{"id":50249,"date":"2021-06-08T16:05:21","date_gmt":"2021-06-08T20:05:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/?p=50249"},"modified":"2025-04-23T07:00:21","modified_gmt":"2025-04-23T11:00:21","slug":"company-culture-confusion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/company-culture-confusion\/","title":{"rendered":"The Company Culture Confusion Conundrum"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Much has been written about the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/you-can-change-company-culture-for-the-better\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">value of company culture<\/a>. A solid organizational culture encourages good work and happy employees while making retention and recruitment easier. So, most businesses are on board with the idea of having a company culture. The problem is when there is company culture confusion, which this article discusses in more detail.<\/p>\n<div class=\"div-minispacer\"><\/div>\n<p>It\u2019s all too familiar: the C-suite has one idea of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/company-culture-quest-mission-vision-values\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">company\u2019s culture<\/a>, but the employees have another, and new hires are getting a different perspective, too. It\u2019s not that culture is missing, but rather that it means various things to the diverse stakeholders. First, we\u2019ll quickly cover what workplace culture entails. Then, we\u2019ll explore the causes of culture confusion.<\/p>\n<div class=\"div-spacer\"><\/div>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-50252 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/confused1-1024x684.jpg\" alt=\"A confused female employee\" width=\"1024\" height=\"684\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/confused1.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/confused1-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/confused1-768x513.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/confused1-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/confused1-50x33.jpg 50w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"div-spacer\"><\/div>\n<h2>The Value of Work Culture<\/h2>\n<p>Culture is a competitive advantage today. In <em>The Values-Driven Organization<\/em>, author Richard Barrett says, \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/why-senior-managers-are-ignoring-workplace-culture-and-why-its-bad-news\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Who you are and what you stand<\/a> for have become just as important as the quality of the products and services you sell.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"div-minispacer\"><\/div>\n<p>Work culture captures the vision and values of the organization in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/behavior-intent-remote-company-culture\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">behavior and intent<\/a>. This collection of attitudes and beliefs will shape the working environment, how employees are treated, the relationships with customers, and the overall policies in place at the company.<\/p>\n<div class=\"div-minispacer\"><\/div>\n<p>A focus on company culture brings many <a href=\"https:\/\/smallbusiness.chron.com\/importance-healthy-corporate-culture-20899.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">advantages<\/a>. It:<\/p>\n<div class=\"div-minispacer\"><\/div>\n<ul>\n<li>Encourages employee investment in a shared goal, which can bolster productivity and drive innovation and creativity<\/li>\n<li>Provides a healthier environment for employees, reducing stress and improving well-being<\/li>\n<li>Increases employee retention \u2014 an important one when a <a href=\"https:\/\/info.workinstitute.com\/hubfs\/2020%20Retention%20Report\/Work%20Institutes%202020%20Retention%20Report.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">2020 Work Institute study<\/a> tells us voluntary turnover increased by 88 percent in the last decade<\/li>\n<li>Drives higher profits since the business benefits when employees feel that people are put before profits<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Every company\u2019s workplace culture is uniquely influential. But, it is much more difficult to realize the benefits of positive work culture when each stakeholder has a different view of the company\u2019s distinct culture.<\/p>\n<div class=\"div-minispacer\"><\/div>\n<p>Think of it this way: what does the word transparent mean to you? You likely hear it often enough nowadays in business meetings, but it can mean quite different things to various individuals. To the employee it might mean being apprised of the factors going into decision-making around say benefits, promotions, or raises. Yet, to the manager making the plans, it might only mean being sure to let people know a decision is made.<\/p>\n<div class=\"div-minispacer\"><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/company-culture\/\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Company culture<\/a> is a collection of ideas and actions embodied by a diverse group of people. No wonder there can be confusion. Let\u2019s look at other challenges in more detail.<\/p>\n<div class=\"div-spacer\"><\/div>\n<h2>The Company Culture Confusion Conundrum<\/h2>\n<p>Creating a cohesive company culture is further challenged by factors such as:<\/p>\n<div class=\"div-minispacer\"><\/div>\n<ul>\n<li>Management style<\/li>\n<li>Internal procedures<\/li>\n<li>Onboarding processes<\/li>\n<li>Multiple office locations<\/li>\n<li>Department silos<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>So much of business success boils down to management style. If one senior leader has a collaborative bent and works hard to cultivate individuals, people in that business area will have one view of culture. The team working for someone with low <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/eq-the-importance-of-emotional-intelligence-in-leadership-today\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">emotional intelligence<\/a> who has difficulty delegating will have another experience of culture. And it won\u2019t matter at all what the C-suite or HR is saying about culture. Those words won\u2019t find purchase against lived experience.<\/p>\n<div class=\"div-minispacer\"><\/div>\n<p>Internal procedures are another area where company culture confusion is found. Culture is, really, an amorphous thing. But the beliefs and assumptions and norms and values that found culture are made visible through business processes. Let\u2019s say a business intends to be inclusive and respectful of all employees. That only becomes culture when the written code of conduct is enacted in behavior, complaints are heard, and staff are involved in decision-making processes.<\/p>\n<div class=\"div-minispacer\"><\/div>\n<p>Communicating culture needs to begin at day one. That is, if you\u2019re thinking about the first contact with that potential job candidate as day one. After all, individuals applying for jobs with your company will be looking to gauge culture. It\u2019s how they decide whether they will \u201cfit\u201d and \u201cfeel comfortable\u201d working with you. So, from the outset it is critical to include culture \u201cproviding employees with a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shrm.org\/foundation\/ourwork\/initiatives\/resources-from-past-initiatives\/Documents\/Onboarding%20New%20Employees.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">sense of organizational norms<\/a>\u2014 both formal and informal\u201d in the onboarding process.<\/p>\n<div class=\"div-minispacer\"><\/div>\n<blockquote><p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.shrm.org\/resourcesandtools\/hr-topics\/talent-acquisition\/pages\/dont-underestimate-the-importance-of-effective-onboarding.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Cultural onboarding is 69 percent more likely to retain employees for three or more years.<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<div class=\"div-minispacer\"><\/div>\n<p>Work culture is generally viewed as a companywide thing. Yet when there are multiple office locations, spread out around the state, country or world, each one may have its own take on the culture. Even within a single work environment, individuals with different roles may have their own cultural conclusions. For example, someone in customer service under pressure to get calls answered quickly and upsell might have a harder time believing the company culture is one of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/what-having-empathy-looks-like-for-the-companies-doing-it-right\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">empathy<\/a>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"div-spacer\"><\/div>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-50251 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/confused2-1024x576.jpg\" alt=\"company culture\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/confused2.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/confused2-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/confused2-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/confused2-1000x563.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/confused2-50x28.jpg 50w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"div-spacer\"><\/div>\n<h2>Avoiding Culture Ambiguity<\/h2>\n<p>As work culture author Simon Sinek put it, &#8220;Customers will never love a company until the employees love it first.\u201d That\u2019s where a strong culture comes in.<\/p>\n<div class=\"div-minispacer\"><\/div>\n<p>A consistent, shared view of company culture will <a href=\"https:\/\/nlctb.org\/tips\/5-organizational-culture-misconceptions\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">improve interpersonal relationships<\/a> among your staff and between leadership and staff. This, in turn, supports management and leadership practices, offers clarity of roles, fosters effectiveness of meetings, drives group successes and outcomes, and enhances commitment to mission and purpose. Confusion around culture undermines the ability to grow and thrive.<\/p>\n<div class=\"div-minispacer\"><\/div>\n<p>Now that you\u2019re convinced company culture confusion needs to be addressed, you\u2019ll want to know what to do about the problem. Look for our next blog on this subject sharing strategies to help get everyone in the organization on the same page regarding workplace culture.<\/p>\n<div class=\"div-minispacer\"><\/div>\n<p>In the meantime, it can be a good idea to survey employees at all levels to better understand how your company climate is viewed. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/survey-templates\/employee\/company-culture-survey\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Sogolytics\u2019s Company Culture Survey Template<\/a> can help.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Much has been written about the value of company culture. A solid organizational culture encourages good work and happy employees while making retention and recruitment easier. So, most businesses are on board with the idea of having a company culture. The problem is when there is company culture confusion, which this article discusses in more detail. It\u2019s all too familiar: the C-suite has one idea of the company\u2019s culture, but the employees have another, and new hires are getting a different perspective, too. It\u2019s not that culture is missing, but rather that it means various things to the diverse stakeholders. First, we\u2019ll quickly cover what workplace culture entails. Then, we\u2019ll explore the causes of culture confusion. The Value of Work Culture Culture is a competitive advantage today. In The Values-Driven Organization, author Richard Barrett says, \u201cWho you are and what you stand for have become just as important as the quality of the products and services you sell.\u201d Work culture captures the vision and values of the organization in behavior and intent. This collection of attitudes and beliefs will shape the working environment, how employees are treated, the relationships with customers, and the overall policies in place at the company. A focus on company culture brings many advantages. It: Encourages employee investment in a shared goal, which can bolster productivity and drive innovation and creativity Provides a healthier environment for employees, reducing stress and improving well-being Increases employee retention \u2014 an important one when a 2020 Work Institute study tells [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":41,"featured_media":5041,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[156],"tags":[374,239,472,164,241,168,385],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v19.7.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>The Company Culture Confusion Conundrum - Sogolytics Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Company culture confusion is a real problem when organization stakeholders have varied views of what you are and stand for. Learn more about the issue.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/company-culture-confusion\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Company Culture Confusion Conundrum - Sogolytics Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Company culture confusion is a real problem when organization stakeholders have varied views of what you are and stand for. Learn more about the issue.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/company-culture-confusion\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Sogolytics Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2021-06-08T20:05:21+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-04-23T11:00:21+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/emp-4.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"487\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"714\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Jenn Goddu\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/company-culture-confusion\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/company-culture-confusion\/\",\"name\":\"The Company Culture Confusion Conundrum - Sogolytics Blog\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2021-06-08T20:05:21+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-04-23T11:00:21+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.sogolytics.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/e279d58fbb23148c5be4fdcb53b4a454\"},\"description\":\"Company culture confusion is a real problem when organization stakeholders have varied views of what you are and stand for. 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