Published by:
Harvard Business Publishing
Length: 16 pages
Topics:
Corporate culture; Human relations
Abstract
The organizational world is awash with talk of corporate culture--and for good reason. Culture has become a powerful way to hold a company together against the recent tidal wave of pressures for disintegration, such as decentralization and downsizing. But what is culture? Perhaps more important, is there one right culture for every organization? And if the answer is no, how can a manager change an organization''s culture? Addressing those three questions, Rob Goffee and Gareth Jones begin the article with the assertion that culture is community. Moreover, they contend, because business communities are no different from communities outside the commercial arena--such as families, schools, clubs, and villages--they can (and should) be viewed through the lens of sociology.
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Abstract
The organizational world is awash with talk of corporate culture--and for good reason. Culture has become a powerful way to hold a company together against the recent tidal wave of pressures for disintegration, such as decentralization and downsizing. But what is culture? Perhaps more important, is there one right culture for every organization? And if the answer is no, how can a manager change an organization''s culture? Addressing those three questions, Rob Goffee and Gareth Jones begin the article with the assertion that culture is community. Moreover, they contend, because business communities are no different from communities outside the commercial arena--such as families, schools, clubs, and villages--they can (and should) be viewed through the lens of sociology.