What are the different models for assessing organizational culture?

1 The Competing Values Framework

The Competing Values Framework (CVF) is a widely used model for assessing organizational culture, developed by Robert Quinn and John Rohrbaugh based on their research on criteria that managers use to evaluate effectiveness. It identifies four types of organizational culture, based on two dimensions: flexibility versus stability, and internal versus external focus. These include Clan culture, which values collaboration, trust, and loyalty and focuses on internal needs; Adhocracy culture, which values innovation, creativity, and risk-taking and looks to external opportunities; Market culture, which emphasizes competitiveness, results, and achievement while focusing on customer and stakeholder goals; and Hierarchy culture, which values efficiency, order, and control while emphasizing internal processes and procedures. The CVF can help you assess your organization's culture through a questionnaire that measures the extent to which each type is dominant or subdominant. It can also be used to identify strengths and weaknesses of your culture as well as potential gaps or conflicts between your culture and strategy, goals, or environment.

2 The Organizational Culture Assessment Instrument

The Organizational Culture Assessment Instrument (OCAI) is a tool that is based on the CVF, and that allows you to measure and compare your current and preferred organizational culture. The OCAI was developed by Kim Cameron and Robert Quinn, and it consists of six questions that cover different aspects of organizational culture, such as dominant characteristics, leadership style, management of employees, organizational glue, strategic emphases, and criteria of success. For each question, you have to allocate 100 points among four alternative statements that represent the four types of culture in the CVF. The OCAI can help you assess your organization's culture by providing a visual representation of your culture profile, and by highlighting the areas where your current and preferred culture differ. You can also use the OCAI to initiate a dialogue and a change process in your organization, by involving your employees and stakeholders in the assessment and the action planning.

4 The Denison Model

The Denison Model is a model for assessing organizational culture, developed by Daniel Denison and his colleagues, based on the link between organizational culture and organizational performance. It identifies four traits of organizational culture, each divided into three sub-traits. These traits are Involvement (Empowerment, Team Orientation, Capability Development), Consistency (Core Values, Agreement, Coordination and Integration), Adaptability (Creating Change, Customer Focus, Organizational Learning), and Mission (Strategic Direction and Intent, Goals and Objectives, Vision). You can use the Denison Model to assess your organization's culture via a survey measuring each trait and sub-trait. It can also help you identify areas of strength and improvement in your culture, as well as benchmark it against other organizations or industries.