Shaping Organizational Culture

Corporate culture is derived from the top-down and consists of the expectations of the behavior that employees should exhibit. The text provides three models for examining the dimensions of culture in an organization: Geert Hofstede's Cultural Dimensions Theory, Schein's Cognitive Levels of Organizational Culture, and Gerry Johnson's Cultural Web. Each model provides a different perspective on organizational culture but gives a holistic picture of all the dimensions.

Building a Culture of High Performance

A high-performing culture is a results-driven business culture focused on generating efficiency and completing objectives.

Learning Objectives

Analyze the primary drivers and positive characteristics of a high-performing culture.

Key Takeaways

Key Points
  • Every business has its own culture. High- performance cultures are specifically focused on setting and accomplishing objectives with a high degree of efficiency and efficacy.
  • High-performing teams are an integral component of high-performance cultures.
  • A high-performing team is a group of people with complementary talents and skills. They are given clear roles and are committed to a common purpose. This enables synergy.
  • Culture is a combination of individual perspectives and the environment in which they operate. Business looking to create a high-performance culture must create an interdependent environment which empowers employee responsibility and decision -making.

Key Terms
  • SMART: Goal-setting criteria: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely.
  • performing: The stage of group development when the team is able to function as a unit, finding ways to get the job done smoothly and effectively without inappropriate conflict or supervision.
  • high-performing team: groups that are highly focused on their goals and that achieve superior business results.


Organizations need to be productive in order to achieve their goals. Over time, productivity can become a part of organizational culture, eventually becoming integrated into the company’s operations and processes. The business becomes known for its productivity, and high performance becomes second-nature for its employees. A high-performing culture is defined by a focus on generating and accomplishing objectives. There is a strong sense of both results-orientation and employee interdependence.