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The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the impact of organizational culture on the conflict handling style in non-profit organizations. Conflicts in non-profit organizations and especially in associations are more numerous, mainly because of the search for compromise in the decision-making phases and the high level of loyalty in mission that strongly stimulates the voice of one’s opinion. The authors observe that a modification of the organizational culture, through symbolic changes, can resolve the conflicts sequence.

Culture is measured through the organizational culture profile tool and the culture deciphering technique. The authors detail two cases of non-profit organizations, in which conflicts sequence resolution was handled through organizational culture change while conflicts resolution at the individual level could not bring an end to the conflicts sequence.

These cases highlight how organizational culture shapes behaviors and conflicts handling styles. These cases also give insights on how an organizational culture can be changed to setup new default conflict handling styles in an organization. The cultural change management only worked when it was planned on critical cultural change readiness factors with a strong enforcement of the change by the governing bodies.

This study complements research studies on how organizational culture shapes attitudes and behaviors and shows how and under which conditions a cultural change could resolve a conflict sequence. This study also presents a conflict resolution method when the roots of conflicts are embedded in the existing organizational culture. In such conflicts situation, interpersonal conflict resolution technique did not solve the conflicts sequence and only cultural change finally brought an end to the sequence.

A combined search on two levels, the individual level and the organizational culture level, will thus show convergent conflict sources and get a great deal of knowledge before solving individual-level conflicts.

The non-profit sector is sometimes subject to high-conflict situation and this research contributes to more efficient conflict resolution protocols with an applicable method of conflict analysis, change management and conflict resolution.

The work showed how the organizational culture is a key element in the explanation of conflict sources and conflict handling in case of high and repeated conflict situation. It is thus possible to resolve conflict sequence by changing a carefully chosen cultural trait. Nevertheless, the culture change management program is complex and risky. In a high-conflict situation, the authors identified several key conflict resolution factors: the careful identification of the organizational culture traits explaining conflict handling style; the alignment of the management team on the cultural change plan to raise up the intensity of the new set of behaviors; and the selection of the most efficient symbolic change decision.

Students of organisation generally hold that deciphering the subtleties and nuances of behaviour, speech and artifacts in order to describe and understand organisational culture can only be done through such observational field methods as ethnography. Owens and Steinhoff question this assumption and the methodological limitations inherent in it. They sought to develop a paper‐and‐pencil instrument that may be used to probe the unseen, unvoiced, virtually preconscious elements that underlie and give rise to the organisational culture of schools in order to assess systematically the organisational cultures in them. The authors explain the theory of organisational culture which guided the development of their research instrument, the Organisational Culture Assessment Inventory (OCAI).

The purpose of this paper is to discuss how culture, influenced by the project setup and contextual issues, impacts on information and communication technology (ICT) engagement, through a multiple perspective approach to cultural assessment. A “cultural lens” is used to understand the level of ICT engagement in project organisations.

Cultural analysis (CA) is employed as the overarching research methodology. The CA investigates the conflicts between the “espoused values” and “actual beliefs” of members to understand culture. A pre‐existing CA framework with established “espoused values” for ICT implementation is used in this study. Ethnographic interview in a case study setup is employed to extract actual cultural beliefs. These beliefs are then analysed through the CA framework to explain cultural environment and its impact on ICT implementation.

The ICT‐related behaviour of the project team members is contextual to a project environment. This implies that effective ICT adoption requires careful consideration of the cultural traits in the design and implementation phases. It is suggested that neither a simple linear prescription nor overlooking specific contextual aspects is beneficial for effective ICT implementation.

This paper contributes in developing an understanding of: how CA framework through deciphering “espoused values” and “actual beliefs” can assist in studying organisational issues; and how the contextual issues shape the culture in a project organisation leading to “integrated” or “fragmented” ICT implementation.

Empirical evidence suggests corporate culture and change contribute to every Lean failure. Whilst the prevailing research implies that successful Lean implementations lead to a profitable organisation, it also points towards the low numbers of organisations fully adopting the Lean principles. The purpose of this paper is to identify the existing prevalence of culture in explaining the low numbers (less than 10 per cent) of successful British manufacturing organisations that have fully adopted the concepts of Lean and to advocate preventative actions that organisations could pursue in order to improve the UK implementation records.

The methodology predominantly used included survey questionnaires within 68 manufacturing organisations of various sizes and at differing stages of Lean; this was coupled with seven case studies and subsequently validated by an extensive Lean audit undertaken in 20 organisations.

This research initially deciphers the prevalence of culture to Lean failures and then proceeds to recommend courses of action to facilitate higher implementation rates. The significance of culture was evident. The results reveal that a triumphant implementation requires a systematic and controlled strategy to look at the prevailing culture. Whilst Lean failures are attributable to different causes; the fundamental issues of corporate culture and change is evident.

Any organisation embarking upon Lean needs to unequivocally address the prevailing cultural issues. For Lean to thrive, evidently the processes, appropriate application of tools and its application across the value chain would prove futile without a conducive culture.

Possible remedial and preventative courses of action are advocated which should facilitate successful implementations. The implementation of Lean cannot be taken nonchalantly as there is a requirement for heavy investment in terms of both time and money. Nonetheless, when an organization pursues a conducive culture, the probability of success is improved, which secures the superior levels of performance.

Performance appraisal (PA) is an organizational practice whose ultimate goal is to improve employee performance. This goal can be achieved using two approaches: the administrative approach, which emphasizes materialistic incentives and rewards excellent performers, and the developmental approach, which focuses on employee personal and professional development. The literature points out that organizations cannot utilize both approaches at the same time, but the reason for this is vague. Therefore, the research purpose is to bridge this gap by exploring the basic assumptions behind the administrative and developmental PA approaches as part of the hidden layers of organizational culture.

A qualitative document analysis (QDA) was used to analyze 124 Israeli organizations' PA forms and employee reports.

The organization's PA approaches were diagnosed as a first step in revealing the reason for the inability to use both approaches simultaneously. In the next step, it was revealed that organizational culture assumptions are the reason for the contradiction of the PA approaches. Eventually, McGregor's theory X is the basic assumption behind the administrative approach, and theory Y is the assumption behind the developmental approach. Since these two approaches contradict each other, it explains the difficulty of using both approaches simultaneously.

This study dives into the hidden levels of organizational culture and attempts to bridge a long-standing but still current research gap, as well as extend and refine organizational culture and performance appraisal theories.

Applying signaling theory to Schein’s organizational culture framework, this study aims to explain how restaurants communicate that their establishments value wine through multiple cultural attributes.

A phenomenological research design was adopted to conduct three focus groups with 14 restaurateurs about wine culture. Conversational analysis with Straussian coding was used.

A comprehensive definition of wine culture was provided, and five factors emerged that signal the presence of a wine culture. A wine presence includes a wine list, marketing efforts, community involvement and restaurant aesthetics. Employee traits are defined by individual attributes, communications skills and overall knowledge (training). Restaurant identity reflects the cultural alignment and customer relationship expectations set forth by ownership. Organizational structure reflects a restaurant’s hierarchy within which an individual or department is afforded the freedom to invest in wine. Future alignment reflects generational differences and trends in wine preferences and consumption.

Researchers are provided a wine-culture definition and framework for wine research. Restaurants can use the study’s findings to formulate strategies for establishing a wine culture.

This study provided a framework for restaurateurs who wish to be known for wine to implement. Researchers and restaurateurs may facilitate communication between guests, staff and an organization regarding wine as a means of creating a competitive advantage.

Climate change is predicted to increase the vulnerability of urban populations to flood hazards. Against this backdrop, flood risk adaptation has become pertinent. However, in Ghana, current flood risk management practice is fostered by a reactive culture. There is limited research on how communities and government agencies are engaging with flood risk adaptation in improving resilience. Therefore, this paper aims to analyse the culture of communities and agencies through the cultural theory of risk (CTR), towards understanding the flood risk adaptation in Accra, Ghana. Culture is deciphered using the beliefs held by residents and public agency officials.

A qualitative methodology, underpinned by the constructivist paradigm, was adopted to understand factors that influence flood risk adaptation in informal settlements. Data was gathered using household and institutional interviews in Glefe, Accra, Ghana.

The results show that both disaster risk management institutions and community members are deeply concerned about current and future flood risk. However, their cultural beliefs concerning flood risk and adaptation are contradictory, broadly framed by fatalist, individualist and hierarchist beliefs. The contradictory emergent beliefs contribute to a clash of expectations and create uncertainty about how to respond to flood risk, impacting the implementation of required adaptation measures. Developing a collaborative flood risk management framework and a shared understanding of adaptation approaches may be a better alternative.

This paper advances understanding of how culture influences flood risk adaptation in developing country context.

The first in a series of two articles, traces the saga of the organizational culture literature from the organization development model through to the recent interest in total quality management, forming a link between the three concepts. The literature has, at various times ‐ and sometimes concurrently ‐ defined the concept of culture, prescribed methods of study and diagnosis, discussed the possibility of culture change and often prescribed change methods, recommended methods to evaluate the extent and success of change and, most recently, looked at the part culture and culture change play in achieving total quality through the medium of total quality management. With few exceptions, the notion of managerial control is not addressed. Argues that, while TQM had separate origins from the culture movement, the two fields have converged recently with the idea that to achieve “excellence” and “quality”, it is necessary either to change or work with the culture of an organization. Reviews the literature concerned with defining the concept of culture itself and recommended methods of study, diagnosis and measurement, themes that occur predominantly in the early literature.

Very few Australian organisations have been able to effectively integrate and sustain the principles of quality management. A number of factors have contributed to this situation but by far the most significant has been the disinterest exhibited in the relevance of organisational culture; especially as this is shaped by existing and imminent technologies. The steps that can and should be taken prior to embarking upon the strategic implementation of cultural change are explored and means of identifying and evaluating the key cultural dimensions and diagnosing specific factors that might impede the pace and scale of cultural transformation are proposed. Implementing a “quality‐appreciative” culture ultimately requires the remodelling of each cultural attribute. Thus an intimate understanding of culture is an imperative for those organisations wishing to make the transition to quality a natural and lasting reality.

This work seeks to offer a greater understanding of Lean healthcare implementation challenges conceptually taking a situated cultural organizational change perspective.

A descriptive model of healthcare organizations’ Lean adoption trajectories is built using ripple and bridging modelization strategies from elements of three classic organizational change theories and knowledge from Lean, organizational culture, healthcare and operations management literature.

The “contingent Lean culture adoption” (CLCA) model suggests five theoretical trajectories the healthcare organizations may experience when conducting a Lean transformation. These trajectories evolve from a new concept of Lean cultural friction (LCF) which represents cultural friction that a healthcare organization encounters toward an ultimate Lean culture proficiency state through time. From high to low initial LCF, a healthcare organization may in its Lean proficiency course end up in three states: lower, similar or higher LCF situation.

The CLCA model demonstrates the potential to be developed into a framework and possibly a Lean cultural friction theory pending further qualitative and quantitative validation.

The CLCA model may help healthcare managers to use more appropriate cultural change strategies during their organization’s Lean journey.

This work enriches the concept of Lean cultural change which may apply not only to healthcare organizations but also to other ones. It suggests the existence of a healthcare organization Lean culture proficiency archetype and introduces the notion of Lean cultural friction.