Managing People and Organisations: An Analysis of IKEA's Organisational Culture

Running head: MANAGING PEOPLE AND ORGANISATIONS
Managing People and Organisations
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1MANAGING PEOPLE AND ORGANISATIONS
Table of Contents
Executive Summary...................................................................................................................2
1. Introduction............................................................................................................................3
2. Discussion..............................................................................................................................3
2.1 Company Background......................................................................................................3
2.2 The Four Frame Model....................................................................................................3
2.3 The Symbolic or Cultural Frame......................................................................................4
3. Conclusion..............................................................................................................................8
4. References:.............................................................................................................................9

2MANAGING PEOPLE AND ORGANISATIONS
Executive Summary
This report has analysed IKEA on the basis of one of the four organisational frames
developed by Bolman and Deal. It has done so by analysing this organisation against the
Symbolic frame of the four frame model. It then went on identifying and elaborating on the
steps taken by IKEA to meet its sustainable objective. It has critically applied William
Ouchis’s “The Z Organisation”, Peter Senge’s “The Fifth Discipline: A Shift of Mind”, and
Edgar Schein’s “The Concept of Organisational Culture: Why Bother?” in order to
understand the organisational culture of IKEA.

3MANAGING PEOPLE AND ORGANISATIONS
1. Introduction
Organisations are some of the most complicated entities that are with huge number of
capabilities, objectives, motivations, personalities and limitations (Skelcher and Smith 2015).
It is very important to assess each and every aspects of an organisation in order to have a
good understanding of it. As the growing impact of global warming on the planet earth, most
of the companies has now begin to seek more ways for providing products and services. In
this report I shall be examining and evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of the
organisation in which I work- IKEA on the basis of one of the elements of the Four Frame
Model, especially the Symbolic Frame. It has critically analysed different theories in order to
provide a clear understanding of its organisational culture. Using these theories, this report
has successfully provided a relevant and in-depth understanding of how this company
prolongs its organisations in today’s business dynamic world.
2. Discussion
2.1 Company Background
IKEA was founded by Ingvar Kamprad, a Swedish Entrepreneur in the year 1943
(Vahlne and Jonsson 2017). It is one of the well-known multinational furniture retailing
company which sells the ready to assemble types of furniture as well as home accessories and
appliances. At present IKEA is been operating in more than 41 different countries all around
the work including Australia, North America, Europe, Southeast Asia and Middle East with
over 30 franchised units and 300 stores (Garvey 2017). It sells inexpensive furniture all
around the world and they are of Scandinavian design.
2.2 The Four Frame Model