For example an iterative approach to transformation and alignment using objective diagnostic tools (like the OCP Method developed by O'Reilly, Chatman and Caldwell) and the application of practical "bite-size" changes like leadership development/behvioral change; compensation system change, recruiting model change, organizational structure change, etc. is far more impactful and perhaps more importantly far more implementable. And, of course, as in any change effort, it is important to know whether you are making progress which is all the more reason to utilize an objective and validated measurment/diagnostic method or tool.
I really like Kaplan and Norton's work in tying Culture to Strategy in this area (check out their recent HBR article) and the work ThinkShed is doing based on O'Reilly, Chatman and Caldwell's OCP methodology...very practical, very measurable, very effective and being a web based tool, very very implementable.
Now, functionalism has gotten a bad name in sociology over the years. Critics call it an inherently conservative theory, focused only on what holds groups together, while at the same time entirely unable to account for conflict and other forces that pull groups apart. Some say functionalism is inherently tautological. I happen to like Durkheim myself and think we ought to cut him some slack for excessively functionalizing the world because he gave us the field of sociology as a gift. But somehow the disease of functionalism spread into psychology after the sociologists dropped it. Anyway, Schein has got the disease now, and man, he has it BAD! (He's trying to give Talcott Parsons a run for his money).
Anyway, on the good side, his "Clinical Approach" methodology to diagnosing culture problems is one of the better approaches out there. It's very systematic and tries hard to go deep into understanding more than just a few superficial aspects of organizational culture. Thankfully, Schein doesn't advocate any type of culture survey. As a rule, avoid culture surveys--they mean nothing, or next to nothing. So anyway, does this clinical approach really work? Hell, I don't know--I mean, do any of these approaches really work? In general, the evidence doesn't tend to support the idea that culture management accomplishes what it claims to. But, having said that, Schein certainly has a better methodology than most of his counterparts. I think if you had a professional come into your company and use his Clinical approach, you'd certainly learn alot about what your people believe. On the other hand, I have doubts that this would make a good do-it-yourself project. Schein's approach is a major research undertaking. I don't think your average manager could read this book and then go do the Clinical approach to diagnosing culture problems. It's pretty hard to operationalize some of his ideas.
In any event, if you're a grad student or a researcher studying culture, you certainly want to read this book. It is widely referenced in the org culture literature and Schein represents a high water mark for functionalist org behaviorists. If, on the other hand, you're trying to fix your screwed up organizational culture, you could certainly do worse than to read this book. You might get a useful nugget or two out of it. If you want the full treatment though, I suspect you're going to have to call the maestro himself and have him send in his team of consultants (or what ever he has).
In this context, Edgar H. Schein organizes his book into six parts.
* Part One- In this section, after saying that cultural understanding is desirable for all of us, but it is essential to leaders if they are to lead, he defines the concept of culture and shows its relationship to leadership.
* Part Two- In this section he focuses more on the concept of culture and the less on the concept of leadership. He argues that the content of organizational cultures reflects the ultimate problems that every group faces: dealing with its external environment and managing its internal integration. According to him beyond these external and internal problems, cultural assumptions reflect deeper issues about the nature of truth, time, space, human nature, and human relationships.
* Part Three- In this section he deals with the practical issues of how one can decipher cultural assumptions. He says that the reader will note that the emphasis in this part is practical and oriented toward what leaders, researchers, and consultants can actually do about deciphering culture.
* Part Four- In this section he focuses on leadership, especially the role that leadership plays in creating and embedding culture in a group. He argues that leaders create culture and must manage and sometimes change culture.
* Part Five- The focus of Schein in this section, as well as those in the rest of the book, remains on the leader and how culture change appears from the leader's perspective.
* Part Six- In this section his focus shifts from analysis to normative speculation. He deals with the concept of learning and the implications for leadership and culture of the growing rate of change.
I highly recommend this business classic on organizational culture and leadership.