Culture as a concept impacts organization development (OD) in two fundamental
ways. First, it is increasingly evident that the practice of OD has to learn to deal with
the cultures and subcultures of client systems. Dealing with cultures and sub-cultures
requires conceptual models and intervention skills that deal realistically with what
culture is and how culture works. Second, OD as an occupational community has
developed a culture and sub-cultures within itself and has to learn what the strengths
and weaknesses are of those occupational cultures and sub-cultures. Of particular
importance is the recognition that the sub-cultures within OD may be in conflict with
each other and not be aware of this. In this paper I will present a working model of
culture and then analyze each of the two issues