Cultural Dynamics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Cultural Dynamics - Essay Example Mary Jo Hatch helps us reflect upon culture and gender dynamics and how we personally might reflect on those issues. Schien, on the other hand felt that culture was defined on three layers which were the surface which is where artifacts are, underneath the surface of artifacts where values a, and at the core, our basic assumptions. A assumption according to Schien (1985) is a belief that is taken for granted about reality. Values are those principles, philosophies, goals, and standards that are considered important in our society and artifacts are those things that are visible, tangible and audible. The American flag would be an example of an artifact. When compared side by side, both theories appear very much the same. Stein sees cultural dynamics as a learning process and Mary Jo Hatch see it as a change process that describes how an organization defines the things that are important about it and how those things change. Both theories are really a blend of the things that occur in an organization. Mary Jo Hatch notes the importance of the same issues such as values, artifacts, symbols, and assumptions as does Schein. It is the philosophy of how those things are important that is somewhat different. Ms Hatch tells us that what we value in our organizations is developed from what we assume to be true. Values are carried through the organization through the strategic plan and employee evaluations.