How does the organizational culture of two teachersâ unions working in one community influence their relationship with district school boards, union members and the public?

Abstract Organizational culture: we often hear about an organizationâ s culture - either positive or negative, and sometimes identify an organizations success or failure to that culture. But what is organizational culture? How is it created and sustained? What factors contribute most significantly to its development? This research is a result of my interest in the variations in organizational culture that I experienced while working in Canadian secondary schools, where different teacher unions represented teaching staffs. As a result of these experiences I wondered, could each unionâ s organizational culture be the reason for the differences in approach that the unions assume when interacting with school boards, their membership and the public? As a result of this research, my original contribution to knowledge is the identification of five factors that contribute significantly to the creation and maintenance of strong organizational culture. These include: The ability of an organization to develop, articulate and implement a set of a few core non-negotiable values, which provide a framework for all of their work; an organizationâ s use of a shared language; a personal system of clear and concise communications that flows directly from the leadership team through to the membership; the presence of trusting relationships within the organization; strong organizational memory fostered by the sharing of stories. This study focused on two teacher unions who represented teachers in one community in Ontario. The research was conducted through a case study of each organization, which included 8 interviews and a review of documents, over a 4-month time frame. This work is important to union executives, educators, administrators, and policy makers who function in unionized environments. But, ultimately, the objective of educational research is to determine those processes and practices that help to create effective schools in order to support the educational needs of all students. It is my hope that this research can further the development of collaborative union and district school board organizational cultures so that together they place student achievement at the forefront of their agendas.Ed.D