An organizations culture can be studied at three levels: artefacts, values and assumptions. Artefacts are the organizational structures that are visible to the members of the organization. Values are the strategies, goals and philosophies of the organizations members. The basic, underlying assumptions of group members include taken-for-granted beliefs, perceptions, thoughts and feelings. Even though certain basic assumptions are evident, taken for granted and are not normally confronted or debated, the culture of the organization will become evident at the level of observable artefacts and in the shared values, norms and rules of behavior of the organizations member. Group norms are sets of shared values that have been valedated through a consensus process. The social validation of group norms arises when certain values are confirmed by the shared experiences of the group and these norms are passed onto new members as being the correct way to do things. This mechanism of embedding and meshing culture is undertaken at an unconscious level in most organizations.

Although culture resides in the minds of the members of the organization, it is transmitted through visible expressions, such as formal and informal routines and everyday rituals of existence undertaken by members of the organization. Over time, shared experiences develop into a set of core values that become embedded in individual and organizational philosophy and ideology that ultimately serves to guide action and behavior. This process is an important mechanism in the transmission of shared professional assumptions, values, artefacts and symbols from the master to the student and in the development of the socialization process that professional clinicians undergo. Therefore, the internal orientation of employees is based primarily on the culture, values, beliefs, ethics and assumptions of the organizations staff; this is particularly evident amongst health service employees, although the orientation may differ between clinicians and non-clinicians.

Question 1. Why according to you Artefacts are essential for the development of an organizations culture?

Question 2. Elaborate the cultural beliefs of your company?