ABSTRACT
A culture includes the behavior norms that were adapted to an environment of the past but subsequently have become embedded in rituals, practices, and a shared sense of identity that resist change. The fundamental difference between business and government is rooted in the two different cultures, with different value systems, that must collaborate to do the work of the federal government. These are the cultures of political leaders and the civil service. The organizational culture includes the values that determine the norms, attitudes, and behaviors that are long lasting in an organization and socialized into new hires. The increased cultural understanding between leaders of the two cultures, political and civil service facilitates the business of government, especially when the mission of Homeland Security is made clear and civil servant managers are brought into the process of developing and implementing strategy. It requires that managers go beyond complaining about organizational cultures and learn how to lead them to effective collaboration.
