The museums values framework: a framework for understanding organisational culture in museums

This article introduces a theoretical tool for understanding organisational culture, or values, in museums. The Museum Values Framework (MVF) was adapted from the Competing Values Framework and can be used to identify various sets of values found in a museum context. Identifying the underlying values could help increase the visibility of different priorities and, in doing so, contribute to our understanding of the tensions facing museum managers. After clarifying what is meant by organisational culture/values, the article describes how the MVF was developed. It explains how the framework incorporates four sets of values (club, temple, visitor attraction and forum) and how these operate in combination to shape behaviour in museums. The article concludes by discussing the potential application of the MVF to museum management by practitioners and academics.