Hence, organization culture consists of some combination of artifacts, values and beliefs, and
underlying assumptions that organizational members share about appropriate behavior (Detert et
al., 2000). As organization culture consists of “values,” “beliefs,” and “norms”, these are three
key elements which influence the thoughts and actions (behavior) of people in organizations.
Values are the things an organization considers most significant with respect to its business
operations, its employees, and its customers. These are the things an organization strives and
wants to protect at all costs. Beliefs are assumptions individuals hold about themselves, and their
organization. Norms are unwritten rules of behavior in the organization and help
“operationalize” actions which are consistent with values and beliefs, for example as how
employees dress and interact.