On the Popularity of Organizational Culture

Abstract

The article starts with the observation that dunng the 1980s organizational culture has become a very popular topic within organization theory. The rapid expansion of this perspective, which received almost no attention until the end of the 1970s, is explained It is argued that although there are good theoretical, i e intra-scientific, reasons for the mterest in organizational cultures, these only explain to a limited degree the development of this theory. A multi-level analysis of the social forces involved in the diffusion process of culture theory is conducted. These forces are partly captured through a market metaphor in which scholars are seen as producers of theory, while practitioners, especially managers, are seen as buyers The demand for new ideas on effective management, the business situation dunng the recent decade as well as the development of late-capitalistic society to kulturelle freisetzung' (Ziehe), which lead to changed work morality and increased expenenced need for involvement and expressivity, are empha sized as factors producing a good soil for the development and expansion of the culture perspective on organizations.