Chapter 0: Abstract

How might we enable startups to build their culture?

The world of organizations is changing rapidly. The trend is moving towards self-organization and seeing the organization as a living breathing thing. This isn’t reflected in the way we’re organizing today and as the average lifespan of a Fortune 500 company declines there’s a big opportunity for startups to commit to this organizational change and adapt to it.

This research project aims to answer the research questions “How might we enable startups to build their culture?” through qualitative interviews with 15 people from the world of startups, accelerators, and organizational design consultancy. Four themes, Practice, Reflection, Being human, and Experimentation, were identified and analyzed using academic sources.

Based on data from the interviews, recent academic research, as well as being influenced by tried and tested models like Schein’s three levels of culture, Wheelan’s Integrated Model of Group Development, and the British Design Council’s Double Diamond, a framework for culture building was constructed.

Next: Chapter 1: Introduction

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Hyper Island — MA Digital Media Management
Industry Research Project