Analyzing 3M's Innovative Corporate Culture

The assignment is to analyze the organizational culture of 3M using one theoretical framework, specifically Schein's cultural model. The report will discuss how 3M creates an innovative corporate culture, focusing on its background, innovation failures, and subsequent adoption of new techniques. The chosen theoretical framework will be applied to analyze 3M's innovation concepts, highlighting the organization's artifacts, values, and basic assumptions related to innovation. The analysis will also explore how 3M's cultural dimensions impact its ability to innovate and the potential implications for improving the culture.

Your report will apply ONE theoretical framework used in the study of organizational culture to conduct an analysis of an
organization’s culture.
Focus of the essay:
Discuss how 3M creates innovative corporate culture
Organisation chosen: 3M http://www.3m.com/
QUESTION 1.
 A brief background to the organization and its environment (10 marks)
- Word limit: 300 words
1. When and how did 3M started? (A bit of the background history of 3M)
2. What was the mission and vision for innovation?
2. What were the failures in 3M for innovation?
3. From the innovation failures of 3M, What did 3M ADOPT (new technique, new innovation ideas)?
4. Now how is 3M performing?

QUESTION 2
 An Introduction to the focus of the report (the practice, issue, event or sub-unit) (NOTE: WITHIN THIS SECTION YOU
MUST INCLUDE A SENTENCE STATING YOUR FOCUS CLEARLY AND SIMPLY) (10 marks)
- 300 WORDS LIMIT
IN THIS POINT ALWAYS FOCUS ON INNOVATION ALL TIMES!
- STATE WHAT IS MY FOCUS IN THE FIRST SENTENCE. MY FOCUS IS ON INNOVATION.
- DIFFERENT TYPE OF ACTIVITES WHICH 3M DID TO BRING IN INNOVATION
- WHAT WERE THE TYPE OF ACTIVTIES DONE
- FROM THE INNOVATION, WHAT IS THE GROWTH OF THE COMPANY (SHOWS CHARTS AND STATE THE
SOURCE)
- WHAT TYPE OF AWARDS DID THEY RECEIVE FOR INNOVATIONS
- WAS 3M TOP IN ITS INDUSTRY?
- WHO IS 3M COMPETITOR AND WHY DID 3M OUTSTAND ITS COMPETITOR IN INNOVATIONS?
- SHOW CHARTS OF GROWTH

QUESTION 3
A brief argument which explains/justifies why you have chosen a particular theoretical framework instead of 1 other
alternative that you considered but have rejected (10 marks)
- 500 WORDS LIMIT
(ALWAYS TALK ABOUT INNOVATION ALL THE TIME)
WRITE ABOUT HOFSTEDE CULTURAL DIMENSION
1. POWER DISTANCE
2. UNCERTAINTY AVOIDANCE
3. INDIVIDUALISM VERSUS COLLECTIVISM
4. MASCULINITY-FEMINITY
5. LONG TERM ORIENTATION/CONFUCIAN DYNAMISM

PUT PHOTO IN THE ASSIGNMENT.
WRITE ABOUT SHEIN’S CULTURAL MODEL.
1. ARTIFACTS
2. VALUES AND BELIEFS
3. BASIC ASSUMPTION.

ONCE YOU HAVE WRITTEN, YOU WILL THEN NEED TO
1. TALK ABOUT THE SIMILARITIES OF SHEIN AND HOFSTEDE
2. WHY DID YOU CHOOSE SHEIN OVER HOFSTEDE
(ALWAYS TALK ABOUT INNOVATION ALL THE TIME)
-Explain AND justifies why you have chosen the best particular framework instead of the other framework that you have rejected.
-Talk about how the best framework suits 3M INNOVATION.
1. TALK ABOUT THE SIMILARTIES OF SHEIN AND HOFSTEDE.
2. WHY YOU CHOSE SHEIN OVER HOFSTEDE.

QUESTION 4
 An explanation of your chosen theoretical framework that you will use to analyse the organization, including its main
concepts (20
marks) – 600
WORDS
EXPLAIN SHEIN
USING THE
FOLLOWINGS:

QUESTION 5
 An analysis OF 3M’S INNOVATION concepts USING SHEIN’S FRAMEWORK (30 marks)
THIS COMPONENT IS THE HIGHEST MARKS.
WORD LIMIT: 1000
USE THIS JOURNAL ARTICLE: KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT AND INNOVATION AT 3M.
I WILL ENCLOSE TO YOU THIS JOURNAL ARTICLE.
1. ARTIFACTS ( 2-3 POINTS FROM THE ENCLOSED JOURNAL ARTICLE)
2. VALUES AND BELIEFS ( 2-3 POINTS FROM THE ENCLOSED JOURNAL ARTICLE)
3. BASIC ASSUMPTION. ( 2-3 POINTS FROM THE ENCLOSED JOURNAL ARTICLE)

QUESTION 6
 Conclusions (10 marks) ( BE ON FOCUS: INNOVATION)
WORD LIMIT: 300 WORDS
CONCLUSION – 150 WORD
- Conclude with an argument about the impact of culture of the organisation.
E.g. how might the organisation be different if the culture was different? / Has the culture was different? / has the culture
promoted the achievement of the organisations’s aim?
- Use the cases and examples to illustrate your arguments e.g. other cases? What could be learned from this?
1 RECOMMENDATION – 150 WORD
HOW THE CULTURE MIGHT BE IMPROVED IF YOU THINK THESE ARE APPROPRIATE.