Culture: Stated, Implied and it's Relation to Problem-Solving
Culture: a set of rules or standards shared by an organization or society, which when acted upon (by the members), produce behaviors that fall within a range of behaviors that are recognizable, consistent, proper and acceptable to members.
Stated Culture: overt, publicly declared and displayed rules or standards shared by an organization or society that define a range of expected behaviors; expectations of how members should "ideally" behave, that are usually associated with formal sanctions
Implied Culture: subtle, informal and obscure rules or standards shared by an organization or society that define a range of expected behaviors; expectations of how members should "really" behave, that are usually associated with informal sanctions
Serious difficulties arise in cultures that harbor significant gaps between "Stated Culture" and "Implied Culture". These gaps are accentuated by the difference between rewards derived from "Stated Culture" behavior and "Implied Culture" behavior. If the rewards for "Stated Culture" behavior and "Implied Culture" behavior are generally equal then the culture could be seen as functioning in cohesion. In turn, if the rewards for "Stated Culture" behavior and "Implied Culture" behavior are dramatically different then the culture of could be construed as functioning in dissonance.
In business, the most glaring example of the "Stated / Implied" cultural disconnect would be the major corporate scandals (Enron, Tyco, WorldCom) that unfolded in the beginning of this century. Each company went through great lengths to display their regard for corporate governance and ethics and initiated official protocol and procedures for compliance. However, these same companies did not reward their members for adhering to a "Stated Culture". The behavior that was rewarded was in direct conflict with the "Stated Culture". The "Implied Culture" of pretense and dishonesty was powerful enough to sanction members who held to the "Stated Culture" and attempted to undermine the "Implied Culture". This is an extreme example just to illustrate the authority the "Stated / Implied" have over member's behavior.
The relationship complexities between "Stated Culture" and "Implied Culture" become far more acute, in regards to problem solving, when the difference between the two are subtle enough to be missed by the casual or passive observer but strong to impact the culture's sanction and reward system. Certain members of society can leverage a signification amount of power by using the "Stated Culture" and "Implied Culture" discrepancies to their advantage, provided information transparency and subculture interaction is limited. These members are the primary road-blocks and deal-breakers to change.
"Stated Culture" and "Implied Culture" are not always conflicting. Many times, "Stated Culture" and "Implied Culture" are working in conjunction, supporting and enforcing by each other; especially in cases where degrees of flexibility and ambiguity are rewarded behavioral traits within the culture. Societies that maintain relatively rigid and / or pronounced "Stated Culture" and / or "Implied Culture" have a greater susceptibility to the "Stated / Implied" gap, which leads to a greater propensity for social fissioning.
One entry point in the information or decision problem solving cycle is to determine the size and composition of the "Stated / Implied" gap, which should illuminate the primary source of road-blocks and deal-breakers within a culture.
Originally published January 14, 2008