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 strategy development in the cultural school?

• Financial resources

• Technological advancements

• Organizational culture

• Market trends

How do individuals in an organization acquire their beliefs according to the cultural school?

• Through external consultants

• Through socialization

• Through formal training

• Through personal experience

What role does culture play in the resistance to strategic changes?

• It has no effect

• It encourages innovation

• It accelerates changes

• It perpetuates existing strategies

Which phase involves a gap between organizational principles and environmental characteristics?

• Cultural breakdown

• Stabilization

• Strategic drift

• Experimentation

What can lead to a breakdown of culture within an organization?

• Increased profits

• New leadership

• Stable market conditions

• Consistent workforce

What is the final phase in Bjorkman's model of strategic change?

• Experimentation

• Cultural breakdown

• Strategic drift

• Stabilization

What happens during the stabilization phase of strategic change?

• New culture is institutionalized

• Old strategies are reinforced

• Resources are depleted

• New strategies are rejected