A cultural assessment is an internal process by which organizations can evaluate their overall workplace culture. Such an assessment typically aims to analyze both the implicit and explicit beliefs and attitudes held by an organization and fostered by those associated with it. With this, a cultural assessment may evaluate a certain organization’s specific expectations, experiences, philosophies, mission and values that set the tone for stakeholder behavior. With the results from a cultural assessment, leaders can make informed future decisions about culture and determine whether any shifts are necessary to strengthen the organization overall.

There are various models organizations can use to evaluate their internal and external cultures. Some organizations choose to perform culture walks, interviews or surveys. One of the most popular cultural assessment tools used throughout various industries is the Organizational Culture Assessment Instrument (OCAI) developed by researchers Kim Cameron and Robert Quinn at the University of Michigan. The OCAI is a useful survey model that helps organizations develop an awareness of their culture, understand its inner workings and identify what cultural components they’d like to change.