Models of Value Construction: A Culturalist Perspective

Research on organisational culture has mostly been based on two main types of interpretative models: a normative-typological paradigm that identified universalistic cultural types (Cameron & Quinn, 2006; Schein, 1985), and a symbolic-interpretative paradigm based on the analysis of discursive processes and sensemaking (Weick, 1995). However, both perspectives have limitations when it comes to capturing the dynamic, affective and situated nature of culture in organisational contexts. To address these limitations, this paper proposes a theoretical processual model inspired by Semiotic Cultural Psychology Theory (SCPT; Salvatore et al., 2019a; 2019b) and the local culture perspective (Carli & Paniccia, 1999). This model conceives of organisations as symbolic fields that shape relationships between actors, institutional roles, and discursive devices. At the heart of this discussion lies the paradigm of Models of Value Construction (MVCs), understood as latent configurations of meaning based on affective polarities and social representations that guide action in organisational contexts. This paper also proposes empirical developments of the model to offer tools for analysing organisational culture as a situated, non-standardisable artefact that generates well-being or maladjustment depending on the congruence between the representations of organisational actors and institutional goals, offering a useful framework for intervention in complex organisational contexts.

Parole chiave:culture;organization;value construction;sensemaking;affective meaning

Gloria Lagetto, Models of Value Construction: A Culturalist Perspective in "RIVISTA DI PSICOLOGIA CLINICA" 2/2025, pp 59-79, DOI: 10.3280/rpc2-2025oa20333