pros & cons of organizational cultures

read to prepare yourselves for session 14

  1. Choo, C. W. (2006). The knowing organization: How organizations use information to construct meaning, create knowledge, and make decisions. New York: Oxford University Press. Chapter 3, "The management of ambiguity - Organizations as sense-making communities." 75-125
  2. Schein, E. H. (1985). Organizational culture and leadership. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers. Chapter 2, Uncovering the levels of culture, 16-27.

things we'll talk about


  • we'll reflect on the benefits and disadvantages of organizational culture
  • why is an organizational culture necessary?
  • does it help organizations orient their goals and prioritize?
  • does it make organizations vulnerable to stagnation?
    think of companies and organizations that refused to change their organizational culture and suffered as a result

we may discuss these two events as examples

you may wish to read the selections to frame your thinking

Roberta Wohlstetter's Pearl Harbor: Warning and Decision Graham Allison's Essence of Decision

let's ponder how two organizations reacted to situations twenty years apart

slides for session 14