PurposeA critical presentation of the concept of organizational culture. Design/methodology/approachAn interpretive and critical approach.FindingsOrganizational culture as an analytical concept triggers serious methodological, ethical and pragmatic problems. Hence, the postulate of approaching the concept as a sensitizing notion rather than a rigidly defined analytical one was formulated. Originality/valueThe paper introduces a set of new categories to the organizational theory debate, which have their origin in anthropological post-colonial criticism.