Which term refers to a set of shared attitudes values goals and practices?

Goulston & Storrs Employment attorneys offer Cultural Assessment services to companies of all sizes and industries, with the intention of using the service as a springboard to promote meaningful cultural change within organizations.

Company culture can be defined as a set of shared values, goals, attitudes and practices that characterize an organization.

Company Culture Definition

Company culture describes the shared values, goals, attitudes and practices that characterize an organization. Aspects such as working environment, company policies and employee behavior can all contribute to company culture.

Company culture can more simply be described as the shared ethos of an organization. It’s the way people feel about the work they do, the values they believe in, where they see the company going and what they’re doing to get it there. Collectively, these traits represent the personality — or culture — of an organization.  

Research published in the Harvard Business Review notes that the characteristics of a company emerge largely from how employees interact (independence to interdependence) and how employees respond to change (flexibility to stability).

A company’s culture influences results from top to bottom. We’ll dive into some specific numbers that prove this statement in a moment, but first, consider the fact that the average American will spend one-third of their life at work.

The environment in which they spend that time will largely dictate the quality of an employee’s professional life. If they work for a company with a strong culture that aligns with their own beliefs and attitudes, they’ll be more likely to work hard and remain with the company for the long haul. If, on the other hand, the company’s culture does not reflect their own personal feelings, they’re much more likely to leave — or worse, remain with the company but underperform.

Before we go any further, let’s review some common misconceptions about company culture.

Company culture is not solely:

Your core values. Core values are certainly part of your culture, but until you put them into action they’re just words on paper. In fact, core values can negatively impact culture if they aren’t adhered to. Employees will see this as the company paying lip service and failing to live up to its own standards.

Your perks and benefits. Ping pong tables and beer on tap can be great, assuming they represent what your employees really care about, but perks and benefits are not a substitute for strong company culture.

The yardstick by which all candidates should be measured. Hiring for cultural fit has become a hot topic over the past few years, but we’re already seeing companies shift away from this line of thought. Hiring people that align with your culture makes sense on the surface, but too many companies use this metric as a crutch. Many companies have pivoted to a “cultural add” model, wherein they look for candidates that align with the most important elements of their culture, but will also bring their own unique traits to the table.

So, what then is company culture?

A successful company culture is one that is bought into by everyone from the newest intern to the CEO. It’s living and breathing your core values. The job of the company is to make sure that every employee understands the expectations and acts accordingly. A truly great company culture is one that inherently promotes curiosity, respect, teamwork and employee health.

A way to really boost your company’s culture is to put a concerted emphasis on diversity and inclusion. In simplified terms, diversity and inclusion in the workplace is making a group of individuals, with completely different backgrounds and experiences, feel safe and accepted in expressing their uniqueness while at work. Allowing employees to express their differences, learn from each other and feel safe while doing it creates a strong cultural bond that breeds employee happiness and productivity.

4 Types of Organizational Culture

Based on a company’s shared values, attitudes and practices, a company culture can be sorted into one of four basic organizational culture categories.

Clan (Collaborative) Culture

A clan culture is a people-focused, highly collaborative work environment where every individual is valued, prioritizing communication. It often values action-orientation and the embrace of change, and it involves breaking down barriers between the executives and employees and encourages mentorship opportunities.

Adhocracy Culture 

Adhocracy culture is an innovative, adaptable work environment which highly seeks to develop the next big industry breakthrough. It often values risk-taking, individuality and creativity. Typically, this type of culture prioritizes converting new ideas to market growth and company success.

Market Culture 

Market culture is a results-oriented work environment where external success is placed above internal satisfaction, prioritizing the bottom line. It often values meeting quotas, reaching targets and getting results. Market culture also commonly involves degrees of separation between the executives and employees.

Hierarchy Culture 

Hierarchy culture is a traditional, risk-averse work environment where there exists little room for adaptability and change, prioritizing clear direction. It often values well-defined processes, stability and uniformity. Plus it often involves a set chain of command and multiple degrees of separation between the executives and employees.

What is the set of shared attitudes values goals and practices?

Which term refers to a set of shared attitudes values and goals and practices of a group that are internalized by an individual within the group?

What term refers to the set of beliefs that is being shared in the community?

What is the set of attitudes values beliefs and behaviors shared by a group of people?