Wouldn’t it be nice to one day find a job you enjoy in an organization you’re excited to go to every day (or at least most days!)? Although other factors influence job choice, an organization’s culture can be an important indicator of “fit”—will I like working here and does this seem like a place where I can fit in and contribute? Organizational cultures differ and so do people. In the second part of this chapter, we’ll look at what organizational culture is and what elements make up an organization’s culture. Before that, however, we need to look at the external environment organizations face.

“Dynamic forces are sweeping across the globe, reshaping our lives and creating a wave of opportunities. . . .”1 No successful organization, or its managers, can operate without understanding the dynamic external environment that surrounds it. To better understand this external environment, we need to look at the important forces that are affecting the way organizations are managed today.