Companies and organizations in today's world operate in an environment where opportunities are tempered by world events and uncertain futures. They now deal with a new set of challenges and a need for accelerated change. Progressive organizations with vibrant cultures will survive. The others will not. Compiling observations of organizational culture made over three decades as a trainer and consultant, the author provides a unique look at how companies prosper or fail. The book delineates a system for looking at an organization based upon the attitudes of top management, the roles played by its members, and the operating philosophy that permeates all levels. The author makes the case that all organizations have a great deal of similarity in the ways in which they function, but within those similarities are the variations which make cultures unique. By quantifying the similarities and the differences, the book puts culture into perspective and enables a quick diagnosis, leading to prescriptions that remedy potential problems. Anecdotal stories used in this book really happened, providing a view of the American corporate world through the eyes of the author. This insider's look makes the reader privy to the thought processes that lead to conclusions about what is essential to an organization - especially in uncertain times. When these conclusions are ordered and analyzed, they provide a starting point for understanding and initiating potential reform. Frequently, they also predict an impending organizational death as viability can be questioned and scrutinized in light of an organization's workings. Although this book focuses on American companies, the concepts and conclusions apply to any institutions anywhere in the world in which people attempt to work together to achieve common goals and objectives.