The Impact of Organizational Culture on Approaches to Organizational Problem-Solving

Abstract

This paper shows how organizational culture can act as an obstacle to change and problem resolution. The introduction describes how the author's interest in 'problem cultures' arose, and the next two sections attempt to define and refine the definition and methodology of organizational culture. The main section summarizes the problematical characteristics of those cultures studied: six cultural orientations are identified and their effects examined. A number of issues are then discussed: by what process does culture shape behaviour? What evidence is there for the wider existence of the cultural orientations described? A 'universal-variable' thesis or organizational culture is put forward, and the concluding remarks seek to establish a relationship between organizational culture and orientations to change.