The document discusses three paradigms for viewing organizational culture: integration, differentiation, and ambiguity. Under the integration paradigm, culture is shared and unified. The differentiation paradigm views culture as composed of various subunits that may have contradictory values. The ambiguity paradigm sees culture as complex with inconsistencies and lack of clarity except for a shared awareness of ambiguity. The paradigms also differ in their views of consistency, consensus, and reaction to ambiguity within an organizational culture. Finally, the paradigms are compared in terms of the nature, scope, source, and potential control of culture change and the role of organizational leaders.

1. Organisations as cultures
Dr. Guido Gianasso
January 2013

2. Organizations as cultures = patterns ofOrganizations as cultures = patterns of
meaning, values and behaviorsmeaning, values and behaviors
1. Integration
 Culture is shared and unique to the organization.
Culture = glue.
 Focus on espoused values, formal or informal
practices or shared assumptions
 Metaphor = “clearing in jungle”
1. Differentiation
 Culture organized around various subunits and
individuals and composed of a collection of values and
manifestations, sometimes contradictory.
 Metaphor = Islands of clarity in sea of ambiguity
1. Ambiguity
 Complexity and lack of clarity. Differences in meaning,
values and behavioral norms and irreconcilable.
 Culture as “the web”. Culture has no shared integrated
set of values with one exception: Awareness of
ambiguity itself.
 Metaphor = Web, jungle
3 Paradigms
(views of
culture)

3. Paradigm I
Integration
Paradigm II
Differentiation
Paradigm III
Ambiguity
Consistency
among cultural
manifestations
Consistency Inconsistency
and
Consistency
Lack of clarity
Degree of
consensus
among member
of culture
Organizational
wide
Within but not
between
subcultures
Issue specific
consensus
and confusion
among
individuals
Reaction to
ambiguity
Denial Channeling Acceptance

4. Key Learning:Key Learning:
 Culture can be described and enacted from any and all
three paradigms
 To avoid “blind spots” created by viewing culture from a
single perspective, we should be aware of all three
paradigms

5. What is the nature of culture change?What is the nature of culture change?
What is the role of the leader?What is the role of the leader?
Paradigm I
Integration
Paradigm II
Differentiation
Paradigm III
Ambiguity
Nature of the
process
Scope
Source
Possible to
control the
process
Revolutionary Incremental Continual
Organizational
wide
Localized and
loosely coupled
Issue specific
changes among
individuals
Leader
centered
External and
internal catalysts
All individual
change
YES NO
To a certain
extend (localized
impact but not
organizational
wide control )

6. What is the nature of culture change?What is the nature of culture change?
What is the role of the leader?What is the role of the leader?
Paradigm I
Integration
Paradigm II
Differentiation
Paradigm III
Ambiguity
Nature of the
process
Scope
Source
Possible to
control the
process
Revolutionary Incremental Continual
Organizational
wide
Localized and
loosely coupled
Issue specific
changes among
individuals
Leader
centered
External and
internal catalysts
All individual
change
YES NO
To a certain
extend (localized
impact but not
organizational
wide control )