The OCAI is probably the most widely used instrument for assessing organizational culture in the world. It is grounded in the Competing Values Framework (Quinn & Rohrbaugh, 1983), which identifies four culture types — Collaborate, Create, Compete, and Control — along two fundamental dimensions: flexibility vs. stability, and internal vs. external focus.
You will complete six short dimensions. For each, distribute 100 points across four alternatives (A, B, C, D) based on how similar each description is to your organization. Higher points mean greater similarity; some alternatives may receive zero. You will rate your organization twice for each dimension: once as it is Now, and once as you believe it should be in the Future to achieve its highest aspirations.
Think of a specific organization or organizational unit as you respond — ideally the one managed by your boss or one in which you hold clear membership.
Session in progress: . Resume where you left off, or start a new assessment.
Step 1 of 6
Dominant Characteristics
Description
Nowas it currently is
Futureas you would like it to be
Total (must equal 100)
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Culture Profile
Your Competing Values Profile
The vertical axis runs from Flexibility at the top — where organizations emphasize adaptability, discretion, and organic forms — to Stability at the bottom, where the emphasis is on order, predictability, and control. The horizontal axis runs from Internal focus on the left — integration and cohesion within the organization — to External focus on the right, where competitive positioning and differentiation in the environment take priority. Culture types at directly opposite corners represent competing values: the assumptions that make one effective tend to constrain the other.