Organizational culture does not exclusively apply to government, but rather applies to any organization. An organization’s culture consists of common values, beliefs, conduct, interactions, and decision-making processes. Let’s further explore the differences and commonalities by comparing different organizations.
Read Case 4.1: “Differences in Organizational Culture: Is the FBI from Mars and the CIA from Venus?”
Review the FBI website and the CIA website to see what can be gleaned about the culture of each organization. As you review both sites, consider the following questions:
- What are the historical roots of the different organizational and behavioral cultures in the FBI and the CIA?
- How do these cultures affect their work? In both good and bad ways?
- How likely is it that the 2 agencies will be able to change their cultures and develop effective communication strategies among the 2 agencies?
- Do you think changes in the organizational structure can produce changes in the organizational and behavioral culture?
- Is the 9/11 Commission’s proposal a good idea? Why or why not?
- How else might an organization’s culture change, if not by changes to its structure?
Compare 2 other elected positions that fall under the executive branch. Some examples are state/governor, local/mayor, attorney general, secretary of state, and other elected state officials. Based on your review of their websites, what can you say about the leadership culture of each organization? Provide examples that support your findings. Which leadership, communication, organizational, and behavioral theories and concepts are represented? Explain your answer.
Write a 1,050- to 1,400-word paper about what each organization was doing well and suggestions for areas in need of improvement. Include the following in your paper:
- An evaluation of the leadership culture
- Theories represented
- Overall performance
- Recommendations for improvement
Cite at least 3 peer-reviewed references from the University Library.
