Organizational Culture: The Key to Effective Leadership and Organizational Development

Abstract

Argues that organizations should be thought of as cultures rather than machines, and that managing is as much a social as a technical process. Suggests that effective leadership, and the successful design of appropriate organization development programmes, are dependent on executive understanding and sensitivity to organizational culture. Describes Schein′s model of culture and illustrates each of its major elements with examples drawn from the literature and the author′s own experience. These examples demonstrate the importance and the power of cultural approaches to understanding organizations in general and the leadership function in particular. Demonstrates a new set of tools for mobilizing commitment and enforcing control that can have important performance implications, and which will be of value to the practising manager.