The elements of the passive-defensive organizational culture, pointing out its most important characteristics that this type of organization fulfills in the pursuit of its goals and achievements, personal fulfillment, humanism, affiliation and profitability.
This type of organizational culture is conservative and balanced, in a way, it is based on the following scheme of beliefs and norms:
- Approval: These are organizations where conflict is avoided and interpersonal relationships are pleasant. Members feel that they must agree with others, obtain their approval and be liked.
- Conventionalism: These are conservative, traditional organizations controlled by a bureaucracy. Members are expected to show conformity, abide by rules and make a good impression.
- Dependency: These are hierarchically controlled and non-participatory organizations. Centralized decision making in these organizations leads to members doing only what they are told.
- Avoidance: These are organizations that tend not to reward success, while punishing mistakes. This system of negative retribution causes members to shift responsibility to others.
Being organizations that do not focus on rewarding success but rather focus their efforts on punishing mistakes, this forces workers to interact with each other in a way that does not jeopardize their own job and economic security by avoiding unnecessary interpersonal conflicts among themselves or with some of the members of senior management.