ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE Organizational Culture and Leadership, 3rd Edition

146 ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE AND LEADERSHIPTable 7.1. Criteria for Determining Truth.Pure dogma, based on traditionand/or religionRevealed dogma; that is, wisdombased on trust in the authority of wisemen, formal leaders, prophets, or kingsTruth derived by a “rational-legal”process (as when we establish theguilt or innocence of an individualby means of a legal process thatacknowledges from the outset thatthere is no absolute truth, onlysocially determined truth)Truth as that which survives conflictand debateTruth as that which works, the purelypragmatic criterionTruth as established by the scientificmethod, which becomes, once again, akind of dogma, especially in the socialsciences, where even the scientificmethod is a matter of consensus amongsocial scientists.It has always been done this way.It is God’s will.It is written in the Scriptures.Our president wants to do it this way.Our consultants have recommendedthat we do it this way.She has had the most experience,so we should do what she says.We have to take this decision to themarketing committee and do whatthey decide.The boss will have to decide thisone because it is his area ofresponsibility.We will have to vote on it and go bymajority rule.We agreed that this decision belongsto the production department head.We thrashed it out in three differentcommittees, tested it on the salesforce, and the idea is still sound, sowe will do it.Does anyone see any problems withdoing it this way . . . ? If not, that’swhat we’ll do.Let’s try it out this way and evaluatehow we are doing.Our research shows that this is theright way to do it.We’ve done three surveys andanalyzed the statistics very carefully;they all show the samething, so let’s act on them.Our survey results may not be completelyvalid, but our focus groupfollow-up data support the findingsso we should go ahead and do it.”