An important, if not always acknowledged, aspect of any place that you work or study via a practicum or internship is the culture of the organization. It is often written about as a part of the strategic efforts of for-profit organizations, but it exists in every workplace, whether or not it is explicitly identified. As a student who has yet to enter the work world, you have the unique opportunity to focus on this critical aspect of your future workplaces.

Organizational culture can be defined as a shared set of beliefs and actions. These beliefs are supported by the structure of the organization, strategies used, and policies. Any aspect of organizational culture can be explicitly stated (e.g., in written policies, employee manuals and training, and forms and instructions for clients) or can be implicitly known. Shared values and social norms that are implicitly known, or assumed to be known, can be more difficult to discern by any newcomer to the organization.

Organizational Culture and Inclusion

Expected behaviors and roles that are not explicitly stated can quickly create feelings of exclusion or incompetence for newcomers if they do not guess the “correct” behavior. For example, consider the faculty that are your teachers. What is the expectation about how you address them? Is it “Professor A?” “Mr./Mrs./Ms./Miss/Mx. A?” Perhaps by first name? If the faculty member explicitly tells students how to address them, either in writing or by verbal introduction, it is more likely that all will feel more comfortable and safe addressing the instructor by name.

Allan Johnson, the noted sociologist known for his work related to the social construction of difference, writes about this same phenomenon in his blog post titled “Aren’t Systems Just People?” In his vivid example about a car breaking down right outside a church hosting a wedding service, he helps us understand how critical the exposure to differing social systems and cultures is to being able to handle both familiar and unfamiliar situations:

To see the difference between people and systems, imagine you’re in a social situation such as a church wedding, and that someone who’s never been in this particular place before—whose car, let’s say, has broken down and they’re looking for a phone to call for help—comes in the door and looks around. Most likely, they will immediately know where they are in a social sense, and, even more important, they will have an accurate idea of what the people in the room expect of them even though they have no personal knowledge whatsoever of them. So long as they accurately identify the social system they are participating in and their position in relation to it, they will be able to behave appropriately without violating the expectations that go with that situation. (Johnson, 2013)

Now I ask you to imagine that you have not ever been in a church or to a wedding. It’s more likely that you would behave “inappropriately” or be seen in a negative way because you do not know what the expectations are in this environment. Does this mean that you are less capable? Less able to learn? Not aware of boundaries and social cues? No—it just means that you have not had experience in that particular environment.

The above example illustrates the implications of making information and expectations explicit to new employees, interns, their clients, and the general public. If you enter a new workplace, or a social service agency where you need help, getting clear information about what the cultural norms are will help you to feel comfortable and be successful in this environment. One way for those at the agency to practice equity and inclusion is to communicate expectations and procedures in an explicit manner so that everyone (not just people who have experience in that kind of environment) has access to that information.

Culture

Looking at the broader cultural context is another way to think about organizations. There are several ways to distinguish different cultures from one another. Your experience living in the United States has exposed you to US culture and values, influenced by other Western industrialized societies. If you have had other cultural experiences, such as having lived or traveled to other countries, you may have been exposed to other ways of thinking about these values.

F. R. Kluckhohn and F. L. Strodtbeck (1961) have identified six dimensions that are helpful in understanding such differences. These are as follows:

1. How people view humanity. Are people basically good, or are they evil? Can most people be trusted or not? Are most people honest? What is the true nature of humankind?
2. How people see nature. What is the proper relationship between people and the environment? Should people be in harmony with nature, or should they attempt to control or harness nature?
3. How people approach interpersonal relationships. Should one stress individualism or membership in a group? Is the person more or less important than the group? What is the “pecking order” in a society? Is it based on seniority or on wealth and power?
4. How people view activity and achievement. Which is a more worthy goal: activity (getting somewhere) or simply being (staying where one is)?
5. How people view time. Should one focus on the past, the present, or the future? Some cultures are said to be living in the past, whereas others are looking to the future.
6. How people view space. How should physical space be used in our lives? Should we live communally or separately? Should important people be physically separated from others? Should important meetings be held privately or in public?

Assessment

The beginning of your exposure to a workplace environment is a terrific time to assess the culture. It is often said that people are on their best behavior when they first start an experience such as a new job or a new class in college. Do you think this is true? How about the people who have more authority and power in those situations (the employer, supervisor, mentor, or teacher)? Do you believe that they are showing their best, most favorable behavior in the first interactions? You can learn a lot about organizational culture by observing, especially in an in-person (not ZOOM or other electronic meeting) environment. You may also observe the website for similar data. As you learn more about the organization, make sure that expectations for dress code, communication, if/how to address coworkers and clients, and other daily behaviors are known to you. If it is not clearly stated, ask. This is your internship, and you will get the most out of it if you express your desire to understand the organization, including its shared values and expectations. Here are some questions about assessing the culture of your agency that you as an intern might find helpful:

• How are newcomers welcomed?
• What is the first information that you receive?
• How do coworkers acknowledge each other?
• What information do you receive in writing? Are materials up to date and current?
• What is on the walls? Look for mission statements and other messages meant to communicate the purpose or values of the organization.
• Is there an easy way to contact someone via the website?
• Does the environment look cared for? Is there a person there to greet you in person?

Learning What Your Agency Really Does Licenses and Attributions

“Learning What Your Agency Really Does” by Sally Guyer MSW and Elizabeth B. Pearce is licensed under CC BY 4.0.