Executive Summary

Organizational culture is often treated as an intangible concept, perceived more through atmosphere than action. Yet for culture to support strategic goals, it must be made explicit, observable, and steerable. This paper argues that the most effective way to influence culture is by focusing on specific, desired behaviours that align with an organization's strategic context. Drawing on insights from organizational psychology, sociology, and change management, we demonstrate how behavioural clarity and contextual awareness enable leaders to drive meaningful and sustainable cultural transformation.


1. Introduction

Organizational culture has long been recognized as a critical factor in performance, employee engagement, and strategic alignment (Schein, 2010; Denison, 1990). Despite this recognition, efforts to manage culture often fail due to a lack of concreteness. Culture is not merely a "vibe"—it is a system of shared assumptions, behaviours, and norms that guide how people act and make decisions in a specific context (Hofstede et al., 2010).

This paper proposes a practical approach: to steer culture effectively, organizations must focus on shaping behaviour. While thoughts and beliefs are difficult to mandate, behaviours can be explicitly defined, reinforced, and adjusted in response to changing strategic contexts.


2. Culture as a Behavioural System

Culture can be understood as the shared behavioural response to a context. It emerges from what people perceive they must do to succeed and conform within an organization (Schein, 2010). As such, culture is both rational and intuitive—a blend of logic and subconscious alignment with prevailing norms.

However, culture often lags behind contextual change. What once made sense in a former strategic environment can become maladaptive, even as it persists due to human resistance to change (Kegan & Lahey, 2009). The inertia of past behaviour patterns can undermine current performance.

To realign culture, organizations must make a shift from discussing "values" in the abstract to prescribing specific behaviours that reflect those values in action.


3. Why Behaviour is the Lever

Behavioural science suggests that changing behaviour is a more feasible and effective starting point than attempting to change underlying mindsets directly (Ajzen, 1991). This is supported by the theory of cognitive dissonance (Festinger, 1957), which posits that when people change their behaviour, they are likely to adjust their beliefs to resolve internal inconsistencies.

In organizational settings, this means that clear expectations around behaviour—when reinforced through systems, recognition, and leadership modelling—can ultimately reshape the cognitive and emotional foundations of culture.


4. Making Culture Actionable

To steer culture through behaviour, organizations should:

  • Define context-specific behaviours: Translate strategic goals into concrete, observable behaviours expected at all levels.
  • Align systems and symbols: Ensure that structures, processes, and informal cues reinforce desired behaviours (Kotter, 1996).
  • Model from the top: Leadership behaviour is a powerful signal of what is truly valued (Goffee & Jones, 2006).
  • Create feedback loops: Use regular feedback and reflection to reinforce learning and adaptation.

For example, if an organization seeks to promote innovation, it must specify the behaviors that signal innovation—e.g., experimentation, idea-sharing, constructive challenge—and embed these into performance systems and leadership rituals.


5. Conclusion

Culture is not static, nor is it beyond influence. But to steer it, organizations must get specific. By defining the behaviours needed to succeed in the current context—and reinforcing them systematically—leaders can transform culture from an abstract ideal into a living, evolving force for strategic alignment.

As the external environment continues to shift, organizations must develop the ability to recalibrate their cultural expectations with clarity and precision. It starts not with what people think, but with what they do.


References

  • Ajzen, I. (1991). The theory of planned behaviour. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 50(2), 179-211.
  • Denison, D. R. (1990). Corporate culture and organizational effectiveness. Wiley.
  • Festinger, L. (1957). A theory of cognitive dissonance. Stanford University Press.
  • Goffee, R., & Jones, G. (2006). Why should anyone be led by you? Harvard Business Review Press.
  • Hofstede, G., Hofstede, G. J., & Minkov, M. (2010). Cultures and organizations: Software of the mind. McGraw-Hill.
  • Kegan, R., & Lahey, L. L. (2009). Immunity to change: How to overcome it and unlock the potential in yourself and your organization. Harvard Business Press.
  • Kotter, J. P. (1996). Leading change. Harvard Business Review Press.
  • Schein, E. H. (2010). Organizational culture and leadership (4th ed.). Jossey-Bass.