The Leader and Organization Culture: Navigating the Tricky Currents.

Abstract

The thesis of this paper can be summarized as follows: (1) Organization culture can and should be managed; (2) the process of culture management cannot be understood, nor specified, as a directed, instrumental approach; (3) instead, the process involves a long-term adaptation of organization culture and strategy with organizational leadership playing the driving role in the process of culture management. A popular, instrumental view that culture offers the levers for the shrewd general manager to pull, is review and assessed. Subsequently, a different perspective--a navigational view--is proposed. According to this, the process of culture change is long-term, energy-intensive, and leader-driven. At best, a slight nudge to organization culture is the probable outcome, but this may be sufficient to ensure implementation of a strategic change. A rudimentary model for strategic leadership is then developed, and a case study about leadership and organization cultures is recounted to exemplify the proposed roles of leadership and culture in managing strategic change.

Open PDF

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Nov 01, 1984
Accession Number
ADA152713

Entities

People

  • D. R. Gilbert Jr.
  • N. C. Roberts

Organizations

  • University of Minnesota

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Human Systems

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Education
  • Educational Psychology
  • Instructors
  • Management Personnel
  • Military Personnel
  • Military Research
  • National Security
  • Naval Air Stations
  • New York
  • Personnel Management
  • Psychology
  • Schools
  • Students
  • Training
  • United States
  • United States Government

Readers

  • Military History of the United States in the 20th Century.
  • Organizational Process Management (OPM).
  • Systems Analysis and Design