British Society and the Culture of British Local Government: The lnfluence of Society on Organisational Culture

This paper takes the view that a society's culture has a direct influence on the culture of organisations in that society. This theme is expanded by focusing on British Society and the cultureof British Local Government. The author points tothe values of post war Britain and how they influenced the culture and management of Britishlocal government. Charles Handy's typology of organisational culture is used to depict the culturalpattern of that period. The capacity for culturalchange is demonstrated by looking at the influence of "The Thatcher Years" on British localgovernment. Here one may observe the emergence of a new corporate culture, perceived to bemore suitable for the management of localgovernment in the 1990's