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Rack BH (Human Dimension): Human Relations School | Org. Culture | Org. Climate | Org. Identity
Jump to: Importance | Theories | Research Areas | TAOP Episodes | References
What is the Human Dimension of Organization Studies and Why is it Important?
To a great extent, organizations are people. They might be people plus systems, technologies, facilities, structures, and so on, but first and foremost people. Even scientific management and Taylorism, that has been viewed in contemporary times as an impersonal and detached approach to improving work performance, based its concepts on the idea that people could be properly incentivized to increase their output. So the study of people and their relationships with others in the organization, with the work they are performing, and with the societies in which their work impacts has been at the heart of most any subfield in organization studies.
Hence, rather than just embed the people-oriented streams within each literature stream in this resource center, we decided it made more sense to consolidate the various perspectives focused on people here in one place. As an example, the stream on organization culture originated out of the scholarship on organizational development and change from the Hawthorne Studies to sociotechnical systems theory and onward (Schwandt, 2013). This body of work sought to reconcile what was unexplained about why managerially-imposed changes such as new technologies (e.g., Trist & Bamforth’s coal-mining study, Episodes 34 & 114) or efforts to incentivize increased work production through adjustments in pay, work hours, and so on (e.g., Hawthorne Studies, Episodes 9 & 119). It eventually coalesced around notions that in organizations there evolve “ways things are done around here” (Schein, 1990) that can be difficult to overcome.
The human dimension of organizational life has only gotten more important and relevant to scholars in contemporary times where digital transformations are simultaneously increased capabilities and capacities yet arguably disrupting or possibly damaging the social fabric of organizations. From corporate culturalism (Episodes 30 and 49) to the replacement of workers with robots (Episode 68), managerial efforts to improve organization performance raises questions about impacts on job satisfaction (Episode 101), worker commitment (Episode 107), and other people matters.
Some Leading Human Dimension Theories & Concepts
This is just a short list of major concepts focusing on the human dimension of organizations — culture, climate, and identity — with the Human Relations School being a foundational starting point. Each of these streams overlap with other areas in this Aisle of the Resource Center.
The Human Relations School. This school of thought focused on people as the center of productivity, not machines or technology, and as a response to the way productivity was understood and studies during the latter days of the industrial revolution. Beginning with the Hawthorne Studies, Elton Mayo and his followers complied significant research into how paying attention to member needs and desires fostered their greater personal interest and investment in their work. This contradicted the ideas of scientific management that sought to increase productivity through scientific rationalism. Although the title of the Human Relations School is typically attached to the Hawthorne Studies, Elton Mayo, Fritz Roethlisberger and others closely connected to the Hawthorne Studies, its ideas span far beyond — to all those whose research supported two-way communication and member participation as essential elements of organizational success. For example, the socio-technical systems model derived by Eric Trist and Ken Bamforth which we covered in Episodes 34 and 114.
Organizational Culture. The idea of applying the term “culture” to organizational settings came from anthropology where writers such as Kroeber & Kluckhohn (1952) defined culture as “patterns, explicit and implicit, of and for behavior acquired and transmitted.” Edgar Schein (1985) is widely recognized for his extensive work in this area, defining organizational culture as a pattern of shared basic assumptions learned by a group as it solves its problems of external adaptation and internal integration. His three-level framework recognized that the visible “artifacts” of culture — the tangible symbols, stories, and other manifestations — were more malleable than the basic assumptions that were often hidden from direct observation. Other scholars sought to make sense of basic assumptions and how they drive the identities and behaviors of organizations. One is Gareth Morgan’s (1986) Images of Organization (see Episode 41) that identified a series of metaphors that explain how people viewed what an organization is and how to reason about them.
Organizational Climate, Member Commitment, and Job Satisfaction. The aforementioned sociotechnical systems theory identified psychosocial climate as one of the key factors present in organizations, driving how perceptions of the situation among members and leaders can at times overtake the objective realities. Organizational climate was initially presented as a kind of social climate by Lewin et. al (1939), and Argyris (1953) showed through a case study at a bank that it is multi-level and incorporates a complex web of interpersonal relationships within an organizational setting. Although some models of organizational climate arguably overlap with organizational culture, new streams of literature emerged to tease out the feelings, emotions, and connections of members toward their organizations, in other words their “motivation” to work. Constructs of member commitment (Meyer & Allen, 1990) captured three different ways that members identified with their organizations — affective (“I like it here”), normative (“I belong here” or “I owe something to this place”), and continuance (“better to be here than elsewhere”). Meanwhile, various job satisfaction theories have also been introduced such as Herzberg’s two-factor theory of job motivation (see Episode 101) and Hackman & Oldham’s job characteristics theory and their Job Diagnostic Survey (see Episode 77).
Organizational Identity, Image, & Reputation. “Who are we?” This is an important question for organizational leaders and members to ask. In contemporary times, a frequent comment made by sports commentators is how a team stuck in a losing streak has “lost their identity.” Scholars have likewise tried to explain an organization’s cohesion (or lack thereof) in terms of organizational identity. Albert & Whetten (1985; see Episode 47) proposed a three-component construct of organizational “claims” — of the central character of the organization, of its distinctiveness (ostensibly from other organizations), and of its sense of history or “temporal continuity.” Considerable work followed in the 1990s, leading to questions as to the relationship between individual and organizational identity and other empirical challenges (Whetten, 2006). Organization image is the perception of the organization from both members and those external to the organization. Gioia, Schulz, & Corley (1991) composed a six-factor construct of organizational image that includes what what the organization tries to project to the outside and what outsiders reflect back upon the organization. One of these six is organization’s reputation, itself a multi-factor construct that includes how well-known is the organization, what it is known for, and to what extent the organization is liked (i.e., appreciated, tolerated, welcome) (Lange, Lee, & Dai, 2011).
Contemporary Research Areas
A number of “hot topics” in Aisle C touch on human dimension issues and researchers have been interested in both furthering theory development and solving practical organizational problems. For example, discourse on meaningful work (Rack CW), well-being & mental health (Rack CE), and justice & combatting inequity and discrimination (Rack CI) have only intensified in recent years, and the fate and concerns of real people — workers, their families, the communities to which they belong, etc. — lie at the heart of the discussion.
Getting the Most out of Transformation and Change. Organizations are under constant pressures to adapt or else they risk losing their competitive advantage (Megginson, 1963; paraphrasing Darwin’s Origin of Species). Popularized as “Adapt or Die” in numerous books since, this sentiment arguably reflects a growing management culture that prioritizes change over continuity, which is thus cast as complacency, and in turn prioritizes the organization’s survival over the conditions (or plight) of its individual members. While the practical implications of this culture are subjects of significant onsite research, there are also questions about the constructs of organizational culture, climate, identity, and others. For example, Research by Bartels et al. (2006) examines how employees’ identification with the new organization is influenced by the prevailing culture during a merger, while Rahmadania and Herminingsih (2021) explore the influence of organizational culture on employee performance and emphasize the need for organizations to foster a culture that supports change initiatives in order to avoid problems of active member resistance. There is also the question of preparedness or receptivity to change. This is particularly relevant on matters of digital transformation (see Rack CD). For example, Gfrerer et al. explore how perceptions of digital readiness influence change management practices, highlighting the need for organizations to develop cultures that support digital transformation (Gfrerer et al., 2020).
Improving the Organization’s Reputation. Scholars are interested in the extent to which organizational culture and identity shape organizational branding and reputation. For example, Lam et al. (2015) investigate how perceived organizational support influences employees’ organizational identification, suggesting that identity cues gathered from relationships within the organization can significantly impact employee engagement. Sustainability (see Rack CS) is an example of a factor driving the desire for organizations to sustain or protect their reputations. Gandi et al. (2023) explore how organizational culture influences sustainability practices, emphasizing the role of culture in shaping ethical behavior and corporate social responsibility.
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility. Also see Rack CI. The fields of organizational culture and identity are highly relevant here as efforts to improve inclusivity are often in conflict with organizational realities, and the nature of the conflict is itself in dispute. On the positive side, Ardiansyah et al. (2020) highlight how organizational culture can influence organizational citizenship behavior and turnover intention, emphasizing the need for inclusive practices that embrace diverse identities. On the other hand, named efforts to enhance diversity, equity, and inclusion (under the umbrella of a “DEI” initiative) are controversial, and their impact, effectiveness, and unintended consequences are active research topics (e.g., Agarwal et al., 2024).
Assessment and Measurement of Culture, Climate, and Identity. Research on assessing and measuring organizational culture (and by extension climate and identity) has been prominent for a long time, among them the work of Geert Hofstede who developed dozens of factors and scales of relevance to managers (see Episode 54). There are also plenty of practical tools on the market, such as the Denison Organizational Culture Survey, based on Denison & Mishra (1995). Questions regarding the extent to which such models are helpful and useful (or can be misleading or wrong) are probably always going to be interesting given the general difficulties of identifying stable, quantifiable metrics of human factors (Dauber et al., 2012).
Cultural Narratives and Storytelling. The role of storytelling in shaping organizational culture and identity is also interesting, as organizations often rely on stories to promote its desired organizational culture. Martin et al., (1983) examined and categorized common organizational stories in organizations and found that they have profound effects on members, and that there are often versions of the stories designed either to promote desired behavior or inhibit what is undesired. More recently, scholars are increasingly interested in the use of organizational narratives to promote either stability or change (Vaara, et al., 2016).
Related TAOP Episodes, Events, and Notes
119: Management & the Worker — Roethlisberger & Dickson
112: Hierarchies & Promotion – The “Peter Principle”
108: Presentation of Self in Everyday Life – Goffman
105: Manifest & Latent Roles — Alvin Gouldner
101: The Motivation to Work — Frederick Herzberg
94: Situated Learning – Lave & Wenger
88: Social Defenses Against Anxiety — Isabel Menzies
78: Patterns of Bureaucracy — Alvin Gouldner
66: Workplace Isolation – Forester
59: Theory X and Y – Douglas McGregor
54: Measuring Organizational Cultures – Hofstede
53: Taylorism in Motion — Charlie Chaplin’s Modern Times
49: Engineered Culture and Normative Control – Gideon Kunda
47: Organizational Identity — Albert & Whetten
Milton Hershey and an Organization’s Commitment to its Members
38: Socialization and Occupational Communities – Van Maanen
35: The Managed Heart – Arlie Hochschild
34: Sociotechnical Systems – Trist and Bamforth
Reflections on Wieliczka
33: Foreman – Master and Victim of Doubletalk
32: Organizational Stupidity with Mats Alvesson and Bjorn Erik Mork LIVE
18: Gig Economy, Labor Relations and Algorithmic Management
17: Tokenism – Rosabeth Moss Kanter
13: Banana Time – Donald Roy
11: Culture and High Reliability – Bierly and Spender
9: Hawthorne Studies – Elton Mayo
3: Theory of Human Motivation – Abraham Maslow
Available Resource Pages
Aisle B – Major Theoretical Perspectives and Schools
Rack BA — Classic Organization and Management Theory
Rack BB1 – Organizational Behavior (Micro-Individual)
Rack BB2 — Organizational Behavior (Meso-Groups and Teams)
Rack BB3 — Organizational Behavior (Macro-Org/System)
Rack BC — Contingency Theory
Rack BD — Organizational Design
Rack BG — Organizational Development and Change
Rack BH – Human Dimension – Culture, Climate, Identity
Rack BI — Institution Theory
Rack BL — Leadership Theories
Rack BM – Modern Management Theories
Rack BQ — Postmodern and Critical Theories
References
Agarwal, G. (2024). DEI practices in organizations: Effectiveness, impact, and unintended consequences. Academy of management proceedings. https://doi.org/10.5465/AMPROC.2024.20645symposium
Albert, S., & Whetten, D. A. (1985). Organizational identity. Research in organizational behavior, 7, 263-285.
Allen, N. J., & Meyer, J. P. (1990). The measurement and antecedents of affective, continuance and normative commitment to the organization. Journal of Occupational Psychology, 63(1), 1–18.
Anthropic. (2024). What is the relationship that the fields of organizational culture and identity have with other literature streams in organization studies. Claude (March 2024 version) [Large Language Model].
Argyris, C. (1958). Some problems in conceptualizing organizational climate: A case study of a bank. Administrative science quarterly, 501-520.
Bartels, J., Douwes, R., Jong, M., & Pruyn, A. (2006). Organizational identification during a merger: determinants of employees’ expected identification with the new organization*. British Journal of Management, 17(S1). https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8551.2006.00478.x
Dauber, D., Fink, G., & Yolles, M. (2012). A configuration model of organizational culture. Sage Open, 2(1), 2158244012441482.
Denison, D. R., & Mishra, A. K. (1995). Toward a theory of organizational culture and effectiveness. Organization science, 6(2), 204-223.
Gandi, G., Rostiati, N., & Roswaty, R. (2023). The effect of organizational culture and compensation on employee satisfaction at PT. Pertamina Unit Business SPBG, Palembang. International Journal of Marketing & Human Resource Research, 4(2), 65-73. https://doi.org/10.47747/ijmhrr.v4i2.1146
Gfrerer, A., Hutter, K., Füller, J., & Ströhle, T. (2020). Ready or not: managers’ and employees’ different perceptions of digital readiness. California Management Review, 63(2), 23-48. https://doi.org/10.1177/0008125620977487
Kroeber, A. L., & Kluckhohn, C. (1952). Culture: A critical review of concepts and definitions. Papers. Peabody Museum of Archaeology & Ethnology, Harvard University.
Lam, L., Liu, Y., & Loi, R. (2015). Looking intra-organizationally for identity cues: whether perceived organizational support shapes employees’ organizational identification. Human Relations, 69(2), 345-367. https://doi.org/10.1177/0018726715584689
Lange, D., Lee, P. M., & Dai, Y. (2011). Organizational reputation: A review. Journal of management, 37(1), 153-184.
Lewin, K., Lippitt, R., & White, R. K. (1939). Patterns of aggressive behavior in experimentally created “social climates.” The Journal of Social Psychology, 10, 271–299. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224545.1939.9713366
Martin, J., Feldman, M. S., Hatch, M. J., & Sitkin, S. B. (1983). The uniqueness paradox in organizational stories. Administrative science quarterly, 438-453.
Megginson, L. C. (1963). Lessons from Europe for American business. The Southwestern Social Science Quarterly, 3-13.
Morgan, G. (1986). Images of organization. Sage.
Rahmadania, S. and Herminingsih, A. (2021). The influence of organizational culture, work motivation, and work discipline on employee performance. Dinasti International Journal of Education Management and Social Science, 3(1), 100-115. https://doi.org/10.31933/dijemss.v3i1.1020
Schein, E. (1985). Organizational culture and leadership. Wiley.
Schwandt, D. (2013). HOL 8703: Human systems change [Course Syllabus]. The George Washington University.
Scite. (2024). What is the relationship that the fields of organizational culture and identity have with other literature streams in organization studies; What are the key foundational works of organizational culture and identity from before 1970; Why are the fields of organizational culture and identity so important for contemporary organization studies; What are major areas of contemporary research in organizational culture and identity. Scite (April 2024 version) [Large Language Model].
Trist, E. L., & Bamforth, K. W. (1951). Some social and psychological consequences of the longwall method of coal-getting: An examination of the psychological situation and defences of a work group in relation to the social structure and technological content of the work system. Human relations, 4(1), 3-38.
Vaara, E., Sonenshein, S., & Boje, D. (2016). Narratives as sources of stability and change in organizations: Approaches and directions for future research. Academy of management annals, 10(1), 495-560.
Whetten, D. A. (2006). Albert and Whetten revisited: Strengthening the concept of organizational identity. Journal of management inquiry, 15(3), 219-234.
The inclusion of external links and resources does not necessarily constitute endorsement by TAOP or any of its members.
Jump to: Importance | Theories | Research Areas | TAOP Episodes | References
Rack BH (Human Dimension): Human Relations School | Org. Culture | Org. Climate | Org. Identity
Aisle B (Major Theories): Classical Theories (BA) | Org. Behavior – Individual (BB1) | Org. Behavior – Groups & Teams (BB2) | Org. Behavior – Systems & Culture (BB3) | Contingency Theories (BC) | Org. Design (BD) | Org. Development & Change (BG) | Human Relations Theories (BH) | Institution Theories (BI) | Leadership Theories (BL) | Modern Management Perspectives (BM) | Postmodern & Critical Theories (BQ)
Resources: Main Page | Research Methods (A) | Major Theories (B) | Issues and Contemporary Topics (C) | Professional Education (D)