The dark side of solidarity-based cultures is that they can become overly impersonal, neglecting the needs of the individual in favor of the collective.
A culture with high levels of sociability and high levels of solidarity becomes Communal. A culture with low levels of both sociability and solidarity is described as Fragmented. Organizational cultures with High levels of sociability but low levels of solidarity is Networked, and an organization with high levels of solidarity but low levels of sociability is Mercenary. In The Character of a Corporation, the authors offer readers a checklist and questionnaire to help them determine the nature of their organization's culture. Issues including the organization's physical space and work environment; communications infrastructure and style; concept of time and scheduling; and level of personal identities all contribute to the determination of an organization's culture.
The authors' four main points regarding the Double S. Cube include the following. First, organizations can be comprised of more than one culture, especially large organizations with multiple divisions. Second, organizations often demonstrate an evolutionary life-cycle, shifting from culture to culture in a predictable order. Third, none of the organizational cultures described in the book are superior or inferior independently of the specific business environment or of the organization's immediate goals. Fourth, the Double S. Cube graphically illustrates the dark side of each culture: its dysfunctional counterpart.
A large portion of The Character of a Corporation is dedicated to explaining in detail the nature of each culture: Networked, Communal, Fragmented, and Mercenary. Goffee and Jones discuss the positive and negative consequences of the culture in terms of the organizational goals and also point out how individual
Later, the authors offer a step-by-step guide to changing an organization's culture, which is often necessary in order to avoid cultural dysfunction and to ensure survival of the business. A cultural change can be driven by external factors such as encroaching competition or from internal factors like disgruntled employees. The complicated process of changing an organization's culture can be best accomplished via a solid grasp of the concept described throughout the book. Finally, Goffee and Jones offer real-world examples of each organizational culture model based on well-known corporations.
The Character of a Corporation reads like a self-help book for organizations. From the accessible diction, first and second-person point-of-view, and inclusion of quizzes and questionnaires, the authors are reaching out toward a mainstream audience. The theoretical underpinnings of the book are academically sound, so in spite of its casual tone, the book remains a credible source of information to organizational consultants, business leaders, or anyone interested in the implications of organizational culture.
Goffee and Jones' book is best suited for individuals who have the power to change their company's culture. Executives and other business leaders would benefit from understanding how culture can affect the bottom line or increase the company's attractiveness to shareholders. The Character of a Corporation is also tailored for the cultures of large organizations, although the basic concepts of the book can be easily applied toward smaller ones. Goffee and Jones' work is broad in scope but can inspire readers to investigate organizational culture in more detail. The Character of a Corporation therefore makes a valuable adjunct to any business or sociology library.
Works Cited
Goffee, Rob and Jones, Gareth. The Character of a Corporation: How Your Company's Culture and Make or Break Your Business. New York: Harper, 1998.
