Using Call Annie to Learn Schein's Onion Model of Organizational Culture

Edgar Schein’s (1992) onion model is a typical cultural approach taught in introductory courses to organizational communication (Miller, 2015). Treating culture as emergent and developmental, Schein (1992) proposes three layers of cultural analysis, which include artifacts (phenomena that are easily observed in an organization), espoused values (beliefs and values held by individuals and groups in an organization), and underlying assumptions (beliefs and values that are taken for granted and hard to articulate). While this framework offers useful heuristics to study organizational cultures in the real world (Baumgartner, 2009), undergraduate students often find the model abstract and hard to comprehend because they usually do not have real-life workplace experience (Yilmaz, 2014). To address this challenge, this activity allows students to apply Schein’s model to analyze the organizational culture of a fictitious AI startup by interacting with its CEO, a GAI-powered video chatbot hosted on Call Annie. 

Generative artificial intelligence (GAI), such as Open AI’s ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot, can be assigned different roles to simulate humanlike interactions and is particularly suitable for students to practice the knowledge they have just learned in class through roleplaying activities (Mollick & Mollick, 2023). One such platform is Call Annie, which is a GAI-powered video chatbot and is freely accessible via Apple Store, Google Play, and the Web (https://callannie.ai/call) (Wan & Moorhouse, 2024). Users can make video calls (similar to Zoom or Skype meetings) or phone calls and interact with avatars that have different personalities, occupations, and backgrounds. The most suitable GAI avatar in Call Annie is Linus who is the CEO of an AI startup company based in New York City. The backstory is that Linus is an African American who grew up in the Bronx in New York City and is currently running a startup company with about 200 employees. The company’s mission is to harness the power of AI for social good, and the CEO wants to distinguish the company from the technological giants that are profit driven. Linus can offer detailed descriptions about his company, such as the history of the company, the office layout, its remuneration package, fringe benefits, mission statements, social activities, and specific examples of project initiatives. 

References:

Baumgartner, R. J. (2009). Organizational culture and leadership: Preconditions for the development of a sustainable corporation. Sustainable Development, 17(2), 102–113. https://doi.org/10.1002/sd.405

Edgar, S. H. (1992). Organizational culture and leadership (2nd ed.). Jossey-Bass.

Jia, M. (2025). Using Call Annie to teach Schein’s onion model of organizational culture. Communication Teacher,  Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/17404622.2025.2532619 

Miller, K. (2015). Organizational communication: Approaches and processes (7th ed.). Cengage Learning.

Mollick, E. R., & Mollick, L. (2023). Assigning AI: Seven approaches for students, with prompts. The Wharton School Research Paper. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4475995

Wan, Y., & Moorhouse, B. L. (2024). Using Call Annie as a generative artificial intelligence speaking partner for language learners. RELC Journal, Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/00336882231224813

Yilmaz, G. (2014). Let’s peel the onion together: An application of Schein’s model of organizational culture. Communication Teacher, 28(4), 224–228. https://doi.org/10.1080/17404622.2014.939674