6. Engagement & Culture
Competing Values Framework
What kind of culture is this?
The OCAI instrument is the property of its owners and is described here, not reproduced.
Use when
Profiling a culture fast, or naming the tension a strategy shift creates
Clan (collaborate)
Internal focus, flexibility. Family feel, mentoring, consensus. Risk: consensus over candour.
Adhocracy (create)
External focus, flexibility. Innovation, risk appetite, speed. Risk: chaos at scale.
Hierarchy (control)
Internal focus, stability. Process, reliability, efficiency. Risk: rigidity.
Market (compete)
External focus, stability. Results, targets, winning. Risk: goals gone wild.
Internal focus → External focus →
“Most transformations are a quadrant move, and the grief is real.”
How to use it
Name what the old quadrant did well before asking people to leave it. Profile current vs desired with the leadership team separately, then look at the gap in each quadrant rather than the average.
Card details
- Model type
- Grid
- Origin status
- Established
- Content last reviewed
- 28 July 2026
Origin
EstablishedKim Cameron and Robert Quinn. The OCAI instrument is theirs and is described here, not reproduced.