Where Does Business Culture Come From?
In order to get a firm grip on the dynamics of business culture, it is important to first define it. In business, culture is a set of beliefs and values that guide and control the way employees interact with each other, the way they work and the way they relate to their work environment. Historically there have always been discrepancies between researchers on the meaning of organizational culture. However, most agree on one thing: strong leaders who exhibit good leadership skills are able to shape a business culture that consistently produces results. Although this may seem like an incredibly abstract concept, it can be easily understood when looking at the results that different businesses experience. For example, large corporations that boast the best results and highest profits are typically run by strong leaders who are willing to invest time and resources in the development of their work environment as well as promoting positive outcomes for their employees.
What Results are Possible with Business Culture?
The ability to create a business culture can easily be the defining factor that makes or breaks an organization. When an organization has a positive business culture, it demonstrates its commitment to quality, professionalism and value and provides its employees and managers with a sense of belonging and purpose. Conversely, when an organization has a negative culture, it demonstrates poor communication skills, poor leadership skills, and an overall lack of confidence in their work environment. A company that exhibits a positive business culture will show productivity in its workforce, increase profit levels, provide its customers with products and services that are relevant and trustworthy, and develop internal systems that facilitate communication and information sharing. Conversely, a company that displays a negative business culture will demonstrate poor productivity, low profit levels, decrease in employee participation and trust, low employee retention, decrease in professional respect, poor quality products and services, and a decreased sense of involvement and responsibility within the work place.
Business Culture success or failure depends on how your people interpret behavior, emotions, and cultural cues!
Sam Palazzolo, Principal Officer @ The Javelin Institute
Building Business Culture
Building organizational cultures that are appropriate for the task at hand requires an understanding of how people may interpret behavior, emotions, and cultural cues. Understanding these perspectives can help managers focus their attention on aligning the right values with the right behaviors and actions. This understanding also helps managers determine which behaviors and responses are aligned with the business’s core values and which are not. Once a business has established a culture, it is important to ensure that the culture is maintained through regular and periodic assessments.