ABSTRACT
The culture, together with the structure, forms the texture of the institution, gives it its 'life' within which individuals can exist and know something about where they are; can move and know something about whence they come and where they go. The culture of the conference is its customary and traditional ways of thinking and doing things, which, eventually, is shared to a greater or lesser degree by staff and members alike. In any institution 'cultural congruence', the extent to which the culture 'fits' the task of the institution, is as important for effective task performance as structural fit. At the beginning of a conference different members accept or reject staff leadership in their own way. In varying degrees they accept the mores and customs of the institution they have entered, and in so doing add their own contribution to the conference culture.
