Organizational Culture Assessment
Just as a business needs to be constantly adapting to meet the needs of the market, culture needs to constantly grow and adapt in order for an organization to succeed.
The Organizational Culture Assessment Instrument (OCAI) is an assessment tool developed by Dr. Cameron and Dr. Quinn, based on the Competing Values Framework. Using 39 indicators, this powerful assessment tool measures an organization’s effectiveness depending on whether it has:
- Internal v. external focus
- Integration v. differentiation
- Stability v. flexibility
- Control v. discretion
Because an organization cannot fully integrate two competing values at the same time, there will always be some polarization towards one value or the other. This leads to four possible outcomes:
- A clan culture which values collaboration – the culture creates a friendly working environment and focuses on addressing needs of their clients.
- An adhocracy culture which values creativity – the culture is dynamic and is based on successful innovation and experimentation.
- A market culture which values competitiveness – the culture emphasizes results, innovation, and industry dominance.
- A hierarchy culture which values control and stability – the culture is highly-structured and defined by procedures and stability in order to achieve long-term goals.
Although most companies are a mix of all four cultures, they tend to have a dominant cultural style. Valuable insight can be obtained in comparing current versus aspirational cultural styles or viewing the difference between leadership perceptions of culture and cultural perceptions of employees.
The Organizational Culture Assessment Inventory is an excellent starting point for creating a more aligned and healthy organizational culture. Curious as to whether your culture is thriving or toxic? Or are you interested in creating an even better work environment?
