Executive, engineer, and operator subcultures: Their worldview construct and meaning to organizational learning and effectiveness

Public sector agencies often reduce resources in response to the challenge of sustaining core business within the context of rising costs. To avoid compromising the quality of services, other measures should be explored. Little is known about the potential to promote organizational learning and effectiveness by maintaining subcultural diversity while working within the confines of the organization's overarching culture. The purpose of this qualitative hermeneutic phenomenological study was to bridge this gap in knowledge by exploring the worldview constructs of the executive, engineer, and operator subcultures in an urban water agency setting. Research questions focused on the propensity for diverse subcultures to offer a framework for organizational learning and enhanced effectiveness. The respective conceptual and theoretical frameworks for this study were Schein's concept of organizational culture and Argyris' organizational learning theory. Stratified-purposeful, standardized, open-ended interviews were conducted with 17 employees of a California urban water wholesaler's operations and maintenance department. Data from the interviews were subjected to an inductive coding strategy and analyzed using content analysis to identify key themes. A key finding was that to a moderate extent organizational subcultures offer a framework for organizational learning and increase effectiveness in the management of an urban water agency. To a moderate extent the three subcultures exist, and leveraging their strengths and addressing their limitations could enhance the organization's capacity to learn. The implications for positive social change include informing public administrators on the importance of organizational culture, subcultures, and learning as tools to enhance effectiveness.