ONE ORGANIZATION, THREE
MANAGEMENT CULTURES
At a glance, one might think that all of management operates within the
same culture in a business—but do they?
MIT professor Edgar Schein, an expert in corporate culture, explains his theory about multiple
management cultures within one company. While each culture supports each other, their
priorities and styles don’t necessarily mix.
OPERATIONAL CULTURE ENGINEERING CULTURE EXECUTIVE CULTURE
is based on operational
success that is made up of
the day-to-day managers
and producers. These key
players ensure the company
functions and rely on a
team structure for deliv-
ering goods and services.
They value people first
and foremost. is a culture of individuals
who drive the core tech-
nologies of a business.
These people are typically
less concerned about
other people—and most
concerned about the tech-
nologies and systems for
process engineering. is the culture of executive
management, which includes
the C-level leaders, board mem-
bers, and finance-oriented staff.
These individuals look outside
the company for cash flow to
keep the company thriving.
They’re oriented toward ensur-
ing the company delivers value
to stakeholders and customers.
Each management culture can have a hard time seeing the others’ differing views of reality
and priorities. By gaining a deeper understanding of each group’s style, companies can
better see and learn where groups thrive, learn empathy, and better work together.
C U LT U R E
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