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Pattern matching organisational cultures
Noel Burchell
School of Management and Enterprise, Faculty of Business, UNITEC Institute of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand
Darl Kolb
Department of Management and Employment, University of Auckland Business School, Auckland, New Zealand
Abstract
There are numerous methods of orgainsational cultural analysis, ranging from quantitative surveys with structured questions that are relatively quick to complete, to in-depth qualitative ethnographic studies that are more thorough, yet very time-consuming. Concept Mapping and Pattern Matching are two research techniques that combine the strengths of interpretive (emic) methods with some of the efficiencies of survey (citic) research. While Trochim's Concept Mapping technique has been previously employed in a study of organisational culture, Pattern matching has not. The results of a study employing Trochim's Pattern Matching technique suggest that it can be a useful tool for in-depth analysis of organisational culture. In particular, visual pattern ‘matches' and ‘mismatches' of cultural elements were portrayed for interpretation.
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