Corporate Culture

Warm Up

1. What comes to mind when you hear the term “corporate culture?”

2. How do you learn about your company’s culture?

3. What is your ideal company culture like?

Reading

The cultural structure of an organization is composed of numerous elements. But to understand more about these, it is perhaps worth gaining a better understanding of what we mean by “corporate culture.” Culture is at the very heart of businesses. That is, in essence, the main goal of the organization. It is also a widely accepted perception of the company. It influences our opinions about a company and how it functions, which can then affect how we interact with the company and with coworkers, clients, suppliers, and other stakeholders.

When we discuss culture, it is in general not something fixed or based on a single component. It is something that is widely accepted and understood. It typically stems from several sources, such as history and legacy, employee experiences and tales shared, control and power, symbols, structure, beliefs and values, operations, and protocols.

To sell themselves to potential employees and stakeholders, various businesses decide to post publicly available information about their culture on their websites. Unfortunately, because a company's perception of its culture is often founded on the opinions and values of its employees, it can sometimes diverge greatly from reality.

If employees cannot associate with the culture of the organization, perhaps because it has a weak overall culture, this will likely lead to employee dissatisfaction and impact on their performance and retention. On the other hand, companies that have a robust and positive organizational culture tend to do better because their workers are invested in and connected to the company's principles.

Reading Comprehension

1. What does the line “at the very heart of businesses” mean?

2. What aspects of the business comprise its culture?

3. Why is a company’s view of its culture different from reality?

Discussion Questions

1. What can you say about the working culture where you currently work?

2. Why, in your opinion, is corporate culture significant to businesses?

3. How does a company's corporate culture impact its decision-making procedures?

4. How may corporate culture affect management inside the company?

5. What effect does company culture have on workers' job satisfaction? 

6. Do you believe that a company's corporate culture has an impact on its success? If so, how?

7. How does leadership impact the development and preservation of business culture?

8. How can managers lead with ethics while modeling the conduct they want from others?

9. What can you say about a business when staff members say they love their jobs but won't recommend any new hires?

10. What effects does corporate culture have on creativity and innovation at work?