On Studying Organizational Cultures: Diagnosis and Understanding

Introduction\nChapter 1. Culture in Organization Theory\nPosition within Organizational Theory\nCulture as a New Metaphor\nCulture as a New Approach\nContribution to Organizational Theory\nCultural Diversity\nVariable or Metaphor\nIntegration, Differentiation and Ambiguity\nRationalism, Functionalism and Symbolism\nChoice of Competing Perspectives\nFunctionalism and Symbolism\nEmpirical Field of Study\nChoice of Focus\nEmpirical Material\nChapter 2. A Functionalist Perspective\nThe Functions of Organizational Culture\nThe Functional Existence of Culture\nThe Functional Explanation of Culture\nThe Functions of Organizational Culture\nThe Levels of Culture\nThree Levels of Culture\nInternal Relations between the Levels of Culture\nThe Cultural Paradigm\nRelations between Cultural Levels and their Functions\nSorting out Cultural Data\nThe Specific Functions of Organizational Culture\nA Functionalist Analytical Model: The Funnel\nSubcultures in Organizations\nA Clinical versus Ethnographic Method\nChapter 3. Functionalist Diagnosis of Organizational Culture\nArtifacts and Values in a Department\nThe Artifact Level: A Stratified Paper Pyramid\nThe Value Level: Means\nThe Value Level: Power and Status\nSummary of the Value Level\nBasic Assumptions in the Department\nThe Method of the Analysis of Basic Assumptions\nNobody Does it Better than We Do!\nThe Members of the Organization are at the Center!\nThis Belongs to Us!\nThe Organization’s Members are Able and Ready to Passively Adapt Themselves!\nThere is only One Truth, which Can Be Discovered from Within\nThe Organization Members Constitute a Family which Works\nThe Cultural Paradigm\nThe Core of the Cultural Paradigm\nConsistency and Inconsistency of the Cultural Paradigm\nTracing Backwards from Basic Assumptions\nRelations between Basic Assumptions and Values\nInconsistency between Values and Basic Assumptions\nConsistency between Values and Basic Assumptions\nUnclarity between Values and Basic Assumptions\nA Mixed Culture\nThe Effects of Artifacts in Relation to Values and Basic Assumptions\nConsequences for the Functionalist Funnel Model\nThe Diagnosis of Organizational Culture\nChapter 4. A Symbolic Perspective\nSymbolism\nThe Creation of Meaning\nSymbols: The Expression of Meaning\nSymbols in a Semiotic Context\nThe Multidimensional Reality\nCulture as System\nA Multiplicity of Interpretations\nWebs of Meaning\nSymbols\nPhysical Symbols: Objects\nBehavioral Symbols: Rituals\nVerbal Symbols: Myths, Sagas and Stories\nPatterns between Symbols\nWorld View and Ethos\nMetaphors and Metonyms\nThe Actant Model\nRelations among Key Symbolic Expressions\nKey Symbolic Expressions\nAssociative Relations between Symbolic Expressions\nA Methodological Model for Interpretation\nThe Spiral\nThick Description\nSummary\nChapter 5. A Symbolic Interpretation of Culture\nOrganizational Culture in a Department\nMeeting Rituals\nA Further Cultural Interpretation\nMyths and Tradition\nMetaphors: House, System or Machine\nA Spiral of the Department\nCriss-crossing the Webs of Culture\nOrganizational Culture in a Directorate\n‘Process’ as Dominant Metaphor\n‘Experimenters’ and ‘Seedlings’\n‘Natural Cycle’ in the Directorate\nThe A-team and the B-team\nMyths about Labelling\nA Cultural Pattern: A Conceptual Map\nA Spiral of the Directorate\nCriss-crossing the Webs of Culture\nCultural Interfaces between the Department and the Directorate\nCulture and Organizational Environments\nPamphlet Rituals: A Case Story\nRitualized Interface between Department and Directorate\nThe Ritual in the Two Organizational Cultures\nThe Study of Cultural Interfaces\nUsing the Spiral in the Interpretation of Culture\nHow to Reach an Overall Cultural Interpretation\nThe Methodological Principles of Symbolism\nAn Ongoing Process of Interpretation\nChapter 6. Comparison between Cultural Perspectives\nDifferences between the Two Perspectives\nTheoretical and Methodological Differences\nDifferences in Empirical Application\nSummary\nSimilarities between the Two Perspectives\nCulture as Pattern\nCulture as Relations between Depth and Manifestations\nSummary\nAppendix 1. Organizational Diagrammes\nAppendix 2. Interviews and Observation Data\nReferences\nIndex