ABSTRACT
The Cultural Web can help to distinguish between what is done officially in an organisation, such as press releases and post-project evaluation, and what is done unofficially, such as grapevine stories, office parties, e-mail messages and so on. The assumption is that the paradigm that develops from these is central to the ongoing ‘heartbeat’ of the organisation. The paradigm at the centre of the model comprises the combined key beliefs and assumptions of the organisation. This is impacted to varying degrees by the following: Stories, Symbols, Rituals & routines, Power structures, Control systems and Organisational structures. The model has been criticised for ignoring the possibility that several cultures could exist within an organisation at the same time. This correspondingly could impact upon the pace of change in relation to any proposed strategy implementation, for example one part of the organisation may be more readily accepting than others.
