| Research was conducted in 92 western Canadian service organizations to construct an empirical taxonomy of organizational culture and to use this taxonomy as a basis for examining the associations between cultural type and number of contextual and outcome dimensions. Organizational value systems were used as a proxy for measuring organizational culture. Using a methodological approach which combined principal components analysis, cluster analysis and analysis variance, four cultural types were identified: (1) the entrepreneurial culture, (2) the bourgeoisie culture, (3) the integrated culture, and (4) the performance-pressured culture. Comprehensive descriptions of each cultural type are offered. At the individual level, employee behavior patterns were shown to be a strong expression of organizational culture, and culture was found to be related to such work outcomes as morale and organizational commitment. Although in a broad, exploratory sense, this research also suggested that the fit between an organization's culture and such contextual states as the firm's external environment and strategic orientation have an effect on organizational performance. The results provide support for a methodology and a practical tool for identifying and measuring organizational culture, and for a contingency approach to the study of organizational culture. |