Assessing the Organizational Culture of Thai Synchrotron Light Research Institute

Abstract

Organizational culture of an advanced physics institute in Thailand has been studied. The purpose of this work is to find out the existing dominant cultures of the institute. The authors applied qualitative and quantitative research approaches, i.e. focused group interview and questionnaire survey, respectively, and present their findings herein. For Synchrotron Light Research Institute (SLRI) explored, their dominant cultures are characterized by strategic direction, capability development, and organizational learning. These are considered as the top three strengths of the institute. The second-to-top strengths are team orientation, customer focus, and competition mind. The two sets of strengths solidly support the following dominant cultures: mission or competence, changeability or cultivation, and collaboration or involvement. These norms form SLRI’s core organizational cultures suitable for being a service and innovative organization. Since the institute is a non-profit enterprise owned by the Thai Government, safety and control culture must be practiced, however to a lesser extent.