Organizations increasingly grapple with misalignments between formal structures and informal cultural dynamics, yet these discrepancies often remain hidden until they undermine learning, integrity, or adaptive performance. This article presents the Culture Congruence Diagnostic Model (CCDM), a behavioral-science framework for detecting and interpreting such incongruence. Grounded in research on organizational behavior, sensemaking, and behavioral risk, the CCDM focuses on four observable behavioral domains—decision-making, ownership, communication, and learning—linking them to three interacting drivers: formal mechanisms, informal norms and beliefs, and leadership behaviors. The model's four-stage diagnostic cycle integrates quantitative indicators with qualitative sensemaking to surface weak signals and reveal how behavioral patterns emerge and stabilize over time. Illustrative applications in financial services and engineering demonstrate how the CCDM clarifies root causes of cultural drift and supports psychologically safe and adaptive routines. The article concludes with implications for applied behavioral science and directions for future research.
Mirea Raaijmakers (Wed,) studied this question.