Work Culture

By Ivan Andreev (LinkedIn)

Work culture is the beliefs, customs, and behavior of a group of people within a work environment; such as a team, department, or the organization as a whole. It is created through the behavior of everyone working in an organization, from the CEO to the entry-level employees. 

The physical environment of an organization also influences the work culture. It is unique to each business and is shaped by interactions, attitudes, beliefs, traditions, and values
A 2011 study by Cameron et al. found that a positive work culture contains six elements:

• Treating colleagues as friends, caring for them, and being interested in their wellbeing.
• Supporting colleagues and offering compassion and kindness in times of need.
• Forgiving mistakes and not assigning blame.
• Working to inspire each other.
• Finding and emphasizing meaningful aspects of the work.
• Prioritizing trust, respect, gratitude, and integrity.

There are a multitude of studies that demonstrate that a positive work culture directly leads to better health for employees, reduces turnover, increases loyalty, and promotes better job performance.

A toxic work culture is one that contains dysfunctional behavior, drama, infighting, poor communication, power struggles, and low morale. It also does not prioritize employee well-being through actions and policies.

Real-world examples of work culture

Amazon

With a high-pressure environment that they call ‘Purposeful Darwinism,’ the corporate culture at Amazon pushes employees to consistently deliver. They prefer to divide groups into smaller teams and encourage collaborative decision-making with a focus on innovation.

Amazon focuses on the customer within every department and product and strives to maintain the push to excellence that drove their success as a startup. The high-pressure environment isn’t ideal for everyone, and some employees report that the lack of work-life balance led to their departure.

Amazon warehouse employees have reported long hours, low pay, unreasonable working standards, and burnout, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Google

Google has consistently won awards for best company culture. They encourage their employees to work when and where they want, giving them the freedom to be creative in their workflow.

As a company built on innovation, they encourage experimentation and ask employees to keep the user central at all times. They have clear core values and encourage transparent communication at all levels within the company.

Employee development is also a priority, allowing for greater mobility within the company and lower turnover. Google has struggled with reports about the lack of diversity within the company, showcasing the need to focus on DEI initiatives.

Tesla

A high-pressure environment, Tesla is laser-focused on innovation. They are consistently encouraging employees to experiment, and are not afraid to let people work outside of their comfort zone.

Small teams and a dedication to personal responsibility are part of their individualistic culture, with the expectation set of achieving great results no matter.

However, Tesla has frequently found itself in the news because of ex-employees alleging long hours, unsafe working conditions, and racism.

Microsoft

Microsoft has been working for the last six years to swing their culture from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset, encouraging growth, experimentation, and even failure as a key part of each job at Microsoft.
With a focus on collaboration, Microsoft asks employees to be customer-obsessed and provides ample opportunities for learning and development.

They have a strong focus on diversity and inclusion within the company, aiming to create a workforce that reflects the diversity of the world’s population. Their core values highlight empathy, collaboration and prioritize work-life balance.

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Of course, each organization is unique, and you might find that a Japanese company has a culture that is more similar to America, or a French company has a distinctly German culture. However, as a general guide, let’s take a look at some of the differences in work culture between some countries based on Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions research.

Scandinavia

In Scandinavian countries, employee wellbeing is prioritized. With a shorter workweek (on average, 36 hours) and longer vacations (5 weeks of paid leave is common), Scandinavian workers are encouraged to create a good work-life balance. Organizations often create a flat management structure and encourage autonomy and independent decision-making from employees.

United States of America

American organizations tend to place a high priority on results, achievement and are highly goal-oriented.
The US is a highly individualistic and competitive culture where results, especially in the short term, are highly valued. Overtime is often expected, and time off is not prioritized. There is higher uncertainty within jobs and fewer employee protections. This can produce a highly competitive environment with less collaboration.

Germany

With a more formal work culture, German organizations tend to use formal titles, professional attire and can be somewhat rigid when it comes to punctuality. While there is less workplace socializing, there is also no expectation of working overtime either; you are expected to come in, do your job, and then leave when the clock strikes 5 pm. This creates a work-life balance that is supplemented by generous holiday leave. German organizations tend to place a high priority on teamwork, with many subject matter experts working together to solve problems.

Japan

In Japan, the order is highly valued. The company culture tends to be more cooperative, with a focus on respect and following the rules. Interdependence is more common than independence, and work is often done in teams, with a higher focus on process than results. The rules of etiquette and hierarchy are closely followed, and there is an expectation that employees will socialize outside of work, which often involves alcohol. Japan and the United States have similar expectations of long work hours with fewer vacations.

China

Chinese organizations tend to have a rigid hierarchy and value collectivism rather than individualism.
Respect and etiquette is key, especially when it comes to interacting with superiors. Long hours are the norm, although China has recently taken steps to move away from the 996 work culture (working 9 am to 9 pm, 6 days a week). Employees are expected to socialize outside of work hours, and personal and professional lives are often intertwined.