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7.5.2 Subculture

Subcultures are mini-cultures within an organisation, typically defined by department designations and geographical separation. Subcultures develop to reflect opportunities and problems in particular departments. For example, the personnel or service department may have a subculture, which is shared by the members of that department. Work groups also tend to develop their own subcultures. You can probably relate to this quite easily if you think about it in the context of your organisation.

Assume, for example, that you work for the AYS Stevedoring company. AYS operates from a number of locations and each of these areas takes on their own unique culture. For example, in Australia , the subculture would be different between Melbourne and Brisbane, reflecting the unique environment.

The fact that organisations have more than one culture is not surprising given that there are likely to be departmental differences in functions and goals. Departmental differences can result in conflict if the cultures of different departments clash.

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