(Sarros, Gray, Densten, & Cooper, 2005, p. 160). This study identified varying results across differing
industry segments (for example between manufacturing and the services sector) however a
relationship between dimensions such as organisation stability/social responsibility and innovation
was observed.
Taking into account the findings of Sarros et al (2005) in relation to the manufacturing sector in
Australia, Su et al (2009) investigated the culture in 500 of these organisations In Australia,
predominantly from the perspective of employee organisational commitment or in effect their
alignment with the organisation's goals and values (Sarros, Gray, Densten, & Cooper, 2005). Su et al
(2009) found a positive correlation between enhanced employee organisational commitment and the
cultural dimensions of stability and a focus on delivering outcomes/meeting objectives. Stability in
manufacturing organisations is an issue in Australian firms due to the ongoing decline of this sector in
the broader Australian economy over the past two decades (Reserve Bank, 2016).
Organisational culture in Liechtenstein
At the beginning of last century, Liechtenstein was a poor agricultural country however due to the
country's long term political stability and an entrenched spirit of entrepreneurial endeavour, the small
country has built a highly performing economy with the highest Gross Domestic Product per capita in
the world (Schuessler, Schaper, & Kraus, 2014, p. 109). Unlike other countries that have seen a
decline in manufacturing, Liechtenstein has seen steady growth in its manufacturing sector over the
past 30 years (Brunhart, 2013, p. 70). This entrepreneurial culture, perhaps born out of economic
necessity, commitment to innovation and research & development is evidenced by one of the highest
global rates of patent registration per capita (Schuessler, Schaper, & Kraus, 2014, p. 111).
The commitment to innovation in the culture of organisations in Liechtenstein was considered by
Dana and Dana (2003) where they noted that a culture of entrepreneurship and innovation (based on
their assessment of the work of Weber (1956)) showed cultural attributes of frugality, an ability to
readily change and adapt as well as delayed gratification (Dana, 2003, p. 297). The Government of
Liechtenstein also seek to foster and support innovation with a regulatory framework that allows for
the rapid establishment of companies and favourable taxation rates (Dana, 2003, p. 299). The benefits
of a strong alignment and cultural homogeneity between the Government and companies in
Liechtenstein was also observed by Kasper (2013, p57).
A case study that illustrates the commitment to a values based culture and inculcating innovation
relates to one of the largest companies in Liechtenstein, global concrete and construction products
manufacturer, Hilti. Hilti has some 20,000 employees worldwide with 1700 based at the company's
headquarters in Liechtenstein (vom Brocke & Sinnl, 2010). The company exhibits a values based
culture where defined values are embodied in the performance culture of the organisation including
as part of the selection process for engaging new employees and in goal setting for each worker. Hilti
also regularly measure and monitor the health of their organisational culture through employee
engagement surveys and embodies a culture that supports and encourages innovation (vom Brocke &
Sinnl, 2010). Hilti also has an ongoing commitment to the Business Process Management or BPM
methodology where managers closely scrutinize and optimise operational processes.
Perhaps uniquely for any country in the world, approximately half of Liechtenstein's workforce is
comprised of citizens of its neighbours (mainly Austria and Switzerland), workers who commute back
and forth across an international border everyday they drive to work (Schuessler, Schaper, & Kraus,
2014). Therefore the culture within its organisations must be an amalgam of cultures, influenced by
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