Artifacts: The Objects Used to Communicate an Organization's Culture

• Published in: PsycCritiques Vol. 51; no. 9; p. No Pagination Specified
• Main Author: Everton, Wendi J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: American Psychological Association 01.03.2006
• Subjects: Culture (Anthropological); Human; Organizations; Symbolism
• ISSN: 1554-0138; 1554-0138
• DOI: 10.1037/06001612

Reviews the book, Artifacts and Organizations: Beyond Mere Symbolism edited by Anat Rafaeli and Michael G. Pratt (see record 2005-11355-000). This is an edited book, the topic of which easily applies across many disciplines; even the title crosses the business and anthropology fields. This book is about artifacts, which can be defined as the tangible or physical manifestations of an organization's culture. Such artifacts can include the symbols a company uses (golden arches), the shape and design of its buildings, the unique language its employees use, and even the packaging of its products (Coca Cola bottle). These artifacts convey meaningful messages about an organization's core values (or purported values). The editors chose to include writers from several disciplines and countries, which is refreshing. Such diversity lends itself well to a topic that truly can be (and has been) approached from many different angles. The authors appear to have for the most part a background in sociology and anthropology, with some identified as being from schools of business. I also recognize names of individuals who have published in the industrial and organizational psychology literature. This multiple perspective is a large strength of the book--as professionals we spend too much time staying within our narrowly defined, but deep, specialty areas. In all, the book was not only quite instructive but a fun read. As with any edited book, the chapters differ in terms of writing style and readability, but all in all I think the book is quite worthwhile to have. This is not a book for managers, in that there is little information that is readily available to apply in organizations. The book would be very useful for individuals in academic and research settings. There is a lot of information that can be used to generate excellent classroom discussions and lectures and to germinate interesting and potentially fruitful research ideas. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)