Cultural norms are sometimes referred to as “the way we do things around here.” Cultural norms are not statistical averages. Instead, they are related to social standards of appropriate behavior. Cultural norms are accepted and expected practice. A norm may or may not coincide with laws and policies. For example, it is a common norm to drive five miles per hour above the speed limit.

Norms have different strengths, and the consequence for violating norms varies. The lack of norms is sometimes called anomie. Anomie has been associated with mental illness and social breakdown. The chaos that often occurs after a business buyout would be an example of setting with a high likelihood of anomie.

On the other end of the spectrum are the highly proscribed norms and laws desired by totalitarians and authoritarians. This would be the classic case of the dictator who made the trains run on time. Cultures that have a lot of rules and a lot of conformity to the rules often lack spontaneity and creativity.

In general, culture change efforts should be directed at creating norms that support desired behavior and allow for individual choice. One of the biggest challenges in successful culture change is to identify key behaviors that are critical for project success. The culture change effort will be directed at making that behavior a norm.