Influence of External Environment on Organizational Culture

Depends on Possible Impact of External Factors
Jagdish B Acharya, Consultant, India
Organizations do not work in isolation and hence their culture cannot be uninfluenced by external environment. The degree of influence depends on feeling of possible impact of environment.
Organizational cultures in the same country vary depending on where they are located: in city or village; with whom they do business: local or national or international etc. It also depends on culture of other similar organizations. The first organization to change culturally takes longer than others who follow later.

Organization Culture and Diversity
Kubicek, Canada
All good comments. Now layer onto these inputs the complexity of culture stemming from diversity. All OB experts know that with every new member, the dynamic shifts and the team restarts. In this case, the "larger" organization team. So how does the entry of diversity with staff from many parts of the globe impact organizational culture and the productivity of the team?

Diversity Helps in Reducing Cultural Barriers
Jagdish B Acharya, Consultant, India
With diversity comes knowledge of other cultures. Knowledge then reduces cultural barriers and helps in emergence of a "common culture".
Cultural values are created by monolithic groups because they tend to view common practices as gospel truths and the same transforms into culture. With diversity one starts understanding "other" practices and rigid and dogmatic cultural practices do not grow.
Color, complexion and artificially created symbols which show groups as different from others tend to help in growth of different "cultures".