Organizations as Cultures

Metaphors and Cultures Web Lecture

In the interpretive view of organizational culture a researcher studying an office’s communication will look how organizational life is developed through communication. Facets of the organizations culture may not be shared by all employees but there are overarching stories and values that flow throughout the organization. A researcher using the interpretive view aims to interpret communication in order to accurately define the culture of the organization. The online lecture ends the discussion of organizations as cultures with the criticism that ignores the role of power within organizations when it comes to developing metaphors and communications.

In my experience the development of workplace metaphors and stories is shared between management and lower level staff. While power certainly comes into play, a manager is much more likely to be able to pass along official communications or change a facet of office culture; staff has just as large of a role in expanding these metaphors and stories. The power in this sense is shared. Though developing official messages or metaphors such as the office as a family is often the realm of management, staff takes a large role in determining whether a change in workplace mores actually sticks. So while I agree that the interpretive view does seem to give management too little credit in office communication and its development, it gives the majority of employees just the right amount of credit in their role shaping and expanding the metaphors and changes in office culture that come from the top.