An Interpretive Analysis of Organizational Culture and Change in Post-Liberalization India

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18478447

Moni Mishra (Lal Bahadur Shastri Institute of Management, Delhi)

This article investigates organizational culture and change in Indian organizations in the aftermath of economic liberalisation. Instead of using linear and prescriptive models of organizational change, the study takes an interpretive approach to look at how cultural meanings, identities, and assumptions shape and are shaped by change processes. Utilizing qualitative data from Indian organizations functioning in competitive and uncertain contexts, the paper examines how organizational members interpret change, navigate continuity and disruption, and evaluate organizational effectiveness. The results show that cultural change in Indian organizations doesn’t happen all at once or in a series of events. Instead, it happens through ongoing sensemaking processes where old ideas coexist with new managerial logics. By emphasizing the cultural and interpretive aspects of change, the study enhances the literature on organizational change and provides context-specific insights for managing transformation in emerging economies.