National and Organizational Culture

Abstract

AbstractNumerous constituent factors contribute to national culture and make it distinctly different from one country to another. National culture plays a role in determining key parameters of organizational culture. Elements of national and organizational culture contribute to the sustainability of nuclear security culture, a subset of them. Geert Hofstede’s six dimensions of national culture can help management select tools for building up a robust nuclear security culture. The four clusters of organizational culture (clan, adhocracy, hierarchy, and market) are helpful in determining a management mechanism to promote nuclear security culture in a wide range of organizations. The concept of “high reliability organization” (HRO) aims to achieve and sustain almost error-free performance through a combination of organizational design, management practice, personnel training, and culture. This approach identifies principles that enable organizations to achieve reliable performance and bolster their ability to return to normal modes of operation after suffering the consequences of at-risk behavior, malicious acts, or natural disasters. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) methodologies for nuclear safety and security culture are based on Edgar Schein’s widely recognized principles of organizational culture. Applied to security, the essence of Schein’s model is jointly learned, relevant values, beliefs, and assumptions taken for granted as a nuclear facility operates at an acceptable risk and compliance level.