The Dark Side of Strong Organisational Cultures

There is much written on how good it is for a company to have a strong, well-defined culture that differentiates the organisation from its competitors. There is also much talk about how important it is to hire candidates who fit well (i.e., who are "aligned") with that organisational culture. We have evidence that this "sense of fit" affects the person's emotional bond with the organisation and, subsequently, her performance. However, an overly strong organisational culture also hides some risks.

In the past decades the world has become more complex and uncertain. Today the competitiveness of a company depends on its ability to adapt or, better still, anticipate the changes that happen beyond its perimeter. In that context, many organisations decide to convert their collaborators into sensors and interpreters of those changes. In that moment, many of