Adaptive Organisational Culture as a Source of
Date
2011-05-13
Authors
Maharaj, Devina
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Abstract
Understanding organisational culture and its role in creating long term economic
performance has become a major area of research in recent times. Leading researchers in
the field have found that organisational culture characteristics that facilitate learning and
adaptability can significantly enhance economic performance (Schein 1990; Peter and
Waterman 1982; Dension 1990; Kotter and Heskett 1992). Identifying distinctive
characteristics and core culture traits can therefore assist managers in assessing the role that
organisational culture plays in either facilitating or inhibiting the implementation of
strategies and goals.
The study aims to explore the role of adaptive organisational culture in creating a
sustainable competitive advantage within a single South African organisation. The study
was guided by three research questions which included 1) describing the culture
characteristics of the organisation; 2) assessing if the culture characteristics of organisation
were representative of an adaptive culture; 3) examining if the organisational culture
served as a source of sustainable competitive advantage. Due to the nuanced nature of
organisational culture the case study design was deemed appropriate as it provided valuable
in-depth understanding of context and processes within a single organisation. The
investigation employed the method of multiple data collection and included collection of
data from documentary sources, direct observation, physical artifacts and semi-structured
interviews (Yin 1984; Eisenhardt 1989).
Based on historical data, the culture was assessed and found to be representative of an
adaptive culture. It was also concluded that the adaptive culture of the organisation had
served as a source of sustainable competitive advantage. The findings revealed that the
ability of the organisation’s culture to remain adaptive and serve as a source of sustained
competitive advantage depended on the active management of that culture during periods
of intense growth and/or in times of immense change. Key recommendations for continued
culture strength included proper integration of newcomers into the organisation, continued
active management of the culture and establishing role models and heroes in addition to the
founding members of the organisation.
Description
MBA - WBS
Keywords
Organisational culture, Competitive advantage, Sustainable competitive advantage