Subcultures in Organisations

Leading academics in the field of organizational research, Janice Beyer and Harrison Trice, have identified four social conditions which promote the growth of subcultures: [1]

• Differential interaction. This is the extent to which individuals associate with one another. An organization’s size, structure and processes establish the interaction between its employees, which can lead to the formation of subcultures.
• Shared experiences. Individuals who have shared experiences can develop similar values, modes of behavior and a comparable view of the world. People in the same job role, for example, are likely to encounter the same questions, problems and issues, which is conducive to subculture formation.
• Similar personal characteristics. Individuals of comparable characteristics such as age, education and ethnicity could form subcultures if they share the same social space.
• Cohesion. Instances such as performance success, physical isolation from other groups, or the experience of a crisis or threat can all lead to group cohesion and, therefore, a subculture.

In practical terms, subcultures within an organization can emerge when:

• There is a merger between two organizations that previously had very different cultures (e.g. one dedicated to low cost, the other to high quality) and not enough work is invested by senior management to bring the two together
• Departments have diverse approaches to their work. For example, a marketing department is encouraged to ‘think outside the box’ and be creative, whereas operational functions are usually more practical and concerned with meeting schedules
• Employees perform the same job role but with very different attitudes. For example, one set have a positive ‘can-do’ approach to their work, whereas another has a negative mindset where even the most fundamental tasks are thought of as a hassle)

Different Types of Subcultures

Although the list of different subcultures is potentially endless, Joanne Martin and C Siehl, researchers in the field of organizational culture, have identified three general types of subcultures:[2]

• Enhancing subcultures. This is a subculture where employees believe in the organizational culture (often referred to as the ‘dominant culture’) more strongly than in the rest of the organization. This is often made up of employees who have worked for the organization for many years. Their long-service has developed a firm commitment to the organization’s beliefs and values.
• Orthogonal subcultures. Here employees buy into the dominant organizational culture, but are open to a separate belief and value set. Employees who are encouraged to think creatively are often part of this subculture.
• Countercultures. This subculture either directly challenges or rejects the dominant organizational culture, often creating an uneasy relationship. Merged organizations frequently encounter countercultures, when it is decided that one organization’s culture should be dominant but this sits at odds with the culture that the other organization was used to.

Responding to Subcultures

It is important to distinguish between those subcultures that are beneficial to the organization and those that are not, and then manage them accordingly.

• Beneficial subcultures. Ensure that the benefits they bring to the organization are identified and utilized. For instance, the group described above with the positive attitude to their work should be encouraged and held up as an example of good practice. Establish what is motivating them and see if these factors can be applied to others.
• Negative subcultures. Alternatively, their colleagues with the negative attitude need to be handled a different way. Any deviations from standards of conduct and policy need to be addressed quickly before bad practice is adopted by others. If these negative subcultures are deep seated, you may need to seek assistance from senior management to reverse this. (It may be necessary to make some fundamental changes by restructuring, for example.)

Although it is sometimes easier to ignore a negative subculture, in doing so you risk undermining the entire value system the organization is seeking to establish. A good manager will be on the look out for subcultures developing and will take appropriate steps to either nurture or curtail them.

Membership Is Unlimited

An individual is likely to find they are members of a variety of different subcultures, whether they are conscious of this or not. They may have certain inherent characteristics that they share with some employees, yet may have shared experiences with another group. Also, as people move around within an organization, either to a new job role or to work with different colleagues or departments on separate projects, they could find themselves being exposed to new behaviors and values. This exposure could mean that they form further subcultures or join existing ones.