Role of Rites and Ceremonies in organizational culture

In the last byte, we began our discussion on artifacts. In today's byte, we look at ceremonies and rituals. 

Ceremonies and rites refers to relatively elaborate set of activities that are enacted time and again on important occasions. These occasions provide opportunities to reward and recognize employees whose behavior is congruent with the values of the company. The ceremonies and rites send a message that individuals both expose and exhibit corporate values should be admired. These also help members bond together.

Research has identifies 6 types of rites:

1. Rites of passage - show that an individual's status has changed.
2. Rites of enhancement - reinforces the achievement of individuals.
3. Rites of renewal - emphasizes the change in organization and commitment to learning and growth.
4. Rites of integration - unites the diverse groups in an organization and bring back the focus on the larger organization.
5. Rites of conflict reduction - focus on dealing with conflict or disagreement that emerges naturally from an organization.
6. Rites of degradation - are used by organizations to visible punish persons who wouldn't have adhered to the values and norms of behavior.