CORPORATE CULTURES AND SUBCULTURES
The influence of a host culture is rarely uni- form. Just as individuals in a culture can have different personalities while sharing much in common, so too with groups and organizations It is this phenomenon that is now recognized as "corporate cu Organizations are mini-societies that have their own distinctive patterns of culture and subculture. One organization may see itself as a tight team or family that believes in working together. Another may be perme- ated by the idea that we're the best in the industry and intend to stay that way." Yet another may be highly fragmented, divided into groups that think about the world in very different ways or that have different aspi rations as to what their organization should be. Such patterns of belief or shared meaning, fragmented or integrated, and supported by various operating norms and rituals can exert a decisive influence on the overall ability of the organization to deal with the challenges that it face One of the easiest ways of appreciating the nature of corporate culture and subculture is simply to observe the day-to-day functioning of a group or organization to which one belongs, as if one were an outsider. Adopt the role of The characteristics of the culture being observed will gradually become evident as one becomes aware of the patterns of interaction between individuals, the language that is used, the images and themes explored in conversation, and the various rituals of daily rou- tine. As one explores the rationale for these aspects of culture, one usually finds that there are sound historical explanations for the way things are done .