Every organization has a culture.
You can feel it when you walk into a building.
You can sense it in meetings.
You can see it in how people talk to each other.
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| Photo by Haseeb Jamil on Unsplash |
One of the most useful frameworks for understanding culture comes from organizational psychologist Edgar Schein, who described culture as operating on three distinct levels:
Artifacts
Espoused Beliefs and Values
Underlying Assumptions
If you want to lead change, improve morale, or strengthen performance, you must understand all three.
Let’s break it down.
Level 1: Artifacts — What You Can See
Artifacts are the visible parts of culture.
They include:
Dress code
Office layout
Classroom setup
Rituals and traditions
Language and jargon
Slogans on the wall
Awards and recognition systems
How meetings are run
Artifacts are easy to observe—but often difficult to interpret.
For example:
An open-door policy sign is an artifact.
A mission statement on the wall is an artifact.
A team chant before a game is an artifact.
But artifacts alone don’t tell you whether those values are actually lived out.
Artifacts show you what the organization says and displays. They do not automatically reveal what the organization truly believes.
Level 2: Espoused Beliefs and Values — What We Say We Believe
This level includes the stated values, philosophies, and strategies an organization claims to uphold.
Examples:
“We value teamwork.”
“Students come first.”
“Safety is our top priority.”
“We are customer-focused.”
“We believe in accountability.”
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| Photo by Beau Carpenter on Unsplash |
But here’s the leadership challenge:
Sometimes what organizations say they believe does not match what they actually reward or tolerate.
When artifacts and espoused values align, trust grows.
When they don’t, cynicism spreads.
Level 3: Underlying Assumptions — What We Actually Believe
This is the deepest level of culture.
Underlying assumptions are the unconscious beliefs that truly drive behavior.
They are rarely written down.
They are often invisible.
But they are incredibly powerful.
Examples:
“Conflict should be avoided.”
“Leaders shouldn’t admit mistakes.”
“Results matter more than relationships.”
“New ideas are risky.”
“Change is dangerous.”
These assumptions shape daily decisions without people even realizing it.
If you want to change culture, you must uncover these assumptions. Adjusting artifacts without addressing assumptions is like painting over rust.
Why This Matters for Leaders
Many leaders try to change culture by changing artifacts.
They redesign the office.
They update the logo.
They rewrite the mission statement.
They introduce new slogans.
But if underlying assumptions stay the same, nothing meaningful changes.
Real cultural change requires:
Honest conversations
Alignment between words and actions
Leaders modeling the values they claim
Systems that reinforce the right behaviors
Consistency over time
Culture is not built by posters. It’s built by patterns.
How This Applies to Schools, Teams, and
Businesses
In Schools
Artifacts: classroom décor, grading systems, staff meetings.
Espoused values: “We care about students.”
Assumptions: Do we truly believe every student can succeed?
In Athletics
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| Photo by Austin Distel on Unsplash |
Artifacts: uniforms, slogans, pregame rituals.
Espoused values: “Team first.”
Assumptions: Do we reward selfish play if it wins games?
In Business
Artifacts: company branding, office perks, leadership messaging.
Espoused values: “People are our greatest asset.”
Assumptions: Are decisions actually made based on short-term profit over people?
Alignment across all three levels builds credibility.
If You Want to Diagnose Your Culture
Ask these three questions:
What do we display? (Artifacts)
What do we say we believe? (Espoused Values)
What behaviors are consistently rewarded or tolerated? (Underlying Assumptions)
Where there is alignment, culture is strong.
Where there is misalignment, culture fractures.
See It in Action
I recently presented on culture and climate for M.J. Electric, walking through Schein’s framework and how it applies to real organizations under pressure.
You can watch a clip that describes a potential artifact here:
👉 https://youtu.be/VGvS9pUOH1s?si=nwTAmceqLTY4VG0M
Final Thought
Culture is not accidental.
It is built layer by layer.
Artifacts show the surface.
Beliefs explain the strategy.
Assumptions reveal the truth.
If you want to strengthen your organization, don’t just adjust the visible pieces. Go deeper. Align all three levels.
Teach. Coach. Lead.
JVD
Sources & Credits
The Three Levels of Organizational Culture framework was developed by Edgar Schein and outlined in his work Organizational Culture and Leadership (Jossey-Bass).
This post was drafted with the assistance of AI (ChatGPT) and edited by Mr. VanDusen.
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