Culture and Climate in Short Life Organizations: Sunny Spells or Thunderstorms?

Abstract

Notes the link between “strong” organizational cultures and effective organizational performance; particularly so in the hospitality industry, where the aim has been to promote cultural individuality in order to differentiate between brands, thus encouraging customer loyalty and ensuring repeat business. Equally well documented has been the notion that the development of culture is a long‐term, incremental process occuring in response to a complex set of factors. However, the concept of organizational climate has been given less emphasis, often being subsumed within the topic as a whole. An implicit assumption has been made that one is a naturally occurring by‐product of the other. These issues raise important questions for short‐life hospitality organizations in terms of whether both culture and climate can be inculcated over a short time span and the importance of the traditionally assumed link with organizational effectiveness.