A cultural understanding of organizations gives considerable weight to patterns of meanings that provide stability. These ideas and meanings often lead to the absence of questioning of existing social conditions. In this case, basic conditions tend to be taken for granted and the social world will be regarded as natural, neutral and legitimate. If a given social system is to function and to be reproduced, the ideas and meanings involved must thus be limited. This is partly what culture is about.
This does not, of course, imply a highly conservative social reality. Contemporary society and corporations are dynamic and drive or respond to market and technological changes, which includes the redefinition of meanings. But such changes do not necessarily concern ‘core meanings and values’. Values such as economic growth and consumerism may dominate despite changes in the methods and operations for how to accomplish these values. Not only organization-specific values need to be addressed but also the general cultural context.
There are restrictions associated with cultural belonging related to tradition or ideas specific to a particular group. As we enter a particular cultural context - a society or a workplace - certain shared orientations are internalized, without any agent being of particular significance. Connecting culture to power, sometimes culture is treated positively - as something worth striving for - because the concept is seen as standing for harmony and consensus. Culture may also be interpreted in terms of contradiction and (hidden) conflict, dominant ideologies, class and gender bias, and so on.
A great many different theories and definitions of power exist. The classical theories focus on individual and behavioral factors and disregard the less obvious elements of power. One weakness of traditional conceptions is the connection of power with competition and conflict. Power is seen as a matter of defeating and preventing opposition. This is sometimes referred to as instrumental power. There are a variety of forms. Power partly consists of the securing of consent to dominant power relations through the shaping of desires and beliefs.