Describe some of the challenges to developing a positive, cohesive culture.

Answers will vary. Developing an organizational culture is challenging in its own right, but certain factors pose additional challenges to managers in their pursuit of positive, cohesive cultures: mergers and acquisitions, globalization, ethics, and empowerment and quality.
(i)Merger or Acquisition: One particular situation that may require cultural change is a merger or acquisition. The blending of two distinct organizational cultures may prove difficult despite good-faith efforts. Mergers that involve both organizational culture and national culture present many challenges.
(ii)Developing a Global Organizational Culture: The values that drive the organizational culture should support a global view of the company and its efforts. Management should embody the shared values and reward employees who support the global view. Finally, the values should be consistent over time. Consistent values give an organization a unifying theme that competitors may be unable to emulate. Because global corporations suffer from the conflicting pressures of centralization and decentralization, an overarching corporate culture that integrates the decentralized subsidiaries in locations around the world can be an asset in the increasingly competitive global marketplace.
(iii)Developing an Ethical Organizational Culture: The culture of an organization can have profound effects on the ethical behavior of organization members. Organizations in which supervisors and top managers act as role models of ethical behavior and create an openness to discuss ethical issues have fewer incidents of unethical behavior. When a company's culture promotes ethical norms, individuals behave accordingly. Managers can encourage ethical behavior by being good role models for employees. They can institute the philosophy that ethical behavior makes good business sense and puts the company in congruence with the larger values of society. Managers can also communicate that rationalizations for unethical behavior are not tolerated.
(iv)Developing an Inclusive Culture: Successful organizations promote cultures that value diversity and encourage inclusion. Leader behavior drives an inclusive culture more strongly than policy statements. There are several concrete steps leaders can take to promote an inclusive workplace:
· Ensure diversity in every meeting
· Be a role model of inclusive behavior
· Adopt a "no tolerance" position for disrespectful behavior of any kind
· Take quick action to eliminate even subtle behaviors that lead to disrespect Please see the section "Challenges to Developing a Positive, Cohesive Culture" for more information.