A cultural understanding of organizations gives considerable weight to patterns of meanings that provide stability. These ideas and meanings often lead to the absence of questioning of existing social conditions. In this case, basic conditions tend to be taken for granted and the social world will be regarded as natural, neutral and legitimate. If a given social system is to function and to be reproduced, the ideas and meanings involved must thus be limited. This is partly what culture is about.

This does not, of course, imply a highly conservative social reality. Contemporary society and corporations are dynamic and drive or respond to market and technological changes, which includes the redefinition of meanings. But such changes do not necessarily concern ‘core meanings and values’. Values such as economic growth and consumerism may dominate despite changes in the methods and operations for how to accomplish these values. Not only organization-specific values need to be addressed but also the general cultural context.