Culture in Transition: A learning model

This paper addresses the problem of resistance to attempted changes in organizational culture, particularly those involving diversity, by 1) identifying precisely what is meant by organizational as opposed to societal culture, 2) developing a theoretical model of learning useful in contexts of organizational transition, and 3) demonstrating the efficacy of the model by using it to explain empirical research findings. It is argued that learning new cultural currency involves the use of active intelligence to locate and answer relevant questions, and further that this process requires the interplay of spare capacity, desire, focus, and information. By integrating the element of culture, both in the organizational sense and that pertaining to diversity, otherwise overseen aspects of transition are brought into view, with the potential of reducing stress and increasing job satisfaction. The model is useful for both management and labor in regulating transition processes, thus making a contribution to industrial relations