Culture is a collection of mental and emotional features that is transmitted socially.
The mental and emotional features may be in the following categories:
- Values
- Beliefs
- Language
- Idioms
- Behavior (individual and group)
- Festivals
- Rituals
- Activities
- Sports
- Food
- Architecture
- Religion
- Taboos
- Clothing
- Footwear
- Music
- Social hierarchy
- Symbols
- Dance
- Art
- Tolerance
Each feature is called a norm. For example:
- Values – honesty
- Beliefs – hard work and preparation lead to success
- Languages – English and French are both official languages in Canada
- Idioms – saying “hello” as a greeting
- Behavior – opening and holding the door for others
- Festivals – celebrating new year’s day
- Rituals – saluting the flag
- Activities – playing sports, exercising, singing, playing music, games, dining together
- Sports – baseball in the United States
- Food – eating grilled vegetables on a stick
- Architecture – building huts with mud and straw or building houses with wood or bricks or flat roofs or angled roofs
- Religion – being Catholic in Rome
- Taboos – interrupting a sports game
- Clothing – simple clothes in Earth colors or silk suits and glimmering dresses
- Footwear – shoes or sandals
- Music – folk music
- Social hierarchy – patriarchy, matriarchy, monarchy, despotism, clans
- Symbols – eagle and torch in the United States
- Dance – salsa
- Art – painting, statues
- Tolerance – having tolerance for deviations from some or all norms or being very intolerant of deviations
Work culture typically doesn’t cover all those categories and focuses on a few:
- Values
- Guiding principles (beliefs)
- Strategic goals
- Competencies (individual and group behaviors)
The definition of norms in these categories contribute to a shared company image, shared beliefs, how people interact with each other, and what work is performed and in what manner.
Example of guiding principles: 1) savvy, 2) selfless, 3) socially responsible. Another company may have completely different guiding principles such as 1) justice, 2) equal opportunity, 3) making the world a better place.
Example of values: 1) honesty, 2) integrity, 3) respect. Another company might have completely different values like 1) take care of customers, 2) unleash talent, 3) be bold and take risks, 4) be a team player.
Example of strategic goals: 1) adopt use of AI, 2) create a franchise, 3) hire the best talent.
Competencies may include knowledge, learning, skills, abilities, behaviors, attitudes, and characteristics that lead to the desired behavior or operational results. Competencies can be developed by learning, experience, or structured training.
Example of competencies: communication, leadership, teamwork, organization
Leaders develop a company culture to move fast. When everyone knows what to do and how to do it, there is less interpersonal friction, interactions are smooth, and people are able to move fast to achieve their goals.
See also general competencies
