This HBR article from Clayton M. Christensen, who was viewed as one of the world’s top management thinkers and called the guru of disruptive innovation, argues that culture is unique to each organization, but it is difficult to define and understand. However, understanding a company’s culture can help a manager predict how their organization will likely respond to different situations and changes. He also outlines how to utilize culture in various scenarios such as mergers & acquisitions and in managing cross-functional processes.
In another view of an organization’s culture Schein describes the presence of three distinct types of culture in an organization (Operator, Engineering and CEO culture). The article offers a great framework to think about where these three modes of thinking intersect (and diverge), pitfalls of leaning too strongly into any three of these, and signs and to watch out for when immersed in these cultures.
