Organisational culture in higher education: mapping the way to understanding cultural research

This article examines the complexity and multiplicity of perspectives in studying organisational culture in higher education settings. This multiplicity of conceptualisations of cultures has purportedly been derived from the different points of view of many disciplines, which have made the study of culture and cultural research enigmatic for neophyte researchers in particular. In view of this, this article aims to put those varied points of view together to build a hybrid composed of cultural definitions, manifestations and university culture, using semiotics and functionalist perspectives, and elements of various methodologies used in conducting cultural research. The latter is grounded on the premise that the epistemology, theoretical perspectives and methodology used influence the strength of research designs that ultimately contribute to the production of legitimate knowledge. It is expected that this proposed hybrid mode of understanding and researching culture can become a model for studying culture and organisational culture in higher education sectors for professionals in general and for those undertaking PhD studies (neophyte researchers) in particular.