What Is Organisational Culture?<\/h2>\n
Organisational culture is the shared values, beliefs, and daily behaviours that influence how work is carried out and how people interact. It shapes decision-making, communication, and how employees react to challenges or change.<\/p>\n
Edgar Schein<\/a>\u2019s widely used model explains culture in three layers:<\/p>\n The Organisational Culture Assessment Instrument (OCAI) <\/a>groups cultures into four main types:<\/p>\n Although culture can feel hard to measure, research shows that strong, well-defined cultures are linked to higher employee engagement, better customer experiences, and stronger financial results.<\/p>\n A company\u2019s culture shapes almost every aspect of its success, from how employees feel about their work to how customers view the brand. When culture is strong and aligned with the organisation\u2019s strategy, it supports better performance, encourages innovation, and helps retain talent.<\/p>\n Recent research from Forbes<\/a> highlights its impact:<\/p>\n Weak culture can be just as influential, but with damaging effects. The O.C. Tanner Institute\u2019s 2025 Global Culture Report<\/a> found that employees in weak cultures are 13 times more likely to experience burnout and twice as likely to disengage from their work.<\/p>\n For HR leaders, culture is not an abstract idea but a measurable factor that directly influences both people and business results.<\/p>\n The Competing Values Framework<\/a> is a widely used method for categorising workplace culture. It divides organisations into four main types, based on their focus (internal or external) and structure (flexible or controlled):<\/p>\n Clan<\/strong><\/p>\n Adhocracy<\/strong><\/p>\n Market<\/strong><\/p>\n Hierarchy<\/strong><\/p>\n Other models take a different approach. For example, Frederic Laloux\u2019s \u201cTeal\u201d organisations promote self-management, a clear sense of purpose, and the freedom for employees to bring their full selves to work.<\/p>\n HR\u2019s Takeaway<\/strong> Changing an organisation\u2019s culture is rarely simple, but these examples show how different strategies\u2014from leadership-led initiatives to employee-driven ideas\u2014can influence results.<\/p>\n Amazon \u2013 Balancing Flexibility with Office-Based Collaboration<\/a><\/strong> HubSpot \u2013 Sustaining Culture While Growing<\/a><\/strong> Google \u2013 Moving Away from an Open Culture<\/a><\/strong> Takeaway for HR<\/strong> A healthy organisational culture influences how people learn, feel supported, and experience inclusion. It shapes daily interactions and helps build lasting engagement.<\/p>\n 1. Learning<\/strong> 2. Wellbeing<\/strong><\/p>\n Although organisations spend heavily on wellbeing programmes, real progress happens when leaders model healthy behaviours, workloads are realistic, and employees feel genuinely supported.<\/p>\n 3. Inclusion<\/strong> Why This Is Important for HR<\/strong> Explore: What Is Employee Experience? Everything HR Needs to Know<\/a><\/p>\n Culture is often talked about in abstract terms, but measuring it makes it visible and actionable. Tracking the right indicators helps HR see whether the culture supports strategic goals or if changes are needed.<\/p>\n Key Metrics to Track<\/strong><\/p>\n Tools and Methods<\/strong><\/p>\n Best Practice for HR<\/strong><\/p>\n Why HR should consider this<\/strong> HR has a central role in making sure an organisation\u2019s culture is more than words on a page. It\u2019s about embedding values into daily behaviour, leadership, and people processes throughout the employee journey.<\/p>\n Where HR Has the Most Influence<\/strong><\/p>\n Why This Is Important<\/strong> Culture evolves through daily choices, behaviours, and interactions. For HR leaders, the challenge is to turn cultural goals into genuine employee experiences by aligning hiring, training, recognition, and leadership with the organisation\u2019s values. When culture is measured, supported, and reinforced through HR processes, it becomes a strength that attracts talent, keeps top performers, and drives better results.<\/p>\n Avado\u2019s CIPD courses and programmes help HR teams build the skills to shape culture and lead lasting organisational change.<\/p>\n What Is Organisational Culture? Organisational culture is the shared values, beliefs, and daily behaviours that influence how work is carried out and how people interact. It shapes decision-making, communication, and how employees react to challenges or change. Edgar Schein\u2019s widely used model explains culture in three layers: Artifacts: visible elements such as office layout, dress […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":308353,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12039],"tags":[7681,69210,1644,14149],"dealstore":[],"offerexpiration":[],"class_list":["post-308352","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-apprentice","tag-definition","tag-hrs","tag-role","tag-types"],"yoast_head":"\n\n
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Why Organisational Culture Is Important<\/h2>\n
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Types of Organisational Culture<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.avadolearning.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Clan.png\" "\\"Clan\\"")
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Understanding the type of culture in your organisation helps ensure leadership styles, decision-making, and people practices are in line with the values that support the overall strategy. This knowledge also lays the groundwork for improving the employee experience and guiding cultural change.<\/p>\nCulture Change in Action<\/h2>\n
In 2024, Amazon strengthened its return-to-office policy, asking most employees to be on site at least three days a week. CEO Andy Jassy pointed to the benefits of faster decisions, closer teamwork, and stronger cultural ties. While opinions among staff were mixed, the company framed the shift as an investment in trust and long-term innovation.<\/p>\n
By the end of 2024, HubSpot had earned several \u201cbest workplace\u201d awards, highlighting its focus on flexibility, inclusion, and open communication. Initiatives such as flexible schedules, clear feedback channels, and accessible leaders have helped keep employees engaged as the company expands internationally.<\/p>\n
Google was once praised for its open and transparent environment, but former employees say this has changed. They claim fewer opportunities now exist for open discussion or direct access to leaders, which has weakened trust and, in some cases, affected how products are developed. This shift shows how changes in culture can have wide-reaching effects.<\/p>\n
These stories highlight that culture is dynamic. Positive change requires consistent leadership commitment, while neglect or missteps can quickly undermine trust and performance. For HR, the lesson is to actively monitor cultural shifts, reinforce desired behaviours, and address early signs of decline before they affect results.<\/p>\nCulture & Employee Experience<\/h2>\n
Cultures that promote continuous learning encourage employees to develop skills, share knowledge, and adapt to change.<\/p>\n\n
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An inclusive culture helps people feel valued and able to contribute fully.<\/p>\n\n
When culture supports learning, wellbeing, and inclusion, employees are more likely to stay, perform well, and grow with the organisation. For HR, this means moving from one-off programmes to a sustained approach that embeds these values in everyday practice.<\/p>\nMeasuring Organisational Culture<\/h2>\n
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Consistent measurement turns culture from a \u201csoft\u201d concept into a measurable driver of engagement, performance, and retention. It also helps HR make data-led decisions to strengthen the organisation\u2019s long-term health.<\/p>\nHR\u2019s Role in Culture Building<\/h2>\n
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Culture is built through everyday moments: how feedback is given, how support is offered, and what behaviours are rewarded. When HR weaves cultural values into recruitment, development, recognition, and leadership, those values become part of how the organisation functions.<\/p>\nPutting Organisational Culture into Practice<\/h2>\n
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