Role Culture

• Power is hierarchical and clearly defined in a company's job descriptions
• A persons power derives from their place or role within a highly structured organisation
• Detailed rules indicate how people and departments interact with each other, suppliers and customers
• Organisations with a role culture are based on rules
• Role cultures are highly controlled, with everyone in the organisation knowing what their roles and responsibilities are
• Power in a role culture is determined by a person's position in the organisational structure
• Role cultures are build on detailed organisational structures which are typically tall with a long chain of command
• A consequence of role culture is that decision-making in role cultures can often be painfully slow and the organisation is likely to take risks
• Organisations with role cultures tend to be very bureaucratic
• Organisations like the Army have a role culture
• Summary of role culture

  • people have clearly delegated authorities within a highly defined structure
  • hierarchical bureaucracy
  • power derives from a person's position
  • little scope exists for expert power