OCI® & OEI® – Organisational Culture and Effectiveness
Research-based diagnostics for understanding and shifting workplace culture.
The Organisational Culture Inventory® (OCI®) and Organisational Effectiveness Inventory® (OEI®) help you see how people are expected to behave at work, what drives that behaviour, and how it affects performance. Together, they provide a clear, evidence-based starting point for any serious culture change.
What are the Organisational Culture Inventory® (OCI®) and Organisational Effectiveness Inventory® (OEI®)?
The Organisational Culture Inventory® (OCI®) measures the behavioural norms in your organisation – how people believe they need to think and act to “fit in” and be successful.
The Organisational Effectiveness Inventory® (OEI®) looks at the causal factors that drive that culture – things like systems, structures, leadership approaches and work practices – as well as key outcomes such as engagement and satisfaction.
Used together, OCI® and OEI® give leaders a clear picture of:
The culture people experience day-to-day
The levers that are reinforcing that culture
Where to focus effort to build a more constructive, high-performing workplace
Why culture diagnostics matter for your organisation
Culture is often talked about in vague terms. OCI® and OEI® turn it into something you can see, measure and work with.
They help organisations to:
Move beyond anecdotes and assumptions – by providing data on how people believe they need to behave and why.
Distinguish constructive and defensive patterns – showing whether the culture supports learning, collaboration and initiative, or drives avoidance, blame and pressure.
Link culture to real outcomes – such as engagement, effectiveness, safety and performance.
Identify practical levers for change – by pinpointing the systems, structures and leadership behaviours that need attention.
Track progress over time – with repeat surveys that show whether culture change efforts are taking hold.
How the OCI®/OEI® culture process works
LSI® is designed to be straightforward for leaders and their stakeholders, while still creating rich insight.
1. Clarify scope and stakeholders
We work with you to define the focus of the culture project – whole organisation, business unit or leadership cohort – and identify key stakeholders.
2. Run the surveys
Employees complete the OCI® and OEI® surveys online. Response data is aggregated and reported back in a way that protects confidentiality and encourages honest feedback.
3. Understand the results
We facilitate sessions with the executive team and key leaders to unpack the reports, explore constructive and defensive patterns and connect the data to real business realities.
4. Design and support action
Together, we identify priorities, design practical interventions and support leaders to role-model the constructive styles and work on the levers highlighted by OEI®.
What OCI® and OEI® show you
OCI®:
Uses a circumplex to show the behavioural styles people feel they are expected to use – Constructive, Passive-Defensive and Aggressive-Defensive.
Highlights where the culture supports achievement, learning, collaboration and genuine involvement – and where it drives avoidance, dependency, competition or power.
OEI®:
Looks at the causes of the current culture – leadership approaches, systems, structures, job design and work practices.
Measures outcomes such as engagement, role clarity, satisfaction and intention to stay.
Together, they help leaders see not just “what our culture is like”, but “why it’s like that” and “what we can do about it.”
How MetaPeople uses OCI® and OEI® with leaders and teams
At MetaPeople, LSI® is not a stand-alone report – it’s a foundation for real development work.
Executive and leadership team work
We use OCI® and OEI® with executive and senior leadership teams to build a shared understanding of the current culture, agree on a constructive ideal and identify the leadership behaviours and organisational levers that need to shift.
Culture and change programs
OCI® and OEI® often sit at the heart of broader culture programs, where we combine diagnostics with leadership development, coaching and team workshops to support real behavioural change – not just new posters on the wall.
Integration with individual development tools
For organisations using LSI® with their leaders, we connect OCI®/OEI® findings with individual leadership styles. This helps leaders see how their personal patterns contribute to – or challenge – the wider culture.
Culture workshops using OCI® & OEI®
Here’s how we use OCI® and OEI® in workshops and programs to move from survey results to shared understanding and committed action.
We typically use these tools in:
Executive and leadership team workshops focused on understanding the culture data and agreeing priorities
Culture and strategy off-sites where leaders define the constructive culture they want to build and how it connects to business goals
Follow-up sessions that keep culture on the agenda and support leaders to role-model the desired behaviours
Who this is for
Executive teams who want a clear, honest picture of their current culture
Senior and middle managers who need to align on culture and leadership expectations
Organisations planning or undergoing significant change and wanting to understand the culture they are changing from and to
Businesses that have “done values work” but need deeper insight into how people actually experience the culture
What organisations walk away with
A shared, evidence-based view of the current culture and its impact
Clarity on the constructive culture the organisation is working towards
Agreement on key levers for change – in leadership behaviour, systems and practices
Concrete next steps and ownership across the leadership group
OCI®/OEI® Culture and Leadership Alignment Workshop
Overview:
The OCI®/OEI® Culture and Leadership Alignment Workshop brings leaders together to understand the culture data, agree on a constructive direction and commit to specific actions.
How the workshop runs:
Pre-work: OCI® and OEI® surveys completed and reports prepared for relevant groups.
Leadership briefing: A session with the executive or sponsor group to walk through results and set expectations for the wider workshop.
Culture workshop: A half-day or full-day session where leaders explore the data, define the desired constructive culture and identify key levers and commitments.
Optional follow-up: Additional workshops or coaching to support leaders as they work on their agreed actions and keep culture visible over time.
OCI® & OEI® FAQs
Here are some of the common questions organisations ask when they’re considering OCI® and OEI® for culture work.
FAQ 1: Do we need to use both OCI® and OEI® together?
They are most powerful together. OCI® shows the current culture, while OEI® highlights the causes and outcomes. In some cases we may start with OCI® only, but for serious culture work we generally recommend using both.
FAQ 2: How long does an OCI®/OEI® project take?
The survey phase is usually completed within 2–4 weeks, depending on your size and communication plan. Debriefs and workshops are then scheduled over the following weeks. Larger culture programs will run over a longer period, but the initial diagnostic phase is relatively contained.
FAQ 3: Can OCI® and OEI® be used with a single team or business unit?
Yes. While many organisations use these tools across the whole business, they can also be used with specific divisions, sites or leadership cohorts where culture is a priority.
FAQ 4: Can this work be done remotely?
Surveys are completed online and debriefs can be delivered via video. Culture workshops can be run in person or online; we’ll recommend the format that best supports open, constructive discussion for your context.
FAQ 5: Are the survey responses confidential?
Yes. Results are reported in aggregate, and minimum group sizes are used to protect individual confidentiality. This is essential for honest feedback and reliable data.
Build a more constructive, high-performing culture
If you’d like to understand your current culture and the levers you can work with to improve it, we’d be happy to talk.