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Describes one aspect of a longitudinal case study conducted in an Australian college of advanced education undergoing transformation to a university and explores the relationship between the espoused and observed reaction by staff to the changes, their actual behaviour, and the performance of the organization. Findings from the research did not vindicate the assumption in the culture literature that organizational culture has a direct and predictable effect on organizational performance, as the organization performed very well according to stakeholders′ criteria, in spite of widespread opposition at both grass roots and middle management levels during a period of forced, rapid change. Qualitative evidence is given of the very negative reactions to the forced behaviour changes, while quantitative evidence is given of the level of performance achieved by the organization during the same period. The conclusion is drawn that, on an organization‐wide scale, whole patterns of staff behaviour may be changed without a corresponding positive change in values or assumptions.

Presents the second in a series of two articles tracing the saga of the organizational culture literature from the organization development model through to the recent interest in total quality management (TQM), forming a link between the three concepts. It is argued that, while TQM has separate origins from the culture movement, the two fields have recently converged with the idea that to achieve “excellence” and “quality”, it is necessary either to change or work with the culture of an organization. Following on from the first article which dealt with literature that was mainly of academic interest, such as concepts and methods of study, diagnosis and measurement, reviews the literature that heralds and then reflects the growing interest in utilitarianism. This literature is concerned with attempts to study, implement and measure culture change, and with the emerging relationship between culture and TQM.

The paper presents a follow‐up to the saga of organizational culture, first chronicled in two issues of the Leadership & Organization Development Journal in 1996 and tracing culture’s development from the organization development model through to the interest in total quality management (TQM), forming a link between the three concepts. Since the 1996 articles, culture as a concept has proceeded to develop in many new directions. In revisiting organizational culture after five years, this paper attempts to show how it has branched out from TQM and has since been associated with business process reengineering, organizational learning, and knowledge management; all of which claim to involve either changing a culture or working with an existing culture. Discusses also the role of culture in the emerging ideas and perspectives of strategic alliances, sustainability and future organizations. It is argued that the culture saga is far from finished. While many of its components may turn out to be no more than passing fads and fashions, culture has proven itself to be an enduring concept that, as it has travelled many paths in the past, will travel many different paths in the future.

The effects of culture on the performance of an organization depend, not on the strength of the overall culture, but on the mix and weightings of the components of that culture. An example is the component of conflict, which may be a healthy incentive for action and competition when present in some forms and degrees, but can be damaging when it becomes the culture’s dominant feature and its existence is not acknowledged. Research theory in the management of non‐profits emphasizes the need for consonance and deplores the existence of conflict; however, research shows that some community organizations do not fit the model presented in the literature and that conflict does exist in these organizations and can cripple their ability to function in goal‐setting, staffing, the conduct of meetings, problem solving and decision making, the identification and utilization of individual skills, and writing submissions for government funding. Uses the example of a small, non‐profit organization, which works in an environment where there is a need for unity, but where conflict between the volunteers and paid workers, and among the volunteers themselves, had become the over‐riding consideration in all decision making and was paralysing the organization.

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.

A workforce comprising individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds necessitates attention to subordinate leadership preferences. Exploratory studies conducted within an Australian Government department examined the mix of leadership behaviours that different cultural workgroups preferred their supervisors to display. Transactional and transformational leadership approaches were explored and workgroups were classified either as Australian or Non‐Australian background (NAB). Case study methodology employing semi‐structured interviews, written surveys, organisational document review and on‐site observations was used. Findings indicate that Australian supervisors and their subordinates were not aware of the types of, or the subordinates’ preferences for leadership behaviours displayed by the supervisors. While both cultural workgroups preferred transformational leadership behaviours, they differed in the mix and intensity of transactional and transformational leadership behaviours they would prefer their supervisors to display. The findings have significance for supervisory leadership practices and leadership training for organisations and leaders who wish to develop their culturally diverse workgroup leadership skills.

In 2000, Steve Ballmer took over from Bill Gates as chief executive of Microsoft. In so doing, he took on the massive challenge of restructuring the company’s management of finance, sales, product development, marketing and strategic planning. Ballmer was charged with reinventing the company that had previously been synonymous with Gates, and giving Microsoft a new identity. In their Business Week article about the subsequent transformation process, Jay Greene, Steve Hamm and Jim Kerstetter describe a now‐legendary memorandum sent by Ballmer in June 2002 to 50,000 employees, entitled “Realizing potential”.