Culture-change agents must embody courage, flexibility, interpersonal skill, organizational knowledge, and patience. Their role is to act as catalysts rather than dictators.

Change Agent Qualities in Culture Change

A culture change process may include committees, task forces, or value managers. Change agents communicate the new culture.

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Culture change may be attempted to reduce member turnover, influence behavior, make organizational improvements, reset objectives, rescale the organization, or achieve specific results.

Culture Change in Organizations

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Culture change is among the most difficult changes to create within an organizational system because it often involves reshaping and reimagining the organization's core identity. A successful culture change process typically requires many years. More generally, changing culture takes time because members need time to get used to new ways, and organizations with a strong and specific culture are harder to change.

Difficulty and Time Horizon of Culture Change

Culture change often requires transformational change to be successful.

Culture Change Often Requires Transformational Change

Existing organizational culture can obstruct change efforts, especially when members already understand the roles they are expected to play.

Existing Culture Can Hinder Change Efforts

Before introducing cultural change, a needs assessment can characterize the existing culture.

Needs Assessment Before Culture Change

A culture change effort needs a clear strategic vision that states the new strategy, shared values, and expected behaviors so members have direction for the change.

Strategic Vision for Culture Change

Culture change must be managed from the top of the organization, and senior management's willingness to change is an important indicator. Leadership must be strongly in favor of the change to implement it.

Top-Management Commitment to Culture Change

Management support for culture change needs to be visible and notable at the highest level, with leadership expressing the values and behaviors to be realized.

Leadership Modeling During Culture Change

Change Agents in Culture Change

After characterizing the existing culture, an organization should describe the new desired culture and design a change process.

Desired Culture Description Before Culture Change

Netflix states that as its business grows and evolves, its culture and culture memo will evolve too. It also says its focus on excellence will remain stable.

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