An Ethnographic Study of Culture in the Context of Organizational Change

Abstract

The author employed an ethnographic research approach, combined with a clinical element, to explore the nature and role of culture in the context of organizational change. The study took place at the U. K. operations of a global human resources consulting firm, People Associates. Using Schein’s levels of culture model, the author identified cultural assumptions and values and explored how these relate to behaviors, using the author’s relationship with the organization as a rich data source. This study contributes in two main ways: first, it shows how an organizational culture develops historically, is internally coherent, and has potent effects on behaviors that should be studied and understood by managers and clinicians undertaking organizational change programs. Second, it highlights and illustrates how researcher reflexivity and subject reactivity can be useful sources of data for understanding an organization.