Organization culture: a case study of a leisure centre in the UK

Abstract

There have been a number of studies which have attempted to describe and explain organization culture in relation to large companies and corporations and also the public sector. This study investigates a publicly owned leisure centre in the UK offering a wide range of sports provision. It seeks to identify the organization culture of the centre using a diagnostic instrument developed by Harrison and Stokes. It further explores the differing perceptions of organization culture at different levels in the hierarchy and between different departments and how this impacts on the operation of the centre. The study identifies a centre-wide culture of providing a quality service to the customer. Overall, the evidence suggests that there is a strong achievement orientation within the centre, but the study also finds that the centre's culture has elements within it consistent with a power and role culture orientation. The results also indicate that many managers and staff want to see a stronger support orientation.