An organization is defined by its corporate culture. It includes attitudes and behaviors established by top management while experienced and practiced throughout an entire organization. A mission statement could express the corporate culture, which is shared with all personnel. The culture might be something less formal that is inherent in the behaviors and expectations of an organization. Corporate culture management may support that culture so that it can be used to an organization's highest advantage.
There are different features to corporate culture that may be established by management. For instance, a formal or casual dress code, or perhaps a combination of the two depending on the day of the week, is a characteristic of corporate culture management that influences an organization. Additionally, the options that are presented to employees, in formal or informal ways, are evidence of corporate culture. For instance, allowing a staff the option to telecommute under certain circumstances impacts organizational culture. Strict or lenient time expectations tied to when employees begin or end a workday are standards that influence a company's culture.
Attaching some structure to corporate culture might help managers to assess the work environment. The benefits could be valuable, including the potential for greater employee retention and attracting the greatest caliber of talent. Corporate culture management is one way to implement structure so that the benefits of a committed staff can be experienced.
A step toward influencing a company's culture is to issue a mission statement. This should reflect business and ethical practices that are expected of management and employees. It should communicate a certain level of excellence that is apparent in the individuals of the organization. The mission statement should then be distributed by management to all of the employees of the corporation. The statement may also be read during a company-wide meeting. Asking employees for feedback and suggestions on a company's mission statement may help individuals to contribute to the way that culture is shaped in an organization and can contribute to corporate culture management.
Receiving employee feedback on a mission statement should not be the end of a staff's involvement and influence over the work environment. According to a Towers Perrin survey cited in Ketchum Perspectives, employees need to remain engaged in an organization's overall mission for a company to drive greater success and expansion. Keeping employees challenged is likely to promote an environment where a staff feels engaged, and the level at which employees are engaged may also contribute to corporate culture management.
