Cultural School of Strategy

Henry Mintzberg's cultural school emphasizes culture as a key driver of organizational strategy. Strategy emerges from social interactions and shared beliefs within an organization. These beliefs are shaped through socialization, often subconsciously, and influence resource allocation and strategic development. Culture can perpetuate existing strategies and resist change. Bjorkman outlines four phases of strategic change: strategic drift, cultural breakdown, experimentation, and stabilization. These phases describe how organizations adapt their strategies in response to cultural and environmental shifts.

What is the primary driver for how organizations develop their strategy according to the cultural school?

How do individuals acquire their beliefs within an organization?

What role does culture play in perpetuating existing strategies?

What are the four phases suggested by Bjorkman for how strategy can change?

Explain the concept of 'strategic drift' as mentioned in the text.

How can external changes affect the culture of an organization?

Describe the stabilization phase in the context of cultural change within an organization.