ABSTRACT
Organizational culture has gained much attention during the past decade. This chapter differentiates dreams from possibilities in the management of culture. A comparison of the term’s anthropological tradition with the interests of organizational theorists and practitioners indicates the different contexts in which culture is applied. Three different conceptions of culture are discussed, including their underlying assumptions and implications for the management of culture: organizational culture as variable, as metaphor, and as dynamic construct. Culture as dynamic construct presents a synthesis of the other two: Its underlying assumptions acknowledge organizations as social systems, and it addresses the possibilities of culture-aware management. The implications of culture-aware management for the conceptualization and practice of management are discussed, followed by some final remarks.
