Culture, Technical Rationality, and Organizational Culture

The authors suggest that the importance of the culture at large has not been adequately addressed in the literature on organizational culture. Technical rationality represents a central part of the culture at large in the modern age. The roots of technical rationality are traced to the beginning of this century, and it is suggested that technical rationality constitutes a powerful set of beliefs in the organizational world, called here the managerial metamyth. The Washington State Ferry System provides a case example in which the managerial metamyth became the overt content of the imposition of cultural elements on that organization. The authors argue the importance of attention to the culture at large for the study of organizations.