Organizational culture … “the way things get done around here”
Deal and Kennedy

Cameron and Kim profiled the cultures of >1,000 organizations. They discovered four kinds of organization culture: Adhocracy, Clan, Hierarchy, and Market.

They found that effective organizations are paradoxical

Paradoxical organizations combine features from all four cultures. As a result, the organization survives and thrives in their markets

The Four Cultures.

• Adhocracy (Create) culture values new product development. It is confident that innovation creates new markets, new customers, and new opportunities.
• Clan (Collaborate) culture is family-like. It holds in high regard sensitivity to customers and concern for people.
• Hierarchy (Control) culture attaches great importance to a smooth-running organization.
• Market (Compete) culture is results oriented. It esteems winning and defines success by market share and penetration.