iCompute

The culture of an organisation can be explored from a variety of perspectives and through a number
of frameworks and models. No specific model or framework is required by the question so a variety
of appropriate approaches are acceptable.

Stories are told by employees in an organisation. These often concern events from the history of the
organisation and highlight significant issues and personalities. In the context of iCompute, there is
evidence of stories that celebrate the earlier years of the organisation when founder Ron Yeates had
an important role. ‘Ron used to debate responsibility for requirements changes with the customer.’ In
contrast modern management is perceived as weak, giving in too easily in negotiations with
customers. Not only is this perceived weakness affecting morale, but it also appears to be affecting
profit margins and this is an important consequence for the organisation

Symbols include logos, offices, cars, titles and the type of language and terminology commonly used
within the organisation. The language and symbols of technology appear to dominate at iCompute.
Software developers constantly scan the horizon for new technological opportunities. They embrace
these technologies and solutions and, as a result, continually distract the organisation. As soon as a
technical direction or solution is agreed, or almost agreed, a new alternative is suggested causing
doubt and delay. One of the managers claimed that the company was ‘in a state of constant technical
paralysis’. This paralysis has implications. Furthermore, technological objectives can quickly outweigh
business and financial objectives, to the detriment of the company as a whole.

The perceived inability of managers to effectively participate in technological discussions is derided

Routines and rituals concern the ‘way we do things around here’. At iCompute this involves long
working hours and after-work social activities such as football, socialising and playing computer
games. The latter of these reinforces the technical focus (discussed in symbols) of employees. The
routines and rituals of the organisation are largely male-oriented (football, computer games) and
would probably exclude most females. This would almost certainly contribute to the company’s
inability to recruit and retain women employees. Furthermore, long working hours and after-work
activities will also alienate employees who have to get home to undertake family commitments or
simply do not wish to be ‘one of the lads’. This must contribute to almost one-third of all employees
leaving within their first year at the company. The consequence of this culture is an expensive
recruitment and training process.

The control systems of the organisation include measurement and reward systems. Within iCompute
technical expertise is only rewarded to a certain organisational level. To earn more, technically adept
employees have to become managers. Evidence appears to suggest that many are unsuited to
management, unable to deal appropriately with their former peers. These managers also seem
anxious to show that their technical expertise is not diminishing, emphasising the importance of
technology as a symbol within the organisation. Consequently, they often try to demonstrate this
expertise (for example, through programming) but are unaware that this brings derision rather than
respect. The absence of measurement systems has recently been recognised by management within
the company. This has led to the initiation of an in-house project to improve time recording.
However, software developers within the company see this as an unwelcome initiative.

Paradigm and discussion Initially, iCompute was an entrepreneurial organisation with a significant
work ethic based on long hours, technical innovation and competitive management. Although the
organisation has superficially matured, the stories told by employees and the recruitment and
retention of similarly minded people, has led to the continuation of a male-oriented, technologically
focused workforce managed by unprepared and unsuitable managers. Managers’ reaction to conflict
is to avoid it (agreeing with customers over requirements), outsource it (software support) or put in
formal computer systems to control it (the implementation of a time recording system). The failure to
recruit and retain female staff appears to be a direct consequence of the organisational culture of
iCompute. The ‘work hard, play hard work ethic’ is only suitable for employees with certain
objectives, characteristics and minimal childcare responsibilities. This culture needs to change if the
company is to employ a more balanced and representative workforce that is focused on business
rather than technological objectives.
A Cultural web is An analysis that compares the paradigm (assumptions) in an organisation’s

culture with the physical manifestations of that culture. The culture at iCompute are as follows:

- Control systems – what is measured and rewarded in the organisation, eg people may be
rewarded based on volume of sales rather than customer service

also angry that an in-house project has been initiated to produce a system for recording the
time spent on tasks and projects
‘I moved into management because I needed to earn more money. There is a limit to what
you can earn here as a software developer.
managers. One commented that ‘they are technologically years out of date. Some will insist
on writing programs and producing code, but we take it out again as soon as we can and
replace it with something we have written
an in-house project has been initiated to produce a system for recording the time spent on
tasks and projects -to overcome

- Routines – the way members of an organisation behave to each other and to those outside
the organisation and Rituals – events that are important to the organisation, whether formal
(eg recruitment and induction processes) or informal (eg drinks after work)

Employees are expected to work long hours and to take part in social activities after work.
playing computer games well into the early hours of the morning. football
Football I am still one of the boys.’ difficulty in recruiting and retaining female staff as male
oriented activities

- Organisation structure – this will determine formal and informal relationships and what is
important, for example a hierarchical structure suggest a ‘top-down’ approach

- Paradigm – the shared assumptions of the organisation, including beliefs, that are taken for
granted and represent a collective experience

, the stories told by employees and the recruitment and retention of similarly minded
people, has led to the continuation of a male-oriented, technologically focused workforce
managed by unprepared and unsuitable managers. Managers’ reaction to conflict is to avoid
it (agreeing with customers over requirements), outsource it (software support) or put in
formal computer systems to control it (the implementation of a time recording system). The
failure to recruit and retain female staff appears to be a direct consequence of the
organisational culture of iCompute. The ‘work hard, play hard work ethic’ is only suitable for
employees with certain objectives, characteristics and minimal childcare responsibilities.

- Symbols – this can include logos, office layouts, titles and uniforms, often in the form of
‘status symbols’
‘work hard, play hard’ work ethic

- Power structures – people holding power in the organisation. This may not just be based on
seniority, eg in professional firms’ technical experts may hold significant power
- Stories and myths – stories told to each other, outsiders and new recruits such as the
organisation’s foundation or key decisions

Ron Yates used to manage the company. He seemed to set the tone and negotiate with the
customer. There is a clear sense that the company might have lost its way because the
modern management seems to give in too easily in negotiations to customers. This story
seems to have affected morale and also the profit margins