why are managers and researchers so interested in organisational cultures?
             Trice and Beyer, Cultures of Work Organizations, Prentice Hall Business Publishing (1993) cite two main reasons:
             1. Increased competition for American organisations and
             2. An acknowledgement that scientific and rational explanations of organisations are incomplete.
             Some leaders believe the performance of an organisation depends solely upon the quality of its personnel. This is a flawed premise for, in reality it is the quality of the organisations leadership, which will dictate whether or not the talents and commitment of its people will become manifest and expressed in the work of the organisation. According to Dr Francois Maritz (HRM Magazine, October 1995, pp. 8-16) "How leaders lead - the directions they establish, how they identify objectives, the lessons they teach regarding desired and outlawed practices and the incentives they offer - determines the culture within which work is to be accomplished. The culture, in turn, will determined whether or not the human and technological potential available to leaders will be realised."
             Hypothetically one could ask. "How many seeds are in a Apple?" The answer of course is irrelevant! More relevant in the context of human potential is the question. "How many apples in a seed?" The answer is infinite - provided that the correct circumstances exist for the seed to germinate and flourish. Productivity could be mathematically expressed as: Potential minus Interference. It could also be said that the role of the leader/manager is to manage or reduce interference.
             This is why the management of culture has become such a crucial issue for global business leaders. There is nothing less than the success or failure of their organisations at stake. Issues such as productivity, strategic development and individual performance are all direct outcomes of the successful management of national and organisational ...