{"id":520,"date":"2010-12-01T18:25:02","date_gmt":"2010-12-01T18:25:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.renando.com\/blog\/?p=520"},"modified":"2021-01-15T21:49:16","modified_gmt":"2021-01-15T21:49:16","slug":"embrace-your-organisational-shadow-culture","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sidewaysthoughts.com\/blog\/2010\/12\/embrace-your-organisational-shadow-culture\/","title":{"rendered":"Embrace your organisational shadow culture"},"content":{"rendered":"

We use words like “partnership” and “integrated” when we talk about client and supplier relationships. There is a dark side to this kind of language, however.\u00a0 Seventy-five per cent<\/a> of mergers and acquisitions fail or result in reduced profits, high turnover, and low performance for one if not all parties.\u00a0 The primary cause is culture conflict, one that can be mitigated by bringing your shadow culture into the light.<\/p>\n

\"Organisational<\/p>\n

Operating in the shadows<\/h2>\n

The concept of a subversive shadow culture has been applied to organisations before.\u00a0 Linda Holbeche identifies it as the informal way of doing things<\/a>, while Christopher Dawson notes a distinction between what he calls an Ideal shadow culture and a Required shadow culture<\/a>.\u00a0 These approaches to shadow culture borrow on the concept of the Johari Window<\/a>, which depicts four quadrants of what is known and unknown to others and ourselves.<\/p>\n

The concept of a shadow culture can also apply towards the boundary between a supplier and a client.\u00a0 The shadow culture makes assumptions that are reflective of but distinct from the culture within each organisation.\u00a0 The degree of conflict within that shadow culture depends upon the extent to which the assumptions align with the culture in each organisation.<\/p>\n

\"Organisational<\/p>\n

\u00a0Shine light on your shadow<\/h2>\n

Shadow cultures are not bad, but they do need to be understood within the context of the culture of each organisation. Using Edgar Schein\u2019s culture model discussed previously<\/a>, we can identify four possible scenarios for each assumption:<\/p>\n