Transformations  in
Business & Economics

ORGANIZATIONAL RITUALS AS TOOLS OF ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE CREATION AND TRANSFORMATION: A COMMUNICATIVE APPROACH
Mariana Sueldo, Dalia Streimikiene

ABSTRACT. In the vast scientific literature on organizational culture, rituals and ceremonies are counted amongst other components of this purposefully created culture. Ritualized behaviour can be understood as input and output of richly encoded information on organizational culture, transmitted within the organization and beyond its boundaries. The present paper introduces a theoretical framework of organizational rituals as elements of organizational culture from a communicative perspective, and continues with the empirical findings of an exploratory qualitative research, based on in-depth interviews with top and middle-level managers. Further research stages will focus on the rest of organizational members as transmitters and receivers of organizational culture 'data', as well as on external stakeholders. This paper is an attempt to highlight the role of rituals as tools for organizational culture creation, consolidation and transformation, provided managers are aware of how effectively rituals can contribute to reach strategic goals regarding organizational culture management .

KEYWORDS: organizational communication, organizational rituals, ceremonies, organizational culture, managerial tool.

JEL classification: M10, M14, M30.