Jethro's understanding of administration and the convergence of inter‐organizational goals

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore how culture influences organizational behavior by connecting elements stemming from individuals’ social habitus with other elements pertaining to the organization itself; rejecting a “new age” approach, the paper studies how references drawn from Judaism can feed an organizational reflection process that impacts management practice.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper centers on a case study about the Graduate Unit of an academic institution, which trains in the field of educational leadership.

Findings

Developing a common social habitus during the formative years makes it more likely that compatible projects can be implemented within various complementary organizations to achieve significant impact. In this case, the common knowledge of Jewish philosophy, the common “Jewish wisdom,” served as a catalyst. Creating a common organizational culture without such common elements would be impossible.

Research limitations/implications

The research presented here in the non‐profit field suggests that belief in a possible creation and sharing of an organizational culture to further a company's objectives is largely illusory.

Originality/value

The paper studies organizations in the third sector to understand elements in the business sector.

Citation

Almog‐Bareket, G. and Kletz, P. (2012), "Jethro's understanding of administration and the convergence of inter‐organizational goals", Journal of Management Development, Vol. 31 No. 9, pp. 889-900. https://doi.org/10.1108/02621711211259848