Literature Review

Annotated Bibliography (Synopsis)

Citation

Detert, J.R., Schroeder, R.G., & Mauriel, J.J. (2000). A framework for linking culture and improvement initiatives in organizations. Academy of Management Review, 25(4), 850-863.

Article Overview

This article presented an analysis of the dimensions of organizational culture commonly used in existing research, delineating how these dimensions corresponded with the principles of Total Quality Management (TQM). Researchers, consultants, practitioners, and members of management continue to view culture as essential to the success of organizational transformations. Despite the consensus on the importance of culture, the authors observed that

As the culture concept enters its third decade of active life in the field of organizational studies, debates about epistemology, levels and manifestations of the concept, and appropriate methodology have become ‘war games’ that threaten the maturity of the concept beyond its preparadigmatic state. (p. 850)

According to the authors, there has been little to no consolidation of the research generated in this area. They express concern that the chaos and conflict in the field may lead to diminished interest in culture as a catalyst for innovation. In order to fill this gap, the authors, through a comprehensive survey of the literature, sought to impose some order on the concept of culture by creating a culture dimension framework.

In creating the culture dimension framework, the authors compared twenty-five cultural models. From this analysis, it was