Louis, M. R. (1985). "An Investigator's Guide to Workplace Culture" in P. J. Frost, L. F. Moore, M. R. Louis, C. C. Lundberg and J. Martin. Organizational Culture. Beverly Hills, Sage: 73-93.

Defnition and Purpose

Louis defines culture as "a set of understandings or meanings shared bya group of people. The meanings are largely tacit among members, are clearly relevant to the particular group, and are distinctive to the group. Meanings are passed on to new group members" (Louis, 1980).

There are three basic components to culture -- content, group, and a relationship between the content and the group (or other groups). Organizations are "culture-bearing milieus".

One must decide if they are studying a particular site to learning about culture, or studying the culture to understand a particular site.

Experiential Boundaries

One common misconception is that an organization has a single culture. Studying organizational culture means specifying what boundaries you are looking at. It means understanding to what extent certain subcultures penetrate the organization.

The researcher also needs a conceptual focus. Is one focusing on the origins of culture, outcomes and effects of culture, manifestations or evidence of culture. Or is on focused on managing and changing cultures?

Focus1: Origins Of Workplace Cultures

Like Chandler (1962)

Focus2: Manifestations of Workplace Cultures

Most in this area focus on symbols -- sagas, stories, legends, myths. Or physical symbols like layout and architecture. Or it focuses on the negotiations between members and their setting.

Focus 3: Outcomes of Workplace Culture

From the Hawthorne plant to Trist and Baumforth's coal mine studies have shown the effects of culture. Cultures have been shown to affect commitment and involvement, and to impact socialization.

Focus 4: Management of workplace cultures

Lots of popular literature here.

Focus 5: Approaches to Workplace Cultures

What constitutes an essence of culture? Is is group norms, values? Are they group-specific or universal?

Interpretation and Sampling

There are several levels of interpretation ocurring in studying culture (from the individual actions through negotiated interpretations between researchers).

Also the choice of what to study (leadership, etc.) represents an interpretation of what is important.

Sampling is also important. Louis suggests that studying newcomers in organizations may reveal more about "what really matters around here and why" than studying "business as usual".