ABSTRACT
The term ‘organizational culture’ was introduced more systematically in organizational analysis at the end of the 1970s and beginning of the 1980s. During the 1980s and 1990s, in particular, organizational culture was by many perceived as perhaps the single most important element in organizational success. This exaggerated view of organizational culture has since been revised substantially although there is agreement that organizational culture remains a central aspect behind a range of organizational topics such as commitment and motivation, prioritization and resource allocation, competitive advantage and organizational change. It is often understood that organizational culture can either facilitate or obstruct the possibility of implementing strategy and accomplishing change. As seen from the previous chapter, organizational culture is often seen as one, sometimes the most significant, element in organizational change efforts, including in those cases where culture is not directly targeted for change.
