Corporate Culture - a Reality or a Myth

Corporate culture is a reality.  It is also known as organizational culture. Corporate culture is  the combined beliefs, values, ethics, procedures, and atmosphere of an organization. The culture of an organization is often expressed as "the way we do things around here" and consists of largely unspoken values, norms, and behaviors that become the natural way of doing things. An organization's culture may be more apparent to an external observer than an internal practitioner. The first person to attempt a definition of corporate culture was Edgar Schein, who said that it consisted of rules, procedures, and processes that governed how things were done, as well as the philosophy that guides the attitude of senior management toward staff and customers. The difficulty in identifying the traits of culture and changing them is borne out by the fact that culture is not merely climate, power, and politics, but all those things and more. Changing or renewing corporate culture in order to achieve the organization's strategy is considered one of the major tasks of organization leadership, as it is recognized that such a change is hard to achieve without the will of the leader  (http://dictionary.bnet.com/definition/Corporate+Culture.htm).

You are right Mr. Aditya, it doesn't mean who don't follow will not succeed but following a particular technique will give us result it is thought. Merely Phd. as a simple degree doesn't work. Its real value is, when it actually gives the fruititive results

I am 100 percent agree with your comment. This statement realizes us in real sense that only culture can provide a sharp management at each and every sector.

Corporate culture is a reality. It defines how the company is managed. The four different cultures that we usually see abroad are 1)Club cluture which is predominently OB oriented culture with a king pin at the center and others working out for him 2)role culture, where the roles are defined and executed. Usually it is HR predominent3) is the task culture where strategy is the driving force is organizational processes and finaly 4)the existential culture where Finance is predominent factor driving the corporate processes.

It is despicable to say that in India predominently we have only one culture for corporates that is the 'club culture'. All others are non existent, except may be in Infotech companies where we have the role culture in play.

It is a reality and can not be discarded as a myth. If corporates follow any culture it is good for the organisation and customers as well as to the people who come in contact of the organisation. Yes it has to be thrusted upon, everybody is not going to accept it lying down this is right but see a child has to be taught to speak, read and write as others or the teacher is doing. It is only after that he follows it. Though exceptions are there. But exceptions are exceptions only and not a general rule. And the organisations who follow a culture end on a winning side. We can compare it to cricket in one way. Batsmen are taught to play a particular ball in a particular manner which they call technique. And the batsman who follow that technique is called as a very technically sound batsman. But that doesn't mean who don't follow will not succeed but following a particular technique will give you result it is thought. Most of the scientist who invented any particular thing of use to humans were not Phd's. But this does not demean the usefullness of Phd. It is quiet usefull today and will remain usefull tommorrow. This is what I think.

Yes corporate culture is always a reality. A corporate culture cannot be a myth. A corporate firm has to follow a particular norms, what we call "culture" in order to be at par with the global companies. All the top Fortune 500 companies follow Corporate culture like, they follow all the norms of corporate social resposibility, employee satisfaction, motivation and grievance and things like that. Thus, in order to be at the top in all respect a company has to be Proffesional, which can happen only if they have a proper work and office culture.

The companies which do not follow proper culture, do not succeed after a certain point. They reach to a saturation point from where they dont find a way ahead. Because, they do not follow proper norms and regulations.

Hi,

I m Richa. ya, Corporate culture is a reality. Corporate culture is a combined beliefs, values, ethics, procedures, and atmosphere of an organization. The culture of an organization is expressed as "the way we do things around here".

I have experienced that in an organisation which has its particulator culture whether it is friendly or totally professional has more chances to achive sucess in their own ways. It also retain employess more with it. people over there are more disciplined and determined to the organisation's growth. 

Establishing a corporate culture provides a clear picture of company mission in the minds of all employees. A common shared vision & purpose across the enterprise.

Just caution - culture can become terribly restrictive, but then in such a situation the blame lies on the management and not on the concept of having a corporate culture

Corproate culture is a reality. But usually there is a difference between perception and what is prevailing. Because, we just see the non existance of what we percieved, because of huge projections, we feel it is a myth.

The smaller the difference between the perception and what is prevailing, makes the corporate greater and greater. Having said this, one must understand that there will always be inconsistencies between said and done in everything in life. There is nothing like perfect circle.

While studying the reality of corporate culture, it is a good idea to first each of us do a study of our own culture and map it to the corporate's. Again here, we must understand that there are 3 types - 1. What is percieved as culture, 2. what is prevailing as culture and 3. What is desired as a culture. The closer these 3 are, the easier it is for one to merge within the corporate structure as well as to become good to great.

Lets look at different constitution types.  A proprietor  takes all decisions and is responsible.  A partnership means that there is shared accountability but it still revolves around partners.  A private limited company is an improvement on the partnership but mostly, the promoters rule the roost.  It is where a public limited company is involved - a large one at that - that we get to see corporate culture.  The basic difference is decision making.  culture by appearance is OK but that is not the point I am making.  In a corporate set up, there is freedom for the employees to apply their knowledge and expertise and also to have a say.  Such a say does not come at the pleasure of the promoter.  The interaction between employees as also with the directors is much better.  The board itself will have a larger role for the independent directors.  Reliance Group employees pardon me but I believe there is no corporate culture in the group companies.  That way when we look at it, the Sathyam group was perhaps worse off, but they boasted of a corporate culture.

In India, corporate culture most of the time remains a topic added in company news letter / company rules given to a new employee.In the long run, people find it difficult to cope with the culture crafted in the newsletter that is unrealistic. Though there are organisations which thrive constantly to improve company's image in the market.Just by writting 100 pages on corporate culture, it is better to focus on the ground staff who deal directly with the customers as their behaviour decides the company's so called corporate culture.

Corporate culture is all about building a holistic work environment that enables each stakeholders to give their best to the organisation. Pretending to follow a corporate culture is some sort of myopia and narrowness in the organisational thought process. For example TATA Groups, they have a lot of industrial establishments employing blue collared employees. It comes through a lot of IR related issues, but it has a history that it never faced a single day employee strike as of now. TATAs are concerned about their employees and their stakeholders.
 
So, in my opinion Corporate  Culture is a reality

Corporate culture is definately a reality, but most of the corporate culture are not stable they change according to their business nature and profits. Corporate develop such culture to explore the most from there employees.

It is compared to a publicity stunt or a new way of motivating people. However the corporate cultures gets changes if the company's balance sheet show losses.

It is not more than a Lip Service. I wish there were companies who really care to do that. In some places it may be required by law. So companies do it in letter but not spirit. I hope things change for better. After all we are all human beings.

Definitely one should give importance to corporate culture bcoz it is a combination of execution and culture that makes the difference between one and other firms. Corporate culture is necessary, it’s the glue that binds everyone together. Companies hold onto the values, symbols, and rituals that have guided them for years, and anything new that add to the culture should always supports what already exists.......

i agree with Markand here, corporates are practicing these cultures to stand out from the crowd, and to be more visible than others, i have seen many corporates where they have extremely good work culture and the way they do their business, and they are just not saying things infact they are cultivating culture where there is respect and gain in whatever they do, so yes there is corporate culture that is followed...and its not myth its a reality.