Organizational culture change through training and cultural immersion

Abstract

Addresses the need for leaders in organizations to deal with the complexities of intercultural relationships through the process of training and cultural immersion. Specifically, the focus of the research report is on the building of positive relationships and attitudes between young police constables, largely from an Anglo‐Celtic, white Australian background and people from an Australian Aboriginal community, called Cherbourg, in the state of Queensland. Presents the project as one small but successful organizational attempt to bring about organizational culture change. Discusses the difficulties and complexities of endeavouring to change attitudes which have been affected by contemporary, mainstream negative stereotypes of Aboriginal Australians. Documents the project’s curriculum innovation, evaluation by external university‐based consultants, analyses and reflections about organizational culture change. Concludes that people in other organizations may benefit from similar initiatives; that there is a lot more to be done and studied about bringing about organizational cultural changes in the Queensland Police Services and, indeed, other service organizations through training and cultural immersion innovations such as the Cherbourg Project.

Citation

Wilkinson, M., Fogarty, M. and Melville, D. (1996), "Organizational culture change through training and cultural immersion", Journal of Organizational Change Management, Vol. 9 No. 4, pp. 69-81. https://doi.org/10.1108/09534819610124070