Corporate Culture

Corporate Culture

Corporate culture is the shared values and meanings that members hold in common and that are practiced by an organization’s leaders. Corporate culture is a powerful force that affects individuals in very real ways. In this paper I will explain the concept of corporate culture, apply the concept towards my employer, and analyze the validity of this concept. Research As Sackmann's Iceberg model demonstrates, culture is a series of visible and invisible characteristics that influence the behavior of members of organizations. Organizational and corporate cultures are formal and informal. They can be studied by observation, by listening and interacting with people in the culture, by reading what the company says about its own culture, by understanding career path progressions, and by observing stories about the company. As R. Solomon stated, “Corporate culture is related to ethics through the values and leadership styles that the leaders practice; the company model, the rituals and symbols that organizations value, and the way organizational executives and members communicate among themselves and with stakeholders. As a culture, the corporation defines not only jobs and roles; it also sets goals and establishes what counts as success” (Solomon, 1997, p.138). Corporate values are used to define corporate culture and drive operations found in “strong” corporate cultures. Boeing, Johnson & Johnson, and Bonar Group, the engineering firm I work for, all exemplify “strong” cultures. They all have a shared philosophy, they value the importance of people, they all have heroes that symbolize the success of the company, and they celebrate rituals, which provide opportunities for caring and sharing, for developing a spiri...

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...nd presumably like it, or they would have removed themselves from it. The existentially compelling question of culture in organizations is well documented, but suggested answers for it are many and constantly fluctuating. What can be known is that corporate culture is a powerful force that affects individuals in very real ways. Bibliography: Sackmann, S.A. (1991). Uncovering culture in organizations. Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 27: 295-317. Schneider, B. (1987). The people make the place. Personnel Psychology, 40: 437-453. Solomon, R.C. (1997). It’s good business: Ethics and free enterprise for the new millennium. Parham, Maryland: Rowman and Littlefield Publisher. Statement of Corporate Mission vol. II. (2000). Bonar Group, Inc. Weiss, J.W. (1994). Business Ethics: A managerial, stakeholder approach. Belmont, California: Wadsworth Publishing Company.