Module 4 - Background THE CULTURE AND MORAL COMPASSES Part 1: The Culture Compass As the “personality” of an organization, organizational culture has been variously defined. Culture has been a topic of great interest to organizational researchers and practitioners alike, given its apparent influence on such matters as organizational change, performance, and effectiveness. An abstract concept, organizational culture is not all that easily defined – although most of us do know it when we “see” it, or when we experience its characteristics. Much of organizational culture is tacit – it lies below the level of our awareness, as certain agreed-upon assumptions are not made explicit. Culture includes artifacts, symbols, stories, beliefs, habits, value systems, and shared assumptions (“the way we do things around here”). Of course, an organization’s culture can be made more highly complex by virtue of the many sub-cultures that make up the overall culture. Whatever culture is, its elements become most readily apparent to us during the merger of two organizations, particularly so when the culture of the two merging organizations are vastly dissimilar. Required Resources Let’s begin our review of organizational culture with the following video: Organizational culture: What is organizational culture and why does it matter? (2010, September 21). Organization Culture. Retrieved on April 29, 2014, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6AFn0vFtLC0 Read the following chapter on Organizational Culture: United States Air War College - National Defense University. (n.d.). Organizational culture Strategic Leadership and Decision Making. Retrieved on April 29, 2014, from http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/ndu/strat-ldr-dm/pt4ch16.html Optional Resources The following readings are optional, but are provided here to assist you in completion of the Case and SLP: The following articles pertain to the interrelationship among the organization’s strategy, its leadership, and its culture: Boal, K.B. & Schultz, P.L. (2007). Storytelling, time, and evolution: The role of strategic leadership in complex adaptive systems. Leadership Quarterly, 18(4), 411-428. Retrieved from Science Direct. Gander, M. J. (2009). Managing people in a lean environment: The power of informal controls and effective management of company culture. Journal of Business Case Studies, 5(6), 105-110. Retrieved from ProQuest. Goldman, E. F. (2012). Leadership practices that encourage strategic thinking. Journal of Strategy and Management, 5(1), 25-40. Retrieved from ProQuest. McNamara, C. (2000). Organizational culture and changing culture. Free Management Library. Retrieved on April 29, 2014, from http://managementhelp.org/organizations/culture.htm Taneja, S., Pryor, M. G., Humphreys, J. H., & Singleton, L. P. (2013). Strategic management in an era of paradigmatic chaos: Lessons for managers. International Journal of Management, 30(1), 112-126. Retrieved from ProQuest on November 12, 2013. ...

1. Module 4 - Background
THE CULTURE AND MORAL COMPASSES
Part 1: The Culture Compass
As the “personality” of an organization, organizational culture
has been variously defined. Culture has been a topic of great
interest to organizational researchers and practitioners alike,
given its apparent influence on such matters as organizational
change, performance, and effectiveness. An abstract concept,
organizational culture is not all that easily defined – although
most of us do know it when we “see” it, or when we experience
its characteristics. Much of organizational culture is tacit – it
lies below the level of our awareness, as certain agreed-upon
assumptions are not made explicit. Culture includes artifacts,
symbols, stories, beliefs, habits, value systems, and shared
assumptions (“the way we do things around here”). Of course,
an organization’s culture can be made more highly complex by
virtue of the many sub-cultures that make up the overall culture.
Whatever culture is, its elements become most readily apparent
to us during the merger of two organizations, particularly so
when the culture of the two merging organizations are vastly
dissimilar.
Required Resources
Let’s begin our review of organizational culture with the
following video:
Organizational culture: What is organizational culture and why
does it matter? (2010, September 21). Organization Culture.
Retrieved on April 29, 2014, from
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6AFn0vFtLC0
Read the following chapter on Organizational Culture:

2. United States Air War College - National Defense University.
(n.d.). Organizational culture Strategic Leadership and
Decision Making. Retrieved on April 29, 2014, from
http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/ndu/strat-ldr-
dm/pt4ch16.html
Optional Resources
The following readings are optional, but are provided here to
assist you in completion of the Case and SLP:
The following articles pertain to the interrelationship among the
organization’s strategy, its leadership, and its culture:
Boal, K.B. & Schultz, P.L. (2007). Storytelling, time, and
evolution: The role of strategic leadership in complex adaptive
systems. Leadership Quarterly, 18(4), 411-428. Retrieved from
Science Direct.
Gander, M. J. (2009). Managing people in a lean environment:
The power of informal controls and effective management of
company culture. Journal of Business Case Studies, 5(6), 105-
110. Retrieved from ProQuest.
Goldman, E. F. (2012). Leadership practices that encourage
strategic thinking. Journal of Strategy and Management, 5(1),
25-40. Retrieved from ProQuest.
McNamara, C. (2000). Organizational culture and changing
culture. Free Management Library. Retrieved on April 29, 2014,
from http://managementhelp.org/organizations/culture.htm
Taneja, S., Pryor, M. G., Humphreys, J. H., & Singleton, L. P.
(2013). Strategic management in an era of paradigmatic chaos:
Lessons for managers. International Journal of Management,
30(1), 112-126. Retrieved from ProQuest on November 12,
2013.

3. United States Air War College - National Defense University.
(n.d.). Organizational culture Strategic Leadership and
Decision Making. Retrieved on April 29, 2014, from
http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/ndu/strat-ldr-
dm/pt4ch16.html
Vera, D., & Crossan, M. (2004). Strategic leadership and
organizational learning. Academy of Management Review,
29(2), 222-240. Retrieved from EBSCO.
Wilderom, C.P., van den Berg, P.T., & Wiersma, U.J. (2012). A
longitudinal study of the effects of charismatic leadership and
organizational culture on objective and perceived corporate
performance. Leadership Quarterly, 23(5), 835-848. Retrieved
from Science Direct.
Yarbrough, L., Morgan, N. A., & Vorhies, D. W. (2011). The
impact of product market strategy-organizational culture fit on
business performance. Academy of Marketing Science Journal,
39(4), 555-573. Retrieved from ProQuest.
Part 2: The Moral Compass
Most of us would agree that the behaviors of Enron’s Ken Lay
and Jeff Skilling and WorldCom’s Bernie Ebbers – unethical as
they were – violated the public trust. Perhaps the old cliché:
"Good ethics is good business” is falling on an ever-increasing
number of deaf ears these days.
Who decides what is “moral” or “ethical”? Certainly, “ethics”
can mean different things to different people. And people have
differing ideas concerning whether any given situation is or is
not ethical. I doubt we would disagree as to whether Ken Lay’s,
Bernie Ebbers’ or John Rigas’ behaviors were unethical – in
fact, all are convicted criminals. But there are no steadfast rules

4. for acting ethically under all conditions. If there were, we
would need no reminders, and the Moral Compass would not be
a compass at all.
Required Resources
A key question to be answered in Module 4 concerns an
organization’s sense of ethics, and how they relate to the
strategic planning process – and to the strategic choices made
by the organization. Certainly, a leader’s values are no doubt
highly influential in the strategic planning process:
Frost, J. (2014). Values based leadership. Industrial and
Commercial Training, 46(3), 124-129.
doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/ICT-10-2013-0073
While the following article is a bit dated, it remains an
excellent – and highly relevant – discussion of the relationship
between ethics, social responsibility, and strategy:
Wilson, I. (2000). The new rules: Ethics, social responsibility
and strategy. Strategy & Leadership, 28(3), 12-16. Retrieved
from ProQuest.
What do values and ethics mean for Strategic Leadership? In
Module 1, we discussed the significance of the organization’s
formal, written values statement to the strategic planning
process. For better or for worse, an organization’s “real” values
play a central and most critical role in strategic direction (to
make this point clear, compare the values of Southwest Airlines
with the values of companies such as Enron or WorldCom):
Okantey, P.C. (2013). When values and ethics lead the way in
organizations. Strategic Leadership Review, 3(2), 23-29.
Retrieved on April 29, 2014 from
https://scholasticahq.com/supporting_files/51156/attachment_ve
rsions/51203

5. Do strategists and ethicists live on different planets? This
question is considered in the following article:
Behnam, M., & Rasche, A. (2009). Are strategists from Mars
and ethicists from Venus? - strategizing as ethical reflection.
Journal of Business Ethics, 84(1), 79-88. Retrieved on
November 14, 2013, from ProQuest.
Read Chapter 15 of Fernandes’ book as it relates to values and
ethics:
Fernandes, T. (2009). Strategic leadership and decision making
– Book 2. Dehli: Global Media.
Optional Resources
Browse any of the following articles pertaining to the Moral
Compass and its relationship to Strategic Leadership. These
articles relate to inclusion of ethics in the strategic planning
process, the means by which organization’s mores influence its
strategic decisions, and how incongruence between action and
stated values can spell trouble for the organization’s success:
Elms, H., Brammer, S., Harris, J. D., & Phillips, R. A. (2010).
New directions in strategic management and business ethics.
Business Ethics Quarterly, 20(3), 401-425. Retrieved from
EBSCO – Business Source Complete.
McManus, J. (2011). Revisiting ethics in strategic management.
Corporate Governance, 11(2), 214-223. Retrieved from
ProQuest.
Milton-Smith, J. (1995). Ethics as excellence: A strategic
management perspective. Journal of Business Ethics, 14(8),
683. Retrieved from ProQuest.

6. Phipps, K. A. (2012). Spirituality and strategic leadership: The
influence of spiritual beliefs on strategic decision making.
Journal of Business Ethics, 106(2), 177- 189. Retrieved from
ProQuest.
Robertson, C. J., Blevins, D. P., & Duffy, T. (2013). A five-
year review, update, and assessment of ethics and governance in
strategic management journal. Journal of Business Ethics,
117(1), 85-91. Retrieved from ProQuest.
Spears, U. (2012). Word-action signals: Identifying
incongruence between strategic leadership practices and values.
Strategic Leadership Review, 2(2), 21-27. Retrieved on April
29, 2014, from
https://scholasticahq.com/supporting_files/403/attachment_versi
ons/400
Module 4 – Case Assignment
THE CULTURE AND MORAL COMPASSES
Assignment Overview
In the Module 4 Case, we will complete an in-depth analysis of
an organization’s culture, and determine the extent to which the
organization’s culture fits with the organization’s strategic
choices. Begin by reading the following article:
Ford, R. C., Wilderom, C., & Caparella, J. (2008). Strategically
crafting a customer-focused culture: An inductive case study.
Journal of Strategy and Management, 1(2), 143-167. Retrieved
from ProQuest.
Case Assignment
Using the article above, write a 6- to 7-page paper in which you
address the following:
Complete an in-depth, comprehensive analysis of the Gaylord
Palms’ organizational culture and values, analyzing the ways in

7. which the specific components of organizational culture and
values assist – or impede – the success of the organization’s
strategic choices.
Keys to the Assignment
The key aspects of this assignment that are to be covered in
your 6- to 7- page paper include the following:
Using the Module 4 Background readings related to
organizational culture, and after performing additional research
in the library, explain how organizational culture at the Gaylord
Palms Hotel:
Creates meaning for its members;
Establishes informal organizational controls; and
Ensures (or alternatively, hinders) the success of Gaylord
Palms’ strategic choices.
Which of Gaylord Palms’ values are most salient, and how do
these same values relate to the organization’s culture?
What is required for an organization’s culture to be “effective”?
Is Gaylord Palms’ organizational culture an “effective” culture?
Why or why not? Be specific.
What specific characteristics/elements of Gaylord Palms’
organizational culture do you believe are most significant
relative to ensuring the success of Gaylord Palms’ strategic
direction (e.g., symbols, artifacts, roles, etc.)? Why?
Be sure to use a minimum of three (3) library sources in support
of your answers!
Module 4 – SLP Assignment
THE CULTURE AND MORAL COMPASSES
Assignment Overview
In the Module 4 SLP, we will explore your target organization’s
culture, and determine the extent to which culture relates to the
success of your organization’s strategic choices.
Write a 3- to 4-page paper in which you address the following:

8. After completing some research concerning the culture of your
selected organization, discuss assess the extent to which your
organization’s stated values and culture do – or do not – support
the grand strategy you selected in the Module 3 SLP.
Keys to the Assignment
The key aspects of this assignment that should be covered in
your 3- to 4-page paper include the following:
Perform some research in the library and at your target
organization’s website, and learn as much as you can about the
organization’s culture.
Describe the organization’s culture (its artifacts, symbols,
stories, and other characteristics).
Identify three (3) stated values of your chosen organization, and
discuss how well these values support the organization’s
strategies.
Briefly restate the strategy you selected in the Module 3 SLP,
and state why this strategy was selected (e.g., overcome
weaknesses, maximize strengths, etc.).
Critically assess the extent to which the organization’s culture
and values support – or do not support – the strategy or
strategies that you identified in the Module 3 SLP.
Module 4 - Outcomes
THE CULTURE AND MORAL COMPASSES
Module
Assess the extent to which an organization’s culture is
supportive of the organization’s strategic direction.
Identify the stated values of an organization, assessing the
extent to which the organization’s sense of “morality” (values)
aligns with its strategic choices.
Case
Assess the culture of an organization, and determine whether
the organizational culture is consistent with (and is supportive
of) its strategic direction.

9. SLP
Evaluate the culture of the selected organization, and assess the
extent to which the organization’s culture aligns with its
strategic choices.
Discussion
Using the organization chosen for the SLP, discuss the role of
an organization’s culture and morality/ values in determining
the success of grand strategy.
Discussion:
Discussion: The Culture and Moral Compasses
Discussion Topic
Task: Reply to this topic
Week 1
In the Module 3 Discussion, you used the Grand Strategy
Selection Matrix (GSSM) to determine your selected
organization’s grand strategy. After describing several of the
most salient/notable characteristics of the culture of the
organization you have selected for the SLP, respond to the
following (Week 1):
Does the organization’s culture “fit” the grand strategy you
selected in the Module 2 Discussion? Explain.
Even if the culture fits the strategy well, is there anything you
would change in order to better ensure the success of the grand
strategy you selected in the Module 2 Discussion?
Assuming that the culture does not fit the strategy well, what
specifically would you change, and how would you go about
doing so?
Week 2
In the Module 2 Discussion, you used the GSSM to choose a
grand strategy for your target (SLP) organization. In Week 2 of
the Module 4 Discussion, respond to the following:

10. Describe your organization’s stated values.
Discuss how well your organization’s values align with the
grand strategy you chose in the Module 2 Discussion (using the
GSSM).
Discuss the implications that an organization’s values have for
strategic choice.