Witch-Hunting at Crucible University: The Power and Peril of Competing Organizational Ideologies

The literature on organizational culture underscores the benefits of a strong culture—its capacity to draw people together through shared values and norms. Yet, the formation of a powerful ideology also has the capacity to promote divisiveness and to alienate those who fail to conform. This study employs Frank W. Lutz’s witch-hunting framework in order to examine an institutional crisis at a small private faith-based institution. The case provides a rich illustration of the potential dangers of divisive ideologies on campus.