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What is corporate culture?
Home » Management » Organizational Development - Understanding Corporate Cultures » What is corporate culture?Corporate culture, like any other culture, is a set of behaviors and codes that guide interaction. Organizational culture can be described as the “personality” of a company, or simply “how things are done around here.” Corporate culture is expressed in the architecture and interior design of offices, by what people wear to work, by how people communicate with each other, and in employee titles.
An organization’s culture is not necessarily the company’s mission and list of values as spelled out on a plaque in the lobby. These are ideals, which may or may not be manifest in the corporate culture.
The culture of an organization operates at both conscious and unconscious levels. At its most basic, it involves deeply rooted beliefs, values, and norms held by members of the organization. Insiders may find it difficult or even impossible to recognize these deeply held assumptions, particularly if they have “grown up” in the organizational culture. Espoused or secondary values, on the other hand, exist at a more conscious level; these are the values people discuss, promote, and try to live by.
Corporate culture is profoundly shaped by the company’s leader and senior managers. For example, if the CEO avoids conflict, other employees will tend to do the same, whether consciously or unconsciously. Behavior of senior team members—their reactions in a crisis and what they talk about regularly—all set the tone of the culture.
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