• Organizational Culture and Leadership

  • The Jossey-Bass Business & Management Series
  • By: Edgar H. Schein
  • Narrated by: Milton Bagby
  • Length: 16 hrs and 22 mins
  • 4.1 out of 5 stars (141 ratings)

Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
Organizational Culture and Leadership  By  cover art

Organizational Culture and Leadership

By: Edgar H. Schein
Narrated by: Milton Bagby
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $24.95

Buy for $24.95

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

Regarded as one of the most influential management books of all time, this fourth edition of Leadership and Organizational Culture transforms the abstract concept of culture into a tool that can be used to better shape the dynamics of organization and change. This updated edition focuses on today's business realities. Edgar Schein draws on a wide range of contemporary research to redefine culture and demonstrate the crucial role leaders play in successfully applying the principles of culture to achieve their organizational goals.

©2010 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. (P)2011 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

What listeners say about Organizational Culture and Leadership

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    61
  • 4 Stars
    43
  • 3 Stars
    27
  • 2 Stars
    7
  • 1 Stars
    3
Performance
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    54
  • 4 Stars
    33
  • 3 Stars
    24
  • 2 Stars
    6
  • 1 Stars
    2
Story
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    51
  • 4 Stars
    33
  • 3 Stars
    25
  • 2 Stars
    8
  • 1 Stars
    0

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Probably skip the audiobook for a text copy

While this book is the classic on organizational culture, it's also incredibly verbose and tedious. There's value here, but a 100 page version with another 300+ pages of examples linked to it would be a lot more useful. There were also a huge number of really dated examples (pre technology, companies were mainly dead dinosaurs like DEC), which is because the book is in 4th edition and only lightly revised.

I also listened on audible, rather than reading, which made it extra-tedious. (Textbook pricing for the printed or e-book, single credit for the audiobook, so...). I'd recommend reading this as an e-book instead. I generally really like audiobooks, but there are some books for which they're not particularly suited.

I'd probably give it 5 stars as the canonical book on an important topic, except for being vastly too long and pretty tedious.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

I need the abridged version

I listen to a lot of leadership and management books and so was looking forward to this based on the strong reviews. However, as one who reads in order to use the insights and practices in my work, I need books that get to the point a little faster. In addition, I listen while on my bike commute, so if things are dragging, I find myself thinking about other things.

This book was just too slow and as I am about 5 hours in, I think I will pass this back and maybe read it when I am retired.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Culture Eats Strategy for Breakfast!

Edgar Schein is the leading theorist on organizational culture and process consultation, and this book is the standard bearer for understanding organizational culture and how to change it. The book is divided into five parts: defining organizational culture and leadership, discussing dimensions of organizational culture, outlining the leadership role in building and developing culture, outlining how leaders can manage culture change, and discussing new leadership roles that are evolving into today's organizations. He makes a critical point that if leaders are not proactive about managing their organizations' culture, that culture will ultimately manage them. As is often quoted in organization development circles, "Culture eats strategy for breakfast!" He also outlines the steps leaders can take to conduct their own cultural analysis. While the book is intended to be academic and is fairly dense, the organizational stories Schein uses throughout the book as illustrative examples add life to the book. A great resource for any organizational leader!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

The foundational book on Organizational Culture

If you could sum up Organizational Culture and Leadership in three words, what would they be?

Although it is lacking a bit more of intercultural awareness and a less step by step and more holographic approach, that are needed for nowadays business environment it is a still an outstanding introduction to the complex world of organizational culture.I would say that any organizational culture practitioner must read it!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Great tool!

Where does Organizational Culture and Leadership rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

It is in the top five.

Who was your favorite character and why?

N/a

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No it did not, nor would I as you need time to apply and process the concepts.

Any additional comments?

It would have been nice to have access to the book in an ebook format that reads the text.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

The only book you need to read to lead

No BS no hype just solid research and wisdom. Based on real experience and expertise

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Great insights to leaders

Really learned a lot from this book. The content, though often containing suggestions for practitioners was nevertheless easy to understand and useful to the layman leader (my own position). I highly recommend this book to practicing or aspiring leaders.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

The order of the chapters makes no sense

Either I missed something or he began to define his term "culture islands" near the end of the book after he'd been using it all along. Loved his other book "Humble Inquiry" though.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Praise for Schein's Classic Work

Would you listen to Organizational Culture and Leadership again? Why?

I was glad to see Organizational Culture and Leadership on Audible as I have assigned this book to both upper division and graduate level courses on organizational communications.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!