The relationship between the congruence, strength, and type of organizational culture and organizational effectiveness was studied, based on questionnaire responses by 3,406 administrators, faculty department heads, and trustees from 334 colleges and universities. Respondents rated the extent to which certain characteristics were present at their school as well as the extent to which four organizational culture types (clan, adhocracy, hierarchy, or market cultures) were dominant. In addition to rating organizational effectiveness on nine dimensions, respondents rated structural, strategic, decision-making, and environmental dimensions and made similarity ratings of scenarios. For example, if a respondent gave the most points to the scenario indicating a clan type culture, identified the leader as a facilitator/mentor, indicated that bonding occurred on the basis of loyalty, and that strategic emphases focus on human resources, the organization was identified as having a congruent culture. No significant differences in organizational effectiveness were found between schools with congruent or incongruent cultures. Schools with strong cultures were no more effective than schools with weak cultures. However, the type of culture at the school appeared to be more important in accounting for effectiveness than congruence or strength. (SW)