Four Views of “Organization Culture”

What is it about?

Many words, phrases and concepts have multiple usages. Much of the historic “organization culture” literature gave the impression there was one universally accepted viewpoint. This paper will compare and contrast the original human relations perspective of organization culture with the modern perspectives presented under the banners “software of the mind,” “process consultation,” and “appreciative management.”

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Why is it important?

Our analysis made it evident the meaning of “organization culture” has changed over time. Advocates of the human relations view did not see “organization culture” as being something that could be altered as quickly and easily as those touting some of the other views. Practitioners can only make informed decisions after they are educated about the nature of these varied usages.