Corporate Culture
The challenge of managing a large, global company like Alibaba. Tsai's strategy upon returning as chairman was to create focus by simplifying the company's mission to two core businesses: e-commerce and cloud computing.
First Mentioned
10/9/2025, 4:41:12 AM
Last Updated
10/9/2025, 4:51:09 AM
Research Retrieved
10/9/2025, 4:51:09 AM
Summary
Corporate culture, also known as business or company culture, refers to the shared norms, values, and behaviors that define an organization, influencing how individuals interact, make decisions, and their attachment to the company. It is distinct from national culture and acts as a crucial differentiator and foundation for business success. The concept gained prominence among managers and theorists in the late 1980s and early 1990s. For instance, Joe Tsai, Chairman of Alibaba, highlighted the critical role of managing corporate culture, especially in the face of increased government regulation in China and intense competition from rivals like ByteDance, emphasizing Alibaba's focus on its core e-commerce and cloud computing businesses.
Referenced in 1 Document
Research Data
Extracted Attributes
Nature
Informal institution comprised of cultural values and cultural norms; intangible elements
Components
Shared values, behaviors, everyday practices, operational and administrative features, underlying assumptions
Definition
Shared norms, values, and behaviors within an organization that reflect its core values and strategic direction, influencing interactions, decision-making, and employee attachment.
Distinction
Distinct from national culture or the broader cultural background of its workforce
Alternative Names
Business culture, Company culture, Organizational culture
Importance/Impact
Influences how people interact, decisions are made, employee attachment, competitive advantage, internal alignment, employee recruitment, retention, performance; can lead to 85% net profit increase over five years for companies with strong cultures; acts as a differentiator in the marketplace; attracts talent and customers.
Common Cultural Values (examples)
Results-orientation (55%), community-orientation (49%), collaboration (39%), adaptability (38%)
Timeline
- The term 'corporate culture' began to be used by managers, sociologists, and organizational theorists. (Source: Wikipedia)
1980s
- The term 'corporate culture' emerged and gained prominence. (Source: Wikipedia, Provided Summary)
Late 1980s - Early 1990s
Wikipedia
View on WikipediaOrganizational culture
Organizational culture encompasses the shared norms, values, and behaviors—observed in schools, not-for-profit groups, government agencies, sports teams, and businesses—reflecting their core values and strategic direction. Alternative terms include business culture, corporate culture and company culture. The term corporate culture emerged in the late 1980s and early 1990s. It was used by managers, sociologists, and organizational theorists in the 1980s. Organizational culture influences how people interact, how decisions are made (or avoided), the context within which cultural artifacts are created, employee attachment, the organization's competitive advantage, and the internal alignment of its units. It is distinct from national culture or the broader cultural background of its workforce. A related topic, organizational identity, refers to statements and images which are important to an organization and helps to differentiate itself from other organizations. An organization may also have its own management philosophy. Organizational identity influences all stakeholders, leaders and employees alike.
Web Search Results
- Top 15 corporate culture examples of 2025 - Achievers
Corporate culture is the shared set of values, behaviors, and everyday practices that shape how people work together. It influences everything — from how decisions get made and how feedback is shared, to how teams collaborate and what success looks like. Culture shows up in the small things (like meeting norms) and the big ones (like who gets promoted). ### [...] ## Let today’s corporate culture examples inspire your organization Great corporate cultures are built in the moments that show people they matter: a well-timed thank-you, a space to speak up, a leader who listens and follows through. That means more than just having a values slide or annual survey. It means creating space for real recognition, real feedback, and real connection. [...] When employees feel aligned with a company’s values, they’re not just more likely to stick around — they’re more likely to show up fully. According to Gallup, companies with strong cultures saw an 85% net profit increase over five years. Culture isn’t a side project. It’s the foundation for how people work, connect, and grow. The corporate culture examples ahead show how leading organizations are getting it right — and how you can turn culture into a competitive edge.
- What is corporate culture? | edX
## Corporate culture defined "Corporate culture refers to the intangible elements of a company, such as the shared values and norms, that influence employee attitudes and behavior," says Dr. Angélica S. Gutiérrez, associate professor of management at Loyola Marymount University. A company expresses its culture through operational and administrative features, such as: [...] ## How to build a good company culture "The behaviors that leaders engage in and the policies and practices that they implement will influence employees' beliefs, attitudes and behaviors, which ultimately reflect company culture," says Dr. Gutiérrez. Corporate culture mainly functions at the level of underlying assumptions. To build a positive culture, employers must target those assumptions and create working conditions that organically improve them. Here's how companies can achieve this: [...] Corporate culture Components of a corporate culture Why is corporate culture important? How to build a good company culture Frequently asked questions Create an account Corporate culture can have a major impact on a company's success, especially with respect to employee recruitment, retention, and performance. Explore this important concept, compare examples of positive and negative corporate culture, and connect with education programs focused on organizational culture building.
- Corporate culture: Evidence from the field - ScienceDirect.com
Fig. 1. Diagram linking corporate culture to outcomes According to North(1991), institutions can be classified as informal and formal. We define corporate culture as an informal institution comprised of cultural values and cultural norms. The values and norms characterize the structure in place that guides employees’ actions when they face unforeseen contingencies. A cultural value represents an ideal state of behavior such as integrity or adaptability. Cultural norms are the day-to-day living [...] We began our investigation of question (1) by asking executives in interviews, “What is corporate culture?” The executives characterized culture as “a beliefs system,” “a coordination mechanism,” “an invisible hand,” “how employees interact with one another,” “a standard of behavior,” and “the tone for what type of company this is.” Our survey instrument also begins with the open-ended question: “Briefly, what words or phrases best describe the current corporate culture at your firm?” [...] Ninety-three percent of executives describe their culture as values-based, and some of the most common cultural values mentioned are results-orientation (55%), community-orientation (49%), collaboration (39%), and adaptability (38%). Overall, the executives’ views of corporate culture parallel academic definitions1 and are consistent with the notion that cultural values are focal points for conveying aspiration (Kreps, 1990, Hermalin, 2013).
- Elements of Successful Company Culture - King University Online
A company’s corporate culture is best defined and identified by both the values of the group, and the behaviors a company expects and exhibits day-to-day. This means your company’s culture is both what you establish in terms of values and what you allow to happen. With that in mind, what makes a company’s culture “successful?” ## The Eight Elements of Great Company Culture When examining what makes strong corporate culture, we can break it down into eight primary categories.
- What Is Organizational Culture, and Why Does It Matter? - Gallup.com
Some leaders mistakenly discount the importance of company culture, no doubt harming business performance. Culture is the unique way that your organization lives out its company purpose and delivers on its brand promise to customers. For this reason, a strong corporate culture functions as a differentiator in the marketplace. [...] It is the special way you attract customers, retain them and turn them into brand advocates. It's also the way you attract highly talented employees and turn them into brand ambassadors. In our experience with clients, employees and teams who most align with their company culture consistently perform higher on internal performance metrics than those who least align. Image 2 Culture attracts world-class talent to your organization. --------------------------------------------------------- [...] We know there are endless company culture definitions, but Gallup believes that culture simply comes down to "how we do things around here." It should come as no surprise, then, that each organization has a unique type of culture. Company culture and its components are inherently neither good nor bad. Each organization has its own history and goals for the future, and its culture should be true to both.
DBPedia
View on DBPediaLocation Data
Wine Culture, 7190, Troy Hill Drive, Troy Hill Corporate Center, Elkridge, Howard County, Maryland, 21075, United States
Coordinates: 39.1943191, -76.7496714
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