Culture Clashes: Misalignment and Consequences

Organizational culture can often be messy and ambiguous in the course of daily work. Even when an organization has a high-level culture that drives its mission and values, different functions, business units, or support groups often have their own norms, values, and behaviors that shape their approach to carrying out projects. When these groups come together, cultural conflicts and clashes are often not far behind. 
In November APQC convened a roundtable discussion with data, process, and knowledge management professionals to discuss culture clashes at the intersections of data, process, and knowledge management. Participants shared examples of where and why they see culture clashes unfolding, and highlighted strategies that have been helpful in resolving or mitigating these conflicts.

In addition to summarizing the roundtable discussion, this article sets the stage for thinking about culture clashes by defining organizational culture and organizational subcultures.