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Getting Organizations to See “What Is” and “What Could Be”

In: Transforming Culture

Author

Listed:
  • Elizabeth K. Briody

    (Michigan State University, Northern Arizona University, Wayne State University)

  • Robert T. Trotter

    (Northern Arizona University)

  • Tracy L. Meerwarth

    (Consolidated Bearings Co.)

Abstract

Our original charge was to determine how American manufacturing culture could be transformed to take advantage of the positive relationships that had been described as working well in other GM locations, such as Mexico. Our approach was to conduct a study of GM manufacturing sites and organize our key findings, making sure they were valid and reliable. While we developed our core set of findings, we also identified general (or generic) and locally specific obstacles to organizational-culture change, along with the positive elements of the culture (e.g., ideals, processes, relationships) that would assist in transforming the culture and maintaining that transformation. Since we were investigating a complex cultural system, we chose a basic ethnographic research approach1 for the research design. Ethnography is well suited to discovery and to the exploration of both culture as a whole and culture in particular detail2 and has proven to be useful in organizational research.3

Suggested Citation

  • Elizabeth K. Briody & Robert T. Trotter & Tracy L. Meerwarth, 2010. "Getting Organizations to See “What Is” and “What Could Be”," Palgrave Macmillan Books, in: Transforming Culture, chapter 0, pages 65-92, Palgrave Macmillan.
    • Handle: RePEc:pal:palchp:978-0-230-10617-8_4
    DOI: 10.1057/9780230106178_4
    as

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