Personnel Management and Organisational Culture: A Case of Deviant Innovation?

The concept of organisational or corporate “culture” has in recent years forced its way to the forefront of the managerial and academic literature. So much so that the 1980s seem destined to be the “culture” decade. This organisational culture “movement” has been seen as part of a wider change of direction in managerial theory, led by the so‐called “new management thinkers”. Very briefly, organisational culture is usually seen as the “atmosphere” of the organisation, or the attitudes, feelings and beliefs of employees. Others have suggested that it conveys to employees “the way things are done around here”.