Organizational Culture Triangle ❄️🔼

Icebergs are considerably bigger than they seem from the surface, proving that appearances can be deceiving. Actually, 90% of an iceberg is hidden beneath the surface, with only about 10% of the iceberg visible above the waterline. This teaches us to explore and understand things more thoroughly rather than judging them solely based on their outward appearance. Using the model of an iceberg let us explore the visible & invisible aspects of organizational culture. 

                                                             Source: Personio

There are various layers to the cultures within organizations, according to Edgar Schein's organizational culture triangle, which is often portrayed as an iceberg. There are thin layers that provide only a hint of the culture. Additionally, there are deeper layers that offer a far better understanding of a culture's true nature. (Schein, 2004)

 

Artifacts 

The visible indications of an organization's culture. They are the shallowest representation of the true culture of an organization. Office jokes, dress codes, polite language choices, the design and layout of workspaces are a few examples of artifacts. 

Although examining artifacts can offer some understanding of an organization's culture, it won't provide you much. Comparably, changing an organization's artifacts might influence culture somewhat, but not significantly. 

Espoused values 

the statements made by an organization regarding its working culture and practices. Though they are typically unwritten, espoused beliefs and values can also be expressed in written form, such as in a creed, ideology, or philosophy like The HP Way (Packard, Kirby, & Lewis, 1995). These are shallower than underlying beliefs, but they are deeper markers and levers of culture than artifacts. A few examples of espoused values are organizational values and behaviors, potential vision and mission statements, and the kinds of content that are advertised and displayed in newsletters & boards. 

Examining espoused values can reveal something about the culture of an organization and altering them will modify the culture of the organization to some extent. However, the impact won't be very great. 

Underlying beliefs  

Deeply revealing indicators of an organization's culture than its artifacts or showed values are the beliefs held by its members. They are an accurate representation of the internal workings of the organization. An organization's employees may have underlying beliefs about how they should collaborate with one another. They also include beliefs about the kinds of behaviors that actually make people successful or unsuccessful at work. For instance, a lot of organizations say that working remotely is fantastic, but some employees might secretly think that in order to be taken seriously by the company, you have to be present in person. 

Beliefs held by employees are the most reliable measure of an organization's true culture. They are therefore the most powerful organizational change controls. But they are also the hardest levers to influence. In order to avoid cognitive dissonance, we will go to great lengths to protect our underlying beliefs, including denying, blaming, and fabricating memories.  That's why it's so challenging to change an organization. (Aaronson, 2008)  

There is an interesting explanation for this model being portrayed as an iceberg. This model is often portrayed as an iceberg because the true elements of culture are hidden in the lower layers, far below the waterline, while the superficial layers are above the waterline. 

This video clearly explains the organizational culture triangle in a modern context.

In conclusion, this model can help us consider the real elements of organizational culture and the steps that need to be taken to change it deeply instead of superficially. 

Additional reading :

A Complete Guide to Iceberg Model of Culture for Organizations - Sorry, I was on Mute (sorryonmute.com)

References :

Aronson, E., & Aronson, J. (2008). The social animal (10th ed.). New York: Worth Publishers 

Leadership and Management | Part 4 of 4:The Iceberg of Organizational Culture https://youtu.be/cjziCs-R2S4?si=G15V1A15F3RPGnfv

Organizational Culture Models: Remember These Three (personio.com)

Packard, D., Kirby, D., & Lewis, K. R. (1995). The HP way: how Bill Hewlett and I built our company (1st ed.). New York: HarperBusiness. 

Schein, E. H. (2004). Organizational culture and leadership (3rd ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.