Talk:Organizational Culture and Knowledge

What happens to staffers when they believe the principles the library espouses, but it turns out there are other unspoken principles that are given more weight, particularly in choosing candidates to promote?

Such experiences undermine the integrity of the organization for the staff persons involved. For instance, a library may talk up a customer service focus, but the truth of the matter may be an organizational service focus. If the true focus cannot be admitted, then it appears that the focus is "unspeakable" and something considered shameful. It is hard for staffers to know that such an unspoken focus exists. A staffperson may then fall into what appears to be a trap -- espousing values that he/she thinks are encouraged by the organization, but those values are really not acceptable.

That experience isolates and wounds the person, and he/she has to realign working values to match the culture and regain a place of respect in the hierarchy of the organization. The sphere of interest of the staffperson is reduced for a while until a readjustment can occur and the true values of the organization can be acquired by the affected person.

In the case where the staffperson's own personal values run contrary to those of the organization, the readjustment may take a lengthy time. It is not easy to find the underlying benefit of values that at first seem to be of less intrinsic value.