Organizational Culture

Introduction Over the past decade, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) has shifted from a peripheral organizational culture to a central element of corporate strategy, employer branding and ESG reporting. Large organisations publish DEI policies, run awareness campaigns and track demographic metrics to demonstrate commitment to fairness and representation. Yet between 2023 and 2025, a noticeable rollback of DEI has emerged in the US, UK and parts of Europe, with several major firms scaling back DEI roles, targets and branding under legal, political and economic pressure (Murray, 2025; Forsdick, 2025; Reuters, 2025).  This blog argues that the key to understanding why DEI too often leads to cynicism and burnout rather than belonging lies in organisational culture. Drawing on Schein’s three levels of culture, Hofstede’s cultural dimensions, Cameron and Quinn’s Competing Values Framework, Martin’s three perspectives on culture and Harrison’s culture typology, it shows that DEI frequ...

Introduction The saying “Culture eats strategy for breakfast” often attributed to Peter Drucker has become universal in management literature and practice (Stoller, Taylor & Farver, 2020). While strategy may set direction, it is culture that determines whether and how strategic intentions are realized. Yet the debate framed by this maxim is incomplete, it is not simply about whether culture or strategy “wins,” but about the agents and processes that sustain, translate, and realign both as the organization evolves. In other words after culture digests the morning strategy, who’s cooking “lunch” when the conditions and directions inevitably shift? Understanding how culture and strategy interact, adapt, and are managed in practice is now more relevant than ever. Recent global disruptions, from the COVID-19 pandemic to large-scale digital transformation, have tested not only the resiliency of formal strategies but also the depth and adaptability of workplace cultures (Bogale, 2024; Lar...

Introduction The physical workplace of an organization, including its offices, layout, decor, rituals, and informal encounters, frequently conveys more about its underlying culture than formal mission statements or corporate values can. Upon entering an office environment, employees assimilate cues regarding seating arrangements, team configurations, observed rituals, and the accessibility of leadership. These observable signals are an integral aspect of the concealed lexicon of organizational culture. In an era where hybrid and remote work are prevalent, interpreting this concealed language is increasingly essential, as the workplace continues to communicate, even with diminished occupancy. Comprehending the implications of an office environment enables executives and HR professionals to synchronize physical space with intended ideals, identify discrepancies, and decipher nuanced cultural signals that influence engagement, performance, and a sense of belonging. Theoretical Analys...

Introduction - The New Shape of Work The COVID-19 pandemic started a "remote work revolution," compelling enterprises globally to transition to virtual operations almost instantaneously. This sudden transition prompted urgent inquiries on the future of corporate culture in a remote work environment. Organizational culture, defined as the collective values, conventions, and behaviors that shape a company's identity, has historically been cultivated through face-to-face interactions and a common physical environment. Numerous company leaders have expressed apprehensions that remote and hybrid work arrangements may jeopardize this culture. Two years into the pandemic, a poll revealed that 76% of HR directors perceived hybrid work as detrimental to employees' engagement with organizational culture (Gartner, 2022). A global assessment conducted by Gartner in late 2021 indicated that hardly one in four remote or hybrid knowledge workers perceived a connection to thei...

Introduction: The New Normal of Sudden Layoffs Organizational reorganization and mass layoffs have become more widespread over the last decade as a result of global economic uncertainty, automation, and the introduction of artificial intelligence (AI). These disruptions have woven instability into the fundamental fabric of contemporary organizational life (Mujtaba and Senathip, 2020). What was formerly considered an emergency measure has become a standard management practice, resulting in a "culture of precarity" that reshapes the employee-employer relationship (Hollister, 2023). Edgar Schein's (2010) three-level model of organizational culture artifacts, proclaimed ideals, and fundamental underlying assumptions provides an effective framework for understanding layoffs. The visible artifacts (e.g., redundancy emails, severance rules) frequently contradict the stated values ("our people are our greatest asset"), showing contradictions in the underlying assumpt...