A THEORY OF CULTURE-SWITCHING: LEADERSHIP AND RED-TAPE DURING HURRICANE KATRINA

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Moynihan, Donald P.
• 署名单位: University of Wisconsin System; University of Wisconsin Madison
• 刊物名称: PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0033-3298
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-9299.2011.02017.x
• 发表日期: 2012
• 页码: 851-868
• 关键词: crisis response; management; COMMAND; IMPACT

摘要

This article draws upon studies of organizational culture and sense-making to develop a theory of culture-switching. Culture-switching occurs when organizational actors shift emphasis from one existing organizational cultural assumption to another to reshape organizational action. The concept is demonstrated in a case study of the Hurricane Katrina response by the US Department of Defense (DOD). A slow initial DOD response arose because of self-imposed red-tape designed to limit engagement in crisis response, reflecting a cultural assumption of the need to maintain autonomy. DOD leaders altered the nature of the response by committing to another widely-shared cultural assumption: a 'can-do' approach to achieving difficult goals regardless of obstacles. The case illustrates how different organizational cultural assumptions interact with red tape to foster either inertia or a proactive response.