The Myth of Organizational Culture: How Leaders Misunderstand the Role of Paradigms and Power

This work is a creative and new approach to thinking about how organizations work. Instead of relying on a vague and often poorly defined concept--culture--the book shows how organizations lack cultures but instead have paradigms that are embedded in larger cultural contexts. These contexts significantly influence how individuals within organizations think about and respond to organizational power structures, as well as organizational artifacts like mission and value statements. Culture cannot simply be used to socially engineer collective behaviors like teamwork and loyalty--it is something that people bring to the table and that can just as easily be a source of conflict as a source of unity.

The book also shows how, rather than focusing on culture, leaders should focus on understanding issues related to power when considering organizational operation and potential directions for change. A radical departure from much work related to organizational dynamics, this book is an important read for organizational leaders and those interested in organizational change.