The Military and Organizational Culture

Paper Summary:

This paper focuses on the opinions of authors David Osborne and Peter Plastrik who both contend that it's imperative to change the existing culture of a bureaucratic or military organization in order to make it more efficient and systematic. In Osborne and Plastrik's book "Banishing Bureaucracy," the authors stress the need to replace old habits with new commitments in order to improve both productivity and output in any bureaucratic organization. The authors detail the manner in which these changes are to be implemented in order to achieve maximum success. Two examples of cultural change detailed in this paper include that of dress requirements in the military, followed closely by protocols of behavior. The underlying values of loyalty, faithfulness and unselfishness to the point of self-sacrifice are intangible aspects of the military's culture that have a very pervasive influence on the environment of the organization.

From the Paper:

"It is important to analyze an organization's culture when attempting to make any changes in the organization in order for the changes to be successful. This is especially true if the focus is being changed to be in line with an entrepreneurial organization that is customer driven. Core parts of the culture would need to be manifested in the new organization. Secondary components of the culture must then be changed in order to match with the changing organization. You cannot change an organization in opposition to its culture. Either components must be carried over and incorporated appropriately into the new organization or else the culture must change. For instance, the power structure of the military is an integral part of its hierarchy and success."

More papers on The Military and Organizational Culture:

• Essay # 52296 : "Organizational Culture and Change"
• Research Paper # 11104 : "The First Crusade - The Reclamation of Christendom"
• Research Proposal # 147058 : "U.S. Military Security Assistance Officers in Cairo, Egypt"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: