Assessing organizational culture: strategies for the external consultant

Organizational culture provides a mechanism for controlling the actions of the members of the organization by informally approving or prohibiting certain behaviors. Additionally, it serves an integrative function by generating commitment to the goals of the organization and by providing a framework for shared understanding of the meaning of events that occur within the organization (Smircich, 1983). Organizational theorists suggest that culture plays a particularly important role in those organizations that operate under conditions of high uncertainty and complexity and that strive to achieve outcomes that are difficult to measure (Bolman & Deal, 1984; Wilkins & Ouchi, 1983). Today's healthcare delivery agencies clearly fit this category of organizations. By taking the culture of these organizations into consideration when making recommendations, the nurse consultant can minimize the potential for resistance to the consultation process and maximize the potential for successful consultative outcomes.