# Culture Still Eats Strategy For Breakfast Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/if-then-6755579/culture-still-eats-strategy-for-breakfast Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/if-then-6755579/culture-still-eats-strategy-for-breakfast.md Podcast: [If/Then](https://stenobird.com/podcast/if-then-6755579) Published: 2025-06-25T07:00:00+00:00 Episode link: https://op3.dev/e/tracking.swap.fm/track/zA4xtlPBvf2K1K9zesjz/mgln.ai/e/p853501/rss.art19.com/episodes/78a5d8b3-ad6e-4412-b304-42f947e29259.mp3?rss_browser=BAhJIg90cmFuc2NyaWJyBjoGRVQ%3D--952c5701c84ad333c69d5faa668f8177091704f0 Audio file: https://op3.dev/e/tracking.swap.fm/track/zA4xtlPBvf2K1K9zesjz/mgln.ai/e/p853501/rss.art19.com/episodes/78a5d8b3-ad6e-4412-b304-42f947e29259.mp3?rss_browser=BAhJIg90cmFuc2NyaWJyBjoGRVQ%3D--952c5701c84ad333c69d5faa668f8177091704f0 Processing state: not_requested JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/if-then-6755579/episodes/culture-still-eats-strategy-for-breakfast Duration seconds: 1794 ## Resource Do you stick to the rules or do you roll through stop signs? Whether you’re “tight” or “loose” — how closely you adhere to social norms — has major implications for your life at home and at work.  “To be effective, we want to be ambidextrous,” says Michele Gelfand , the John H. Scully Professor in Cross-Cultural Management and Professor of Organizational Behavior at Stanford Graduate School of Business. “Even if we might lean tight or loose, we want to be able to create a context where we can have both tight and loose elements.” Sophisticated strategies will fail if they don’t account for deeply embedded norms, and Gelfand breaks down why the adage that “culture eats strategy for breakfast” is more than just a management cliché.  “From the moment we wake up to the moment we go to sleep, [culture is] affecting everything from our politics to our parenting,” Gelfand says. “But we take it for granted — we don’t even think about it. So it’s kind of invisible. And that’s a pretty profound puzzle.”    What’s the biggest cultural adjustment you’ve made? Share your story at ifthenpod@stanford.edu . This episode was recorded on January 28, 2025. Related Content: Faculty profile Psst — Wanna Know Why Gossip Has Evolved in Every Human Society? Class Takeaways — The Art of Negotiation Why the Pandemic Slammed “Loose” Countries Like the U.S. If/Then is a podcast from Stanford Graduate School of Business that examines research findings that can help us navigate the complex issues we face in business, leadership, and society. Each episode features an interview with a Stanford GSB faculty member. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info . ## Actions - request_transcript: `POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/if-then-6755579/episodes/culture-still-eats-strategy-for-breakfast/transcription-requests` — Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode. - read_markdown: `GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/if-then-6755579/culture-still-eats-strategy-for-breakfast.md` — Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource. A page view does not enqueue transcription. Agents should invoke `request_transcript` explicitly when they need this episode processed. ## Transcript Full transcripts are not published on public pages unless there is a clear rights basis.