Purpose: Organizational culture influences instructional innovations at universities by either allowing or hindering the development of innovations. Therefore, this study aims to demonstrate the organizational culture barriers and facilitators for instructional innovations at Turkish universities. Research methods: Using the qualitative method, this study draws upon 20 interviews with academic staff members to uncover the details regarding organizational culture barriers and facilitators for instructional innovations at four Turkish public universities. Findings: Based on the results concerning organizational culture barriers to instructional innovations, the analysis resulted in the over-centralized higher education structure where academic staff members lack professional practice at schools coupled with being pressured to increase their output of publications. Based on the results concerning organizational culture facilitators for instructional innovations, the results show that bottom-up management features in the university with mid-level leaders using the power of their expertise as part of collaborative research groups is an avenue to instructional innovation. Based on the perceptions, the organizational culture barriers and facilitators are identified as separate factors for instructional innovations in terms of positive and negative aspects. Implications for Research and Practice: This study lays the groundwork for future research into using appropriate methods and tools to measure the performance of academic staff members to conceptualize the development of teacher education positively.