Final answer:
Corporate culture encompasses the shared values, beliefs, and practices within an organization, formed by various factors including leadership and history. It is sustained through continuous reinforcement and alignment with the mission and vision, ensuring behaviors are in line with company objectives.
Step-by-step explanation:
What is Corporate Culture?
Corporate culture refers to the shared values, beliefs, attitudes, and practices that characterize an organization. It is an integral part of an organization's identity, influencing how employees behave and interact with each other, and how the organization, as a whole, interacts with the external environment.
Corporate culture is formed through a combination of factors, including the organization's history, its leadership, and the industry it operates in. Artifacts such as company rituals, symbols, and stories, as well as espoused values and basic assumptions, all contribute to the development of a company's culture.
Formation and Sustenance of Corporate Culture
To form a positive workplace culture, it is crucial to establish clear values and norms that align with the organization's mission and vision. These are often set by the company's founders or leaders and are then communicated and reinforced through various means, such as training, policies, and everyday work life.
Sustaining a culture requires constant reinforcement of these values and practices through leadership examples, recognition, and reward systems, as well as through the hiring of employees whose beliefs coincide with the company culture.
Corporate Culture's Relation to Mission and Vision
Corporate culture is deeply related to an organization's mission, which defines the company's purpose, and vision, which sets out its future goals. A strong culture supports and enhances the achievement of an organization's mission and vision by aligning employees' behaviors with the company's objectives.
Leaders play a key role in connecting culture to mission and vision by embodying the company's values and setting a standard for others to follow.