Dimensión artística

Culture is a condition which, according to Williams (1995), exists through three forms of values, “emergent”, “dominant”, and “residual”. Williams argues that cultural values have to be interpreted using symbolic meanings of rites, actions, ceremonies and other artifacts (as compared to measurement, for example, of competing values) to understand the many variables that contribute to complex processes in societies as well as historically variable elements of the culture. Emergent, dominant and residual values can co-exist in a culture at any given time, in any given setting.

Williams’s concepts provide a context to understand how a culture operates and how its many variables interact and compete as the society or organization seeks to maintain stability whilst undergoing change. The topic of organizational change and how culture impacts on it is excluded from this particular research. At any given time in an organization, certain cultural values become apparent as change takes place (emergent values) whilst other previously held values become marginal but still hold some meaning (residual values) and other values prevail as the primary means by which things are done (dominant values).

2.3.3.1.Emergent Values

An “emergent” value is a new belief and way of doing things within a particular society that differs from existing values and beliefs (Booth, Colomb, & Williams, 1995). For example, the sporting world has seen the emergence of professionalism in previously amateur elite sports such as Rugby Union and the public’s acceptance of professionalism represents an emerging value.

Therefore “emergent” refers to new meanings, beliefs and values; new ways of doing things; and new relationships formed by members of the society (organizational staff), which are continually changing and reforming. The difficulty interpreting an emergent value is identifying which new values and beliefs are new phases of an existing dominant culture as against those which are alternative and therefore,

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emergent. Emergent values are different and to properly identify and understand them, compared to dominant and residual values, they rely on new structures and leaders to facilitate their emergence. Therefore, emergent values are identified by recognising new forms and structures as a way of doing things. Importantly, new structures and emergent values can allow dormant values to become less marginalized, or more accepted. The process of how emergent values become the accepted way of doing things (dominant) is discussed later but it is important to recognize that dominant values must have once been emergent values, but not all emergent values will become dominant. Clearly, though because an emergent culture is relative to dominant and residual cultures, the identification of an emergent culture can only be made in the context of dominant and residual cultures (Higgins, 2001).

2.3.3.2.Dominant Values

Dominant values are those values held by the majority of members of a society or organization (Booth, Colomb, & Williams, 1995). They are strongly held values and beliefs which most members believe to be the right way to behave and conduct relationships. Williams says they are held by the majority or because they are held by the ruling classes of the society, which in an organization are the CEOs and senior executives. They become dominant values as a consequence of the executives identifying them as the cause of past successes and because they continue to be relevant and successful within the current organization (Higgins, 2001).

Dominant values of an organization are its core ideology and an indication of how well its values fit its environment. The dominant values represent the beliefs and norms of an organization and they are articulated through its mission statements and objectives, ultimately underpinning an organization’s philosophy, core ideology and, typically, its ethical values. Consequently, the organization is identified in a certain way because of its dominant cultural characteristics. If the values suit the environment then a cultural fit exists between the organization, its staff and the environment. If the values manifested in a culture do not suit its environment, then the organization may need to transform its dominant values to ensure its ongoing viability.

2.3.3.3.Residual Values

Residual values are those held from previous experiences that remain, often subconsciously, as a source of behaviour within the current culture (Booth, Colomb, &

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Williams, 1995). An example is a new employee’s values from his/her previous employment. Residual values are relatively easier to identify because they tend to be related to previous experiences and when an organization becomes something of a cultural void, the members of the organization will fall back to what has worked for them previously (their residual values). Hence, residual values represents the past successes and achievements which are utilised when the dominant values do not work. Residual values reflect beliefs in a particular way of doing things that are often held for example by new staff with strong beliefs in the culture from which they have come that differ from their new setting, creating a potential for a clash of the cultures, often seen when organizations merge. Residual values also exist within an organization after the environment that made them dominant has been removed, for example, when an organization’s leadership changes but the staff retain the values of the old leadership (Higgins, 2001).