Organizational Culture

Defining Culture
A global mindset can accept and appreciate different cultures. But what,
exactly, do we mean by “culture”? Understanding what culture is can help us
move past a belief that one specific culture defines a norm. There is no
universal or best culture; there are only different cultures.
Culture is a set of beliefs, attitudes, values, and perspectives on how the

world works. Culture is invisible and can be handed down from one generation
to the next.
Cultural models describe groups who share a specific set of beliefs, attitudes,
values, and perspectives. The term “group” can refer to nations or
geographical regions, but it can also refer to organizations or disciplines or
industries, or even smaller divisions of these groups. A cultural model is like a
distinctive genetic code—invisible but present and exerting a strong influence
on what we see.
A cultural setting is created whenever two or more people get together to

perform some task.
How and when does culture become tangible—something we can see and
talk about? Culture becomes more observable when we look at cultural
settings. A cultural setting is created whenever two or more people get
together to perform some task. Settings occur at work, home, school, a house
of worship, or a place for recreation. As people interact within the cultural
setting, they exhibit behaviors that are the result of their culture.
To further complicate the challenge of culture, Geert Hofstede, a pioneer in

intercultural business communication, notes that culture is only part of an
individual’s makeup. It shares space with and can be affected by:
 The individual’s personality, which is a product of inheritance and experience.

 Human nature, which is universal—such as feelings of joy or loss.
The challenge of culture is captured by Hofstede’s metaphor of culture as the

“software of the mind”—mental programs that predispose us to patterns of
thinking, feeling, and acting. If that is so, then, like most computers, we
simultaneously run multiple software programs in order to carry out our daily
tasks. And—not to stretch the analogy too far—sometimes all that software
running simultaneously can create conflicts and overloads.
What happens when individuals from multiple cultural models interact within a
single setting, such as a workplace? We have the potential for
misunderstandings and conflict. Consider the following example:
People from many Western cultures see the wearing of the hijab, or headcover, by Muslim
women to be a sign of religious or sexist repression. The wearer of the hijab, however, may see it
as a sign of religious commitment or a group identity that she is proud to share. Wearing the
hijab is not something she has to do but something she chooses to do. In a culturally diverse
workplace, as people work side by side, these different perceptions of the meaning of the action
of wearing the head cover can generate tension and suspicion. It may only diminish teamwork,
but the consequences can be far worse. A valued hijab-wearing employee may be harassed by
coworkers and supervisors, denied opportunities, disciplined, or terminated. The organization’s
reputation and its brand as an employer may suffer, and it may face charges of noncompliance
with antidiscrimination laws.
Applying an understanding of culture can help resolve these conflicts and

restore productivity and collaboration. Leaders, HR professionals, and
employees can recognize differences that are rooted in culture and decide to
move toward them in curiosity and not away from them in fear and distrust.
Layers of Culture
The process of identifying culture and developing a strategy to bridge cultural
distances is complex, partly because each culture has multiple layers.
Beneath a culture’s explicit characteristics (such as language, dress, or
manner), which are relatively easy to appreciate, there are implicit
characteristics (such as world views and cognitive habits), which take time
and experience to discover and understand.
Some have compared the process of understanding culture to viewing an

iceberg. We see only the visible tip of the culture—its language, food, style of
dress, and architecture—or, a bit deeper down, its lifestyle and behaviors.
Hidden below are the beliefs and values that are its foundation. Another
image is culture as an onion, with outer layers that must be peeled away to
reach a culture’s core universal truths.
The sociologist Edgar Schein sought to define culture’s multiple layers and
their interrelationship. He was studying organizational cultures, but his model
applies equally well to national, regional, or other types of culture. It is
important to recognize that the outer layers derive from the innermost layers
and can be fully understood only in that context.
Culture vs. Climate
It is dangerous to assume that the explicit or observable aspects of an
organization are the totality of its culture. These features are more accurately
referred to as the organization’s climate. Climate is distinct from culture.
Culture is the result of shared beliefs; climate may result from the actions of a
few individuals or external forces. For example, a handful of managers who
are attentive only to their own goals or a serious downturn in revenue or
market competition can create a poor climate even in an organization with a
positive culture.
Mistaking the climate and culture can result in organizations undertaking

entire cultural changes to correct a disorder that does not exist. The
fundamentals of the organization’s culture may be in fine shape, but it is the
climate—which is generated by the actions of leaders and other employees—
that needs improvement. HR professionals adept at identifying the difference
between culture and climate can help establish processes and procedures to
ensure that an organization’s climate does not create obstacles to achieving
organizational goals.
Cultural Intelligence
Cultural intelligence is the capacity to recognize, interpret, and behaviorally
adapt to multicultural situations and contexts. As with the term “global
mindset,” the concept of “culture” here needs to be extended to embrace other
diversity dimensions—age, gender, race, religion, socioeconomic background,
and even intelligence and ideology.
In International Dimensions of Organizational Behavior, Nancy J. Adler

describes three aspects of cultural intelligence:
 Cognitive, including thinking, learning, and strategizing. This involves

developing a knowledge of cultural differences and similarities and being able
to use that knowledge to determine how best to handle a cross-cultural
situation.
 Motivational, including effectiveness, confidence, persistence, value
congruence, and the level of attraction toward a new culture. This quality
enables one to genuinely enjoy cultural differences rather than feeling
threatened or intimidated by them.
 Behavioral, including an individual’s range of possible actions and responses
to intercultural encounters. This quality enables one to be flexible and adapt in
multicultural contexts.
Many efforts to develop and enhance cultural intelligence tend to focus on the
cognitive aspect alone. In fact, using a comprehensive approach that pays
equal attention to all three components is more effective.

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Defining Culture

Culture is a set of beliefs, attitudes, values, and perspectives on how the

A cultural setting is created whenever two or more people get together to

To further complicate the challenge of culture, Geert Hofstede, a pioneer in

 The individual’s personality, which is a product of inheritance and experience.

The challenge of culture is captured by Hofstede’s metaphor of culture as the

Applying an understanding of culture can help resolve these conflicts and

Some have compared the process of understanding culture to viewing an

Mistaking the climate and culture can result in organizations undertaking

In International Dimensions of Organizational Behavior, Nancy J. Adler

 Cognitive, including thinking, learning, and strategizing. This involves

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