THE ROLE OF CULTURE IN DEVELOPMENT MANAGEMENT: CASE STUDIES OF A PUBLIC AND A PRIVATE SECTOR ORGANIZATION IN PAPUA NEW GUINEA

The lack of organizational adaptability to the external environment has been blamed for the poor development achievements in the less developed countries. Two distinct Papua New Guinea agricultural organizations are used as case studies to illustrate the need for a cultural fit between the external socio-cultural factors and the internal organizational culture for survival. The case studies show that the management of 'wantokism' was an important external societal factor, whereas the integration of internal organizational cultural factors, such as those induced by structural changes and the shared norms and expectations of management, are important endogenous factors. The case studies also show that in a high uncertainty|avoidance environment the use of a role-oriented culture is more conducive to sustaining change than a laissez faire people-oriented culture. Some suggestions about how to achieve the best external|internal interaction are offered for consideration. There are, however, methodological and practical management issues that are yet to be resolved before the maximum benefit of organizational culture is realized.