In today’s challenging business environment every company is looking for an edge, the thing that will provide them an advantage in the market place. Companies invest small fortunes in skill based training, continuous improvement projects and complex market strategies; all in search of improved organizational performance.
The success or failure of these initiatives is most often not determined by the amount of effort and hard work put forth by the employees. Rather, success or failure is pre-determined at the outset by the company’s culture. Organizational culture is the key to EVERYTHING.
The Organizational Culture Assessment Instrument (OCAI) is a tool for diagnosing organizational culture. Based on the competing values framework, which separates organizational culture along two critical dimensions:
- Internal Focus & Integration versus External Focus & Differentiation
- Flexibility & Freedom to Act versus Stability & Control
As the diagram demonstrates, the resulting four quadrants each describe a unique organizational culture. While all four types exist in every organization, assessment results will reveal a dominant type.
Hierarchy Culture: A traditional approach to structure and control that flows from a strict chain of command.
Market Culture: Seeks control but does so by looking outward.
Clan Culture: Less focus on structure and control and a greater concern for flexibility. Rather than strict rules and procedures, people are driven by vision, shared goals and outcomes.
Adhocracy Culture: Greater independence and flexibility.
In addition to assessing the overall dominant culture type, the instrument also assess six key culture attributes in the same competing values framework. The six measureable attributes are:
- Dominant Organizational Characteristics
- Leadership Style
- Management of Employees
- Organizational Glue
- Strategic Emphasis
- Criteria for Success
The overall culture and all six culture attributes are assessed from both CURRENT and PREFERRED perspectives. This provides organizations with a starting point to begin the process of culture transformation.
Foxwood Associates has developed a structured Culture Transformation Process which incorporates the OCAI.
If the culture in your organization is getting in the way of achieving your desired objectives, Foxwood Associates can facilitate a structured process of diagnosis and transformation. Click the Contact Us tab on the left side of this screen. We’ll get back to you promptly.
