Level 1
Artifacts
The visible and audible evidence of culture: rituals, stories, language, spaces, tools, meetings, ceremonies, and repeated behaviors.
- What can a newcomer observe?
- What gets repeated every week?
See culture below the surface
Use Edgar Schein's model to separate visible behavior, stated values, and the deeper assumptions that quietly shape how a group actually works, then compare archetypal cultures through the same lens.
Level 2
Espoused Values
The principles the group says it believes: strategy, mission, norms, policies, leadership messages, and public commitments.
- What does the group claim matters?
- Where do slogans match behavior?
Level 3
Underlying Assumptions
The taken-for-granted beliefs that drive choices. These are often invisible until behavior contradicts the stated values.
- What feels obvious here?
- What risks are people avoiding?
Diagnose Contradictions
Compare what people say with what the system rewards, repeats, tolerates, and punishes.
Compare Archetypes
Look across national, institutional, and organizational patterns without treating any group as a caricature.
Read the Layers Together
Use artifacts, values, and assumptions as one connected stack instead of isolated facts.