While an organisation’s official culture is represented by its stated values, mission, and documented policies and procedures, the shadow culture consists of the underlying beliefs, habits, secrets, and behaviours that aren’t formally recognised but still exert a significant influence on how individuals in the organisation think, feel, and act.
Shadow cultures often arise from mismatches between an organisation’s stated values and the rewarded or tolerated behaviours. For example, a company might publicly emphasise teamwork, but if individual achievements are recognised, a shadow culture develops that prioritises individualism over teamwork.
While a shadow culture operates in the background, it can profoundly influence an organisation’s operations. Sometimes, the shadow culture might be more influential than the official culture in determining decisions and how people act.
Because shadow cultures are not openly acknowledged, they can be challenging to change or address. Issues that arise from the shadow culture might be misdiagnosed as individual problems rather than systemic ones.
A negative shadow culture can undermine an organisation’s objectives, harm its reputation, and lower morale. For instance, a shadow culture tolerating unethical behaviours, even against official policies, can lead to scandals and crises.
Identifying and understanding a shadow culture often requires a combination of observation, open dialogue, and external professional support and consultations. Truly independent feedback mechanisms can also help bring elements of the shadow culture to light.
Once identified, addressing the shadow culture requires a commitment from leadership to align the organisation’s formal practices, rewards, and punishments with its stated values. This might include revisiting performance metrics, adjusting reward structures, or offering training.
Not all shadow cultures are negative. Positive behaviours and practices sometimes emerge organically within teams or departments and aren’t formally recognised. In such cases, the organisation can benefit by identifying and integrating these positive aspects into the official culture.
In essence, while shadow cultures are a natural part of many organisations, leaders need to be aware of their existence, their influence, and how they individually contribute to the same. Organisations can create a more cohesive, productive, and ethical environment by aligning the official and shadow cultures.
