Understanding Organizational Culture

Taking a multidimensional approach, this book sheds light on the evolution of organizational studies in a structured and systematic way, against the background of economic and social changes in recent decades. By doing so, the book focuses on the plurality of organizing models as a central concept. This plurality is important to the survival of the firm in response to the growing complexity of the economic, social, and technological innovation that has arisen as a result of globalization. The book goes beyond the traditional approach to the study of organizations, of a structural and functionalistic type. It investigates the role of cultures and the ethical, symbolic, and value dimensions in the redefinition dynamics of strategic assets, as well as the search for new governance models in innovative organizations. Further, it discusses the role of leadership, in relation to the development of professional groups and the skills necessary for the management of endo-organizational, inter-organizational, and trade union negotiation processes. Finally, the book analyzes the economic, social, and cultural change in societies and discusses how companies and organizations of all types can develop cultures of innovation that may lead to socially inclusive governance. This book will appeal to students, researchers, and scholars of economics, business, and the social sciences, as well as professionals and practitioners interested in a better understanding of how organizations function in todays globalized world.