Handy's model

• Four different kinds of culture

  • Power culture

  • Role culture

  • Task culture

  • Person culture
• Power Culture

  In an organisation with a power culture, power is held by just a few individuals whose influence spreads throughout the organisation.

  Employees are generally judged by what they achieve rather than how they do things or how they act. A consequence of this can be quick decision-making, even if those decisions aren't in the best long-term interests of the organisation
• Role Culture

  Organisations with a role culture are based on rules. They are highly controlled, with everyone in the organisation knowing what their roles and responsibilities are.

  Role cultures are built on detailed organisational structures which are typically tall (not flat) with a long chain of command. A consequence is that decision-making in role cultures can often be painfully-slow and the organisation is less likely to take risks.
• Task Culture

  Task culture forms when teams in an organisation are formed to address specific problems or progress projects. The task is the important thing, so power within the team will often shift depending on the mix of the team members and the status of the problem or project.
• Person Culture

  In organisations with person cultures, individuals very much see themselves as unique and superior to the organisation. The organisation simply exists in order for people to work. An organisation with a person culture is really just a collection of individuals who happen to be working for the same organisation.