worth: Harcourt College Publishers.
• Aviad Raz. (2006) Managerial Culture, Workplace Culture and Situated Curricula in Organizational Learning Organization Studies, Vol. 27, No. 2, 165-182 (2006)