The Flow of Organizational Culture

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-ix

   PDF

2. Introduction

   • Jim MacQueen

   Pages 1-6

3. A Culture Perspective: Growing Culture in a Community Garden

   • Jim MacQueen

   Pages 7-16

4. A Mental Model of Organizational Culture

   • Jim MacQueen

   Pages 17-39

5. Sense and Meaning

   • Jim MacQueen

   Pages 41-50

6. Ontologies of Organizational Culture

   • Jim MacQueen

   Pages 51-63

7. Culture and Organizational Change

   • Jim MacQueen

   Pages 65-89

8. Creating Context: The Role of Sensemaking in Producing Culture

   • Jim MacQueen

   Pages 91-118

9. Metaphors: A Critical Culture Tool

   • Jim MacQueen

   Pages 119-139

10. Using the Ideas and Approaches: A Case Study

    • Jim MacQueen

    Pages 141-173

11. Working with Organizational Culture: Ideas About Consulting

    • Jim MacQueen

    Pages 175-198

12. Back Matter

    Pages 199-203

    PDF

This book presents a new approach to organizational culture based in the ontologies of process metaphysics, complexity theory, and social constructionism. The author shows that most existing definitions of organizational culture are inadequate and argues that organizational culture is socially constructed, building on Schein's idea that culture emerges as a dynamic response to problem solving by the organization’s members. Through several case studies, he demonstrates that neglecting an organization's culture is responsible for the failures of organizational change efforts and shows how using this new model will lead to improved results. This book will be a valuable resources to anyone interested in organizational studies.

• culture change
• organizational culture
• Process Metaphysics
• Complexity Theory
• Schein
• organizational development
• systems thinking
• sensemaking
• process thinking
• organizational change
• appreciative inquiry
• coaching
• teambuilding
• change management

“We all know how powerful organization culture is and we remain puzzled about ways to shape it in productive ways.  This book moves us a step forward. It both honors and clarifies how we think and act on culture. It is a beautiful embodiment of its opening quote from Lewin that ‘there is nothing so practical as a good theory.’ Well worth reading.” (Peter Block, Founder, Designed Learning; Author, Flawless Consulting, Stewardship, and The Empowered Manager)

“Jim MacQueen has brought forward a creative, integrative update on understanding and changing organization cultures, a serious and often needed aspect of change work. He weaves together exemplar previous works on culture with challenges spawned by higher levels of complexity, working more with emergence and improving the role of consulting in this work. There is a lot here for any leader or change agent to grasp about how to work with culture.” (David W. Jamieson, President, Jamieson Consulting Group, Inc.; Professor, Organization Development and Change, University of St Thomas, USA)

“Organizational culture is the ever-evolving product of dynamic webs that connect individuals and groups.  Jim’s book awakens us to contemplate this flow in everyday life . . . Thought-provoking and profoundly skill-building.  This book is for all system-change professionals who want to deepen their conceptualization of healthy human systems, and put their participatory values into practice.” (Sam Kaner, Founder and Executive Director of Community at Work; Author, Facilitator’s Guide to Participatory Decision-Making)

“In this well-written, expert, and important book, Jim MacQueen gives us unique and coherent access to Organizational Culture. Why is this important?  For both the practitioner and scholar within our OD professional selves, a deep and useful grasp of Culture’s sense/meaning and application/theory, like breathing, is essential to our own effectiveness. I found learning, challenges to my thinking, and new perspectives on many pages. Future readers should have the same experience.” (George H. Schofield, Developmental and Organizational Psychologist, Writer, Consultant, Speaker; Author, How Do I Get There from Here? (named a Must Read by NASDAQ, 2017))

• InFlow OD, Bethel, USA

  Jim MacQueen

Jim MacQueen is a former Organizational Development Consultant at Virginia Tech, USA (retired). He has practiced OD on five continents in more than a dozen countries. Over the past 25 years, he has worked with Fortune 500 corporations, government agencies, universities, nonprofits and small businesses as both an external and internal consultant.

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