Over the past 30 years, the term organizational culture has gained
prominence and have stimulated plenty of interest. Theories have been
developed, definitions abound and debates have spurred. Today we still talk
about how (and if) one can change organizational culture.
And “whether managers think that the culture is too soft or too complicated to bother about or whether there is no unique corporate culture does not reduce the significance of culture” (Alvesson, 2002).
And “whether managers think that the culture is too soft or too complicated to bother about or whether there is no unique corporate culture does not reduce the significance of culture” (Alvesson, 2002).
“Culture isn’t everything” says a title that caught my eye. The article mentions that even though it's difficult, culture is
something that can be enforced. One of two perspectives on organizational
culture developed by Smircich (1983) - "culture as a variable"- implies that
culture is something the organization "HAS". In essence, it implies that
organizational culture needs to be viewed as a tool for enhancing
organizational effectiveness. Hence, the existence of "strong culture organizations"
that are highly effective (Google, Southwest Airlines, Nordstrom, Westjet).
