Understanding and Evolving Organizational Culture | Harvard University

There is a saying that culture eats strategy for breakfast, meaning that no strategy can succeed if it is not supported by an organization's culture. Many senior executives want to change the culture of their organizations, yet the popular press tells us that a large percentage of all these initiatives fail. Why is organizational culture so difficult to change? Or is it? Using a series of cases, exercises, and large and small group discussions, we delve into organizational culture — what it is, how it forms, why it can be difficult to change, and how to increase the odds of success in evolving an organizational culture.