Transformation of business culture in information society

Cultural values are an important factor affecting functioning and efficiency of organizations. Most contemporary studies of business cultures focus on the differences in national cultures. However, global trends such as the shift from industrial to post-industrial, or information society, also influence the culture-business relations. Although there are a lot of theories of the information society, most of them discuss the differences related to the diffusion of information technology and/or the contents and intensity of information flows in media environment. The rise of the information society is accompanied by cultural transformations which include increased activity and participation in media space, cultural and informational heterogeneity and bricolage fostering personalized description of reality. M. Castells points to importance of networking both in society in general and in business in particular. He discusses four different cultural models underlying the information society: technomeritoraty, entrepreneurial culture, the cultures of hackers and virtual communities. These models determine ways of ‘doing business’ in the Internet economics and the companies’ relations to their environment. These models are equally important for the information society but implement different values. Although they typically share egalitarian norms, they may significantly differ in such cultural values as individualism/collectivism or the value of achievement and success. These differences cause inner tensions and conflicts in the information society and, particularly, in IT-related business activities.