organizational culture
Company's shared values
Organizational culture is the shared values, beliefs, and practices that shape how people within an institution behave and work together.
It encompasses unwritten norms, communication styles, and assumptions about what matters: The startup's organizational culture encouraged risk-taking.
Culture can be deliberately cultivated or emerge organically, and it profoundly affects employee satisfaction, decision-making, and whether an organization attracts or repels certain personalities.
Capacity for original thought
- agilityQuickness and ease
- experimentationSystematic testing of ideas
- risk-takingAccepting possible harm
- ideationForming mental concepts
intrapreneurship · continuous improvement · disruption · adaptability · skunkworks · hackathons · design thinking · prototyping
Ceremonial repeated practices
- ceremoniesFormal observances with ritual
- heritageInherited cultural legacy
- legacyWhat's passed down
- founding storyAccount of beginnings
customs · institutional memory · onboarding · socialization · precedent · continuity · origin myth · anniversary celebrations
Joint effort toward shared aim
- synergyCombined effect exceeding components
- cooperationJoint action toward shared aims
- cross-functionalSpanning multiple areas
- knowledge sharingTransferring expertise between people
camaraderie · morale · team-building · interdependence · open communication · collective ownership · peer support · networking
Study of right conduct
- integrityMoral soundness and consistency
- principlesFoundational moral beliefs
- accountabilityObligation for one's actions
- transparencyState of being see-through
respect · honesty · responsibility · fairness · trustworthiness · professionalism · morality · loyalty
Practice of welcoming all
- equityImpartial treatment or ownership value
- representationDepiction or likeness
- belongingState of fitting in
- multiculturalismCoexistence of diverse traditions
acceptance · gender parity · accessibility · intersectionality · pluralism · empowerment · cultural competence · equal opportunity
Formal authority hierarchy
- reporting structureWho answers to whom
- seniorityRank from length of service
- authorityPower to enforce obedience
- centralizationUnifying control in one place
decentralization · top-down · bottom-up · bureaucracy · middle management · department head · decision-making authority · span of control
creativity
Capacity for original thought
- agilityQuickness and ease
- experimentationSystematic testing of ideas
- risk-takingAccepting possible harm
ideation · intrapreneurship · continuous improvement · disruption · adaptability · skunkworks · hackathons · design thinking · prototyping · psychological safety
rituals
Ceremonial repeated practices
- ceremoniesFormal observances with ritual
- heritageInherited cultural legacy
- legacyWhat's passed down
founding story · customs · institutional memory · onboarding · socialization · precedent · continuity · origin myth · anniversary celebrations · artifacts
teamwork
Joint effort toward shared aim
- synergyCombined effect exceeding components
- cooperationJoint action toward shared aims
- cross-functionalSpanning multiple areas
knowledge sharing · camaraderie · morale · team-building · interdependence · open communication · collective ownership · peer support · networking · silos
ethics
Study of right conduct
- integrityMoral soundness and consistency
- principlesFoundational moral beliefs
- accountabilityObligation for one's actions
transparency · respect · honesty · responsibility · fairness · trustworthiness · professionalism · morality · loyalty · commitment
inclusivity
Practice of welcoming all
- equityImpartial treatment or ownership value
- representationDepiction or likeness
- belongingState of fitting in
multiculturalism · acceptance · gender parity · accessibility · intersectionality · pluralism · empowerment · cultural competence · equal opportunity · tolerance
chain of command
Formal authority hierarchy
- reporting structureWho answers to whom
- seniorityRank from length of service
- authorityPower to enforce obedience
centralization · decentralization · top-down · bottom-up · bureaucracy · middle management · department head · decision-making authority · span of control · dotted line
- leadershipleadership styles, leader, leadership skills, boss, leading
- managementmanagers, management, executives, boss, supervisors
- workplace psychologyemployee motivation, job stress, office politics, micromanagement, workplace stress
- work systemsworkflow, workflows, team dynamics, supervision, performance metrics
- nonprofit fundraisingfundraising, donations, annual fund, capital campaign, pledges
- teacher burnoutteacher burnout, emotional exhaustion, exhaustion, overwhelm, overwork
organizational culturestandard operating procedures
Documented routine processes
legal compliance · employee handbook · employment contracts · formal structure · contractual obligations
culture, organize, organized, organization, organizing, organizer, disorganized, reorganization, reorganized