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‘In interviews you can ask

applicants, “How do you share

your opinion? What’s your

style?” Just knowing a person’s

style goes a long way.’

Guy Gage, on what to ask prospective hires

professional development for a midsize account-
ing firm, has nearly 30 years’ experience coaching About the
accountants and accounting firms. author
Courtney L.
How would you define organizational culture? Vien is a JofA
Guy Gage: Culture is a combination of shared senior editor.
practices, norms, and beliefs that shape what people To comment on
do and how they do it (see the sidebar, “Culture this article or to
and Change”). What gets difficult is when we suggest an idea
start to define what it really means because it is so for another article,
ingrained and automatic. It’s like if I asked you to contact her at
describe everything in the room you’re in. Probably Courtney.Vien@
t has become a truism that organizations ought to it would be a long time before you talk about the aicpa-cima.com or
look for cultural fit when hiring new employees. air in the room. Culture is like the air: It’s that 919-402-4125.
IHowever, employers often fail to define what invisible thing that is very important, obviously, but
their culture is, and so, when they hire, they rely on we don’t really think much about it or acknowledge
instinct to tell them whether a candidate is a good it as there.
match. Or they may hire applicants who resemble
the demographics of their current staff — who Can you tell us about some of the research into
are similar in gender, race, or age, for example, or organizational culture?
who come from the same academic program or Gage: I was introduced to the concept of
geographic area — under the assumption that these organizational culture early in my career. One
similarities will make for a good fit. In doing so, model I use quite a bit was developed by [Robert]
they may overlook promising candidates who don’t Quinn and [Kim] Cameron. They established
fit these parameters. four of what they call archetypes, or forms, that
But there are more structured ways to identify organizational culture often takes: the clan culture,
what your organization’s culture is and to hire the hierarchical culture, the market culture, and the
people who are more likely to thrive within it. “adhocracy” culture. An organization’s culture may
To gain insight on defining culture, we spoke contain elements of more than one type, though
with Guy Gage, founder of the consulting firm usually one is predominant. The reason why I like
PartnersCoach in West Virginia. Gage, who is their model so well is it is so applicable to what I
a licensed counselor and has worked in HR and see in CPA firms.

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