Organizational culture: a foundational perspective

The purpose of this paper is to perform a typological analysis of research orientations in the field of organizational culture (OC) in order to provide a broad, original perspective on the nature of research in this field, beyond the current quantitative/qualitative dichotomy.

Documentary analysis, consisting of a content analysis of an appropriate and conceptually convenient selection of 200 source publications, was conducted. The analysis was performed in terms of four fundamental knowledge orientations and methodologies.

An analysis and description of the chosen set of examples for each of the four types of knowledge showed that, as with other areas in the field of organizational behavior and management (and also other scholarly disciplines), the typology finds clear expression in the area of OC.

In view of the aim and originality of the present paper, the sample size employed is not a worrying factor as sufficient and clear examples of each of the four basic types of research orientations have been provided. It is recommended that the broadly applicable knowledge (and by implication research) orientations that were introduced here, be considered by OC researchers. The analysis of fundamental approaches to research provides an inclusive perspective on the nature of different ways of studying and understanding OC. This should assist in expanding both scholarly and practitioner horizons. It is concluded that the analysis of research in the field of OC in terms of fundamental types of human knowledge provides a unique and expanded view on research in this area.

All stakeholders in the field of human resource management could benefit from taking cognizance of a broader perspective of knowledge development in the field of OC. The four-fold framework could also be utilized as a valuable source for restructuring and teaching of research methodology programs and courses in institutions of higher education, especially concerning the general need for greater attention to: theoretical (type I), and evaluation (type IV) research in management and organizational behavior.

The analysis of fundamental knowledge orientations provides an original and encompassing perspective on the nature of different approaches to the study and understanding of OC.