Coming soon · Book Profile
Diagnosing and Changing Organizational Culture
A practical, research-grounded guide to diagnosing and transforming organizational culture using the Competing Values Framework and its validated assessment instruments.
A profile of this book is on the way.
What it’s about
Most major organizational change efforts—TQM, downsizing, reengineering—fail not because the techniques are flawed but because the organization's underlying culture remains unchanged. In this third edition of their landmark work, Cameron and Quinn give managers, consultants, and change agents a validated toolkit for surfacing, mapping, and shifting the values that quietly govern 'how things are done around here.' Built on the Competing Values Framework (named one of the forty most important models in business history), the book provides the Organizational Culture Assessment Instrument (OCAI) to plot an organization across four culture types—clan, adhocracy, market, and hierarchy—and a complementary Management Skills Assessment Instrument (MSAI) to align individual managerial competencies with the desired culture. Through a nine-step change methodology, vivid case studies, and decades of comparative data from over 100,000 respondents, the authors show how to move systematically from a current to a preferred culture while recognizing that lasting culture change is inseparable from personal behavioral change.
The through-line
- Who it’s for
- A manager, consultant, teacher, or change agent who wants to improve organizational performance by changing the culture of their organization.
- The problem
- Major change initiatives keep failing and performance stagnates despite new techniques and strategies. They feel frustrated and powerless facing an invisible, taken-for-granted culture they cannot name or move.
- The plan
- Diagnose the current culture using the OCAI and reach consensus.
- Define the preferred future culture and identify the gaps.
- Interpret what change will and will not mean and capture illustrative stories.
- Implement strategic actions, small wins, leadership development, metrics, and a communication strategy.
- Align individual managerial competencies using the MSAI and personal improvement agendas.
- The payoff
- Change initiatives succeed and performance, quality, and morale improve. · The organization develops a clear, shared, congruent culture aligned with its environment. · Managers' behaviors reinforce the desired culture and individuals grow.
See our guide
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Additional reading
- The Organism · Kurt Goldstein
Maslow sources the term 'self-actualization' from Goldstein and builds upon his holistic view of the organism.
- Explorations in Personality · H. A. Murray, et al.
Cited as providing an 'excellent discussion' on the basic principle of centering motivation theory on goals rather than instigation or behavior.
- Social Interest · Alfred Adler
Maslow credits Adler and his followers for stressing the importance of the 'esteem needs,' which he felt were neglected by Freudian psychoanalysts.
- Wisdom of the Body · W. B. Cannon
Provides the foundational concept of 'homeostasis,' which Maslow uses as the starting point for his discussion of physiological needs.
- Multipliers · Liz Wiseman
Explores how leaders can either amplify ('multiply') or diminish ('diminish') the intelligence and capabilities of their teams, a key concept for creating a positive, low-anxiety environment.
- The Fearless Organization · Amy Edmondson
Provides the foundational research and practical steps for creating psychological safety, which the book identifies as crucial for reducing interpersonal anxiety and encouraging people to speak up.
- Mindset · Carol Dweck
Explains the difference between a 'growth mindset' and a 'fixed mindset,' which is presented as a key tool for helping employees manage perfectionism and see failures as learning opportunities.
- Crucial Conversations · Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, et al.
Recommended as a resource for employees to learn how to navigate difficult, high-stakes conversations, directly addressing the book's theme of moving from conflict avoidance to healthy debate.
- Better Allies · Karen Catlin
The author is quoted on specific, actionable steps for allyship, making her book a practical guide for implementing the principles in Chapter 7.
- Blindspot: Hidden Biases of Good People · Mahzarin R. Banaji and Anthony G. Greenwald
Explains the science of implicit bias, which is central to the book's argument that leaders need to be proactive allies because 'not being racist/sexist' isn't enough.