What term describes the set of values ideas and attitudes that is learned and shared among the members of an organization?

cul·​ture | \ ˈkəl-chər

What term describes the set of values ideas and attitudes that is learned and shared among the members of an organization?
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1a : the customary beliefs, social forms, and material traits of a racial, religious, or social group also : the characteristic features of everyday existence (such as diversions or a way of life) shared by people in a place or time popular culture Southern culture

b : the set of shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices that characterizes an institution or organization a corporate culture focused on the bottom line

c : the set of values, conventions, or social practices associated with a particular field, activity, or societal characteristic studying the effect of computers on print culture Changing the culture of materialism will take time …— Peggy O'Mara

d : the integrated pattern of human knowledge, belief, and behavior that depends upon the capacity for learning and transmitting knowledge to succeeding generations

2a : enlightenment and excellence of taste acquired by intellectual and aesthetic training

b : acquaintance with and taste in fine arts, humanities, and broad aspects of science as distinguished from vocational and technical skills a person of culture

3 : the act or process of cultivating living material (such as bacteria or viruses) in prepared nutrient media also : a product of such cultivation

4 : cultivation, tillage We ought to blame the culture, not the soil.— Alexander Pope

5 : the act of developing the intellectual and moral faculties especially by education

6 : expert care and training beauty culture

cultured; culturing\ ˈkəlch-​riŋ , ˈkəl-​chə-​ \

What term describes the set of values ideas and attitudes that is learned and shared among the members of an organization?
Company culture is the shared characteristics that make up organization's workforce. | Image: Shutterstock

What Is Company Culture?

Company culture can be defined as a set of shared values, goals, attitudes and practices that characterize an organization.

Company Culture Definition

Company culture describes the shared values, goals, attitudes and practices that characterize an organization. Aspects such as working environment, company policies and employee behavior can all contribute to company culture.

Company culture can more simply be described as the shared ethos of an organization. It’s the way people feel about the work they do, the values they believe in, where they see the company going and what they’re doing to get it there. Collectively, these traits represent the personality — or culture — of an organization.  

Research published in the Harvard Business Review notes that the characteristics of a company emerge largely from how employees interact (independence to interdependence) and how employees respond to change (flexibility to stability).

A company’s culture influences results from top to bottom. We’ll dive into some specific numbers that prove this statement in a moment, but first, consider the fact that the average American will spend one-third of their life at work.

The environment in which they spend that time will largely dictate the quality of an employee’s professional life. If they work for a company with a strong culture that aligns with their own beliefs and attitudes, they’ll be more likely to work hard and remain with the company for the long haul. If, on the other hand, the company’s culture does not reflect their own personal feelings, they’re much more likely to leave — or worse, remain with the company but underperform.

Before we go any further, let’s review some common misconceptions about company culture.

Company culture is not solely:

Your core values. Core values are certainly part of your culture, but until you put them into action they’re just words on paper. In fact, core values can negatively impact culture if they aren’t adhered to. Employees will see this as the company paying lip service and failing to live up to its own standards.

Your perks and benefits. Ping pong tables and beer on tap can be great, assuming they represent what your employees really care about, but perks and benefits are not a substitute for strong company culture.

The yardstick by which all candidates should be measured. Hiring for cultural fit has become a hot topic over the past few years, but we’re already seeing companies shift away from this line of thought. Hiring people that align with your culture makes sense on the surface, but too many companies use this metric as a crutch. Many companies have pivoted to a “cultural add” model, wherein they look for candidates that align with the most important elements of their culture, but will also bring their own unique traits to the table.

So, what then is company culture?

A successful company culture is one that is bought into by everyone from the newest intern to the CEO. It’s living and breathing your core values. The job of the company is to make sure that every employee understands the expectations and acts accordingly. A truly great company culture is one that inherently promotes curiosity, respect, teamwork and employee health.

A way to really boost your company’s culture is to put a concerted emphasis on diversity and inclusion. In simplified terms, diversity and inclusion in the workplace is making a group of individuals, with completely different backgrounds and experiences, feel safe and accepted in expressing their uniqueness while at work. Allowing employees to express their differences, learn from each other and feel safe while doing it creates a strong cultural bond that breeds employee happiness and productivity.

4 Types of Organizational Culture

Based on a company’s shared values, attitudes and practices, a company culture can be sorted into one of four basic organizational culture categories.

Clan (Collaborative) Culture

A clan culture is a people-focused, highly collaborative work environment where every individual is valued, prioritizing communication. It often values action-orientation and the embrace of change, and it involves breaking down barriers between the executives and employees and encourages mentorship opportunities.

Adhocracy Culture 

Adhocracy culture is an innovative, adaptable work environment which highly seeks to develop the next big industry breakthrough. It often values risk-taking, individuality and creativity. Typically, this type of culture prioritizes converting new ideas to market growth and company success.

Market Culture 

Market culture is a results-oriented work environment where external success is placed above internal satisfaction, prioritizing the bottom line. It often values meeting quotas, reaching targets and getting results. Market culture also commonly involves degrees of separation between the executives and employees.

Hierarchy Culture 

Hierarchy culture is a traditional, risk-averse work environment where there exists little room for adaptability and change, prioritizing clear direction. It often values well-defined processes, stability and uniformity. Plus it often involves a set chain of command and multiple degrees of separation between the executives and employees.

What term describes the set of values ideas and attitudes that are learned and shared among the members of a group?

Culture refers to the cumulative deposit of knowledge, experience, beliefs, values, attitudes, meanings, hierarchies, religion, notions of time, roles, spatial relations, concepts of the universe, and material objects and possessions acquired by a group of people in the course of generations through individual and ...

What is shared values in an organization?

Shared values are the core beliefs that guide the behaviors of a group. These values are not just words posted on the website; they are actively used to make decisions, especially the toughest ones where difficult tradeoffs are involved. Sometimes the values are a few single words.

What is the set of shared attitudes?

Culture: noun [cul·ture | kəl-chər] The set of shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices that characterizes an institution or organization *

What is a system of shared values and beliefs called?

Organizational culture is shared system of beliefs and values that determines behavior within the organization.