Power culture dimension
Power-oriented culture is a dimension of the organisational culture model. In any given organisation there is a need to use power in order to exercise control and influence behaviour. Harrison and Stokes (1992, p 14) define power-oriented culture as “organisational culture that is based on inequality of access to resources”. Figure 2.1 of the organisational culture model indicates that a power-oriented culture organisation is characterised by high
18
centralisation and low formalisation modes of operation. Brown (1998, p 66) states that “a power culture has a single source of power from which rays of influence spread throughout the organisation”. This means that power is centralised and organisational members are connected to the centre by functional and specialist strings (Harrison, 1993).
This type of organisational culture can also be regarded as being rule oriented in the sense that it focuses on respect of authority, rationality in procedures, division of work and normalisation (Hampden-Turner, 1990). The centre is formal authority and holds the power to control and influence activities within the organisation.
In this type of organisational culture a dominant head sits in the centre surrounded by intimates and subordinates who are the dependants (Harrison, 1993). In this regard a personal, informal and power management style becomes valued. Normally the organisational structure is a web structure that is hierarchical in nature (Brown, 1998). The web structure implies that the whole structural system connects to the central power while being hierarchical in nature means power is shared from top to bottom.
Power-oriented culture is found in both small and larger organisations. In small organisations run by power-oriented leaders, leadership resides in a few and rests on their ability (Brown, 1998). Those exercising power strive to