The application of faith-based principles. Mission leaders can facilitate an organization's cultural transformation

Cultural factors account for a high percentage of the less-than-successful mergers, partnerships, and joint ventures that are taking place in today's healthcare marketplace. Culture is found wherever people live and work together in relative stability. Those in the Catholic healthcare ministry are in need of faith-based wisdom to deal with the challenges of cultural transformation. Five principles may be helpful: Take time as a team to return in a reflective way to the wellsprings of our ministry. Remember that this is a three-way undertaking--you, your co-workers, and God. Remember that to hear God speak to us, to recognize God's presence, we need to keep ourselves centered and deeply attentive. Help one another sort out motivations and maintain a clean heart. Appreciate the affective potential in the cultural elements of symbol, myth, and ritual. Using these principles, leaders can begin to focus on how they can positively affect culture change through the following conceptual model of culture: The symbolic dimension of symbols, myths, and rituals. The dimension of espoused beliefs, purpose, and values. The mini-expressive dimension of revealing everyday comments and behaviors. The hidden dimension of sentiments, convictions, and commitments.