RespondTo2Colleagues

Respond to at two (2) of colleagues’ postings listed below in the following ways:

· Share an insight about what you learned from having read your colleagues’ postings and discuss how and why your colleague’s posting resonated with you professionally and personally.

· Seek additional clarity or ask your colleague a question, with accompanying context that will help your colleague to think more critically or broadly about levels of culture within an organization.

· Offer an example, from your experience or observation, which validates what your colleague discussed.

· Offer specific suggestions that will help your colleague build upon his or her leadership skills within an organizational culture.

· Offer further assessment from having read your colleague’s post that could impact a leader’s effectiveness within an organizational culture.

· Share how something your colleague discussed changed the way you consider your own leadership qualities.

· No plagiarism

· APA citing

1st Colleagues – Ryan Sharratt 

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Ryan Sharratt 

RE: Discussion 2 – Week 1

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As Edgar Schein defines culture as a particular set of values and how one manages systems, and culture is defined as the sum of everything an organization has learned in its history in dealing with external problems (goals, strategy) and internally (relate to each other, empowerment) if successful, these learnings become culture (Schein, 2014)
 
Schein further defined three levels of culture as Artifacts, Espoused Values, and Underlaying Assumptions (Schein, 2009). Artifacts are observed upon entering the organization—what is seen, heard, and felt as one hangs around (Schein, 2009 p.22). Espoused Values are those values that are supposed to create an image of the organization (Schein, 2009 p.23), and Underlaying Assumptions are based upon historical thought into the initial values, beliefs, and assumptions that key founders may have given to provide the current trajectory of the organization (Schein, 2009 p.25).
 
In the community, there are two very different levels of leadership. Both levels are influenced by fiscal policy but founded from very different origins. Alaska Native heritage is founded upon family, ethics, heritage roots, customs, courtesy, and strong values to human values and respect. The second, fishing and commerce in support of the global fishing economy.

Levels of Culture within the Kodiak Community:

Artifacts are found in both socio-economic foundations are strong with heritage connection to the early settlers of Alaska and the integration of commerce to a managed resource (fisheries), coupled with the current leadership of the fishing commerce and everything that goes along with it. From the artifact position, the observations of a fishing community with salmon seiners, crabbing vessels, draggers, and processors provide the ambiance of small-town rural living in a fishing community.

Espoused Values amplify the fishing community with flat deck trailers hauling fishing gear, shipping companies transporting trucks, fisheries management policies in place, IFQ’s (individual fishing quotas) trading/selling, and a strong workforce with capable know-how and driven to success.
 
The underlying assumptions are built upon generational knowledge handed down from the early settlers and the Alaska Native knowledge of all thing’s communities. How to manage integration with the government agencies, where and how to store the fishing gear, and best places to fish based upon the tides and cycle of the season. It is in the underlying assumptions that both levels of leadership come together and work in either angst or synergy, depending on the political climate and fishing returns. Lots of fish and reasonable prices mean taxation and fees are in line with industry standards. In contrast, bad returns and the political landscape sours to unfair government overreach. It is cyclic, but it is home. As Schein states, “culture only matters when there is a problem. It is just there, part of you.” (Schein, 2014).

References:

Schein, E. (2014a). Culture fundamentals from Edgar Schein. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Fw5H7GWzog

Schein, E. H. (2009). The corporate culture survival guide. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
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2nd Colleagues – Natasha Mills

Natasha Mills 

Levels of Culture Within My Community

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The formation of culture happens in the event of enough common experience within a group. This makes culture a property of a group (Schein, 2009). Therefore, where there exists a group with shared experiences and histories, there exists a culture. People tend to oversimplify the concept of culture. However, culture is a bit complex, and it can only be understood adequately by examining it on three different levels. These levels include artifacts, espoused values, and underlying assumptions (Schein, 2009). Whereas these levels are widely discussed in an organizational context in the reading, they can also be used to examine the culture within a community, as this discussion will show.
The artifacts level of culture refers to the structures and processes that define a culture. The most common artifacts within my community include the design of the houses that people live in, which tends to be similar for most houses, manicured lawns at the front yard of almost every house, families owning at least one pet, as well as each house having one or two cars parked in their garages or along the streets. These are the most common artifacts in my community that I can use to define its culture. There may be other artifacts such as the size of the diners around my community, the structures of the local stores, and even the structures within elementary schools.
Espoused values, on the other hand, are the philosophies, goals, and strategies within a group (Schein, 2009). The most predominant espoused values in my community are social connection and unity. It is rare for me to pass someone within my community that I have never met or interacted with. Members of my community believe in connecting with one another through weekend activities such as barbecues, play dates for children, dinners between families, and neighborhood meetings that aim to discuss issues affecting its members. These values paint the image of a unified and connected community where each member of the community is another’s keeper. Therefore, people that move into this community often have to adapt to these espoused values in to be viewed as actual members of the community.
The espoused values that form the culture of my community also contribute to the level of underlying assumptions significantly. For instance, there is an underlying assumption that anyone who refrains from participating in any of the community’s arranged activities and events has a questionable personality that is not welcome. Hence, before members of my community give up on such a person, many will try to engage the individual by inviting him/her to dinners, knocking on their doors to try and start friendships or inform them of the various upcoming events within the community if he/she would like to join.
Such behavior by members of my community leads me to conclude that there is an underlying assumption that questions the personalities of those who do not want to be involved in the established ways of the community. This is because not only a few but many members of the community will make attempts to impose the cultural ways of the community on such a person until he/she obliges. When the individual does not oblige, most members of the community will remain distant themselves from him/her under the impression that the individual is a questionable character.
Knowledge of community artifacts, espoused values, and underlying assumptions is critical for leaders since it helps build their leadership skills. Culture translates to the subtotal of everything a group has learned (Schein, 2014). Also, a leader cannot understand the element of leadership without an understanding of culture because leadership and culture are two sides of the same coin (Schein, 2009). Thus, for a leader to build their leadership skills in the context of an organization, it is essential for that leader to begin with an understanding of the artifacts, values, and assumptions within his/her community. Organizations have subcultures that form their cultural units. Similarly, communities also have subcultures that form its cultural units. Hence, knowledge of community culture is a pedestal that a leader may use to build his/her leadership skills.
Schein, E. (2014a). Culture fundamentals from Edgar Schein. Retrieved from: https://youtu.be/4Fw5H7GWzog

Schein, E. H. (2009). The corporate culture survival guide. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
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