​If your cultural transformation program falters.......

You may want to relook at your program design itself. It may have missed to incorporate different levels of organization culture. In this article, we explore cultural transformation from Edgar H. Schein's 3 level's organization culture.
Commonly cited failure causes
Before we explore Schein's 3 levels of culture, lets establish some of the common causes cited when our transformation program does not hit the mark.

• Weak leadership commitment causes mixed signals and half-hearted resourcing.
• Resistance to change shows up as passive non‑adoption or active pushback.
• Poor communication and measurement leave people unclear about the why, what, and how of change.
• A compliance-only mindset turns culture work into a checklist instead of a behavior shift

The issue: design that ignores culture levels
Program designers often concentrate interventions at the visible surface — training, posters, campaigns, incentives — while ignoring to exploit other deeper levels that will be the blocker to success. This issue could be due to lack of understanding of the cultural levels or assuming the levels will take care of itself when the most easiest level is addressed.

Schein model of culture and why it matters
Edgar Schein describes organizational culture in three levels: artifacts (visible structures and processes), espoused values (stated strategies and norms), and basic underlying assumptions (deep, often unconscious beliefs that drive behavior). Change efforts that skip any of these levels create misalignment: new artefacts sit on old assumptions and quickly revert to previous norms.

Level 1: Artifacts & Behaviors
These are the visible structures, processes, and practices — the “what we see” layer.

• Examples: Safety signage, PPE usage, meeting formats, reporting systems, layout of workspaces, documented procedures.

Most cultural transformation program often over-focus here, mistaking visibility for depth. Superficial changes ((e.g., new tools or slogans) without deeper alignment are easily reversed or ignored'
Change must go beyond installing systems — it must embed new routines and feedback loops that reinforce desired behaviors.

Level 2: Espoused Values and Beliefs
These are the stated principles, strategies, and norms — the “what we say we believe” layer.

• Examples: Mission statements, safety policies, leadership speeches, training content, KPIs.

Many organizations declare values that conflict with actual priorities. For example, saying “safety first” while rewarding speed and output.
Culture Transformation Programs must align stated values with operational decisions, incentives, and leadership behavior — otherwise, credibility erodes.

Level 3: Basic Underlying Assumptions
These are the deep, often unconscious beliefs that shape how people interpret reality — the “what we truly believe” layer.

• Examples: Beliefs about who gets protected, whether reporting is safe, whether leadership really cares, what success looks like.

This level is the hardest to access and change. Unless these assumptions shift, culture change is cosmetic.
Leaders must surface and challenge these assumptions through inquiry, storytelling, and consistent action — not just policy.

Design Interventions Mapped to Schein’s Three Levels
We have explored, why cultural transformation misses the mark based on Schein's 3 levels. In this section we will explore how program designers can ensure interventions at all 3 levels.
Level 1: Artifacts — Make the desired behavior the default
Common trap: Programs over-focus here, mistaking visibility for depth.
Strategic pivot: Design work systems and feedback loops that embed safety into routines.

• Redesign tasks, tools, and layouts so the safer choice is the easier choice.
• Use visible reinforcement: role modelling, frontline coaching, safety huddles.
• Measure adoption through behavior tracking, not just compliance checklists.
• Treat artifacts as test beds for surfacing hidden assumptions.

Level 2: Espoused Values — Align language, incentives, and leadership routines
Common trap: Declared values conflict with operational priorities.
Strategic pivot: Make safety a strategic priority, not a rhetorical one. Incorporate operational excellence as the end goal.

• Rewrite policies and performance criteria to reward the behaviors you want.
• Curate stories and case studies that connect values to real outcomes. Outcomes shall incorporate achievements of business objectives.
• Activate leadership: ensure safety is visible in planning, budgeting, and decisions.
• Audit for value-practice gaps and close them with system redesign.

Level 3: Underlying Assumptions — Surface and shift the real drivers of behavior
Common trap: Assumptions are left untouched, so old norms reassert themselves.
Strategic pivot: Use inquiry, experimentation, and leadership modelling to challenge and reshape beliefs.

• Run structured inquiry (e.g., after-action reviews, listening sessions) to uncover hidden beliefs.
• Create psychological safety: normalize reporting, remove blame signals, treat resistance as diagnostic.
• Use repeated, low-risk experiments to test and shift assumptions.
• Embed new assumptions through rituals, recognition, and leader behavior.

Integration and Sequencing — Treat culture as a system, not a checklist
Common trap: Interventions are isolated, episodic, and uncoordinated.
Strategic pivot: Sequence interventions across all three levels and sustain them over time.

• Start with the smallest viable change that creates a visible win and challenges limiting assumptions.
• Use surface-level wins to build credibility and open deeper conversations.
• Iterate across levels: update espoused values based on what’s learned, then deepen those new assumptions through ritual and reward.
• Commit multi-year leadership involvement with governance that monitors behavior, not just outputs.

Summary: Strategic Design Anchored in Schein
Cultural Level: Artifacts

• Common Failure Mode: Cosmetic changes with no system redesign
• Strategic Design Remedy: Embed safety into workflows and feedback loop

Cultural Level: Espoused Values

• Common Failure Mode: Rhetoric without reinforcement
• Strategic Design Remedy: Align incentives, stories, and leadership routines

Cultural Level: Assumptions

• Common Failure Mode: Unchallenged beliefs driving old behavior
• Strategic Design Remedy: Surface, test, and reshape through inquiry and modelling

source: Beyond Total Quality Management- Toward The Emerging Paradigm, by Greg Bounds, Lyle Yorks, Mel Adams, Gipsie Rankey