ORGS 2010 Lecture : ORGS 2010 4.docx

• School: York University
• Department: Organization Studies
• Course: ORGS 2010
• Professor: Eleanor Westney

Document Summary

The centrality of symbolism: organizations focus on values, languages, beliefs, founding legends, social norms, myths, etc, symbols carry denotative and connotative meanings. Denotative: refer to the direct, instrumental uses of a symbol. Connotative: refer to the expressive, more general and broader uses of a symbol: symbols are: Material and ideational are cultural objects or artefacts whose form, appearance, logic and type can be categorized. Produced and used by identified people and groups within organizations for certain purposes and thus the intentions of they symbol creators and users must be understood. Symbols are always put forth within a particular historical period and social context, which severely shapes and limits the possible meanings a symbol may carry. Try to alter organizational structure in the hope that the culture will follow. Create a preferred kind of organizational culture directly by recruitment, selection, training, placement and long term career development programs/policies.