Who’s Responsible for Organizational Culture?

“So, what exactly will you be doing? We’re already a cultured bunch!”

— That’s the kind of reaction someone might get when appointed to oversee organizational culture in a company.

Let’s be clear — organizational culture isn’t about making things pleasant. It’s about enabling effectiveness.

What Is Organizational Culture?

Organizational culture is elusive. But that doesn’t mean we can ignore it or let it take shape on its own. Companies that want to influence employee behavior and mindset must reflect on what kind of culture they currently have, where it’s headed, and what kind of culture would best support their business strategy.

How Do You Define Organizational Culture in a Company?

The tricky part about diagnosing organizational culture is that it’s everywhere — and because of that, it can feel like it’s nowhere. It’s the atmosphere in teams, the customs, habits, and rituals. It’s how employees address their managers, how they greet each other in the hallway, whether they show appreciation — even whether they turn their cameras on during online meetings. Culture also encompasses attitudes toward remote work — is it accepted, or viewed with suspicion?

One of the leading experts on organizational culture, Edgar Schein, defined it as:
“A pattern of shared basic assumptions learned by a group as it solved its problems of external adaptation and internal integration… A product of joint learning.”

That may sound a bit academic. Let’s simplify it: organizational culture isn’t just values posted on the wall — it’s what we feel when we work at a company. It’s how we work, which behaviors are acceptable or encouraged, and what norms shape our day-to-day experience. It’s essentially the answer to the question: What’s it like to work here?

How to Diagnose Organizational Culture?

First, we need to understand what kind of culture we currently have — and what it’s built on. Different models offer various perspectives:

• OCAI (Organizational Culture Assessment Instrument) — Based on the Competing Values Framework by Cameron and Quinn, this tool identifies whether a company leans toward clan, adhocracy, hierarchy, or market culture.
• Schein’s Model — Often used in qualitative research, like interviews and artifact analysis, this model helps uncover deep-rooted organizational values and assumptions.
• Hofstede’s Dimensions — Useful when analyzing cross-cultural or multinational teams. It explores how cultural values affect communication and management style.
• Denison Model — Focuses on how culture supports company performance, analyzing four areas: involvement, consistency, adaptability, and mission. Often used in employee engagement surveys.
• Kotter & Heskett — Especially helpful during times of change. It measures whether the existing culture supports adaptability and innovation.

That said, in my experience, not every company has the resources — or desire — to run dedicated culture diagnostics. Often, the results of employee engagement and satisfaction surveys are enough. They’re a goldmine of insight into what’s really going on in the company.

It’s also worth looking at internal communications, participation in company initiatives, and the onboarding process. Because culture isn’t hiding in lofty mission statements — it lives in everyday habits and how we collaborate.

Organizational Culture and Business Strategy

Organizational culture must be intertwined with business strategy. It’s not about being nice or saying hello in the hallway. Culture plays a very specific role — it enables strategy implementation by reinforcing employee behaviors that drive effectiveness.

“Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” — Peter Drucker

If you want to understand the relationship between culture and strategy, ask yourself:
Who is executing our strategy?
Employees. And it’s their behaviors — shaped by culture — that determine how well that strategy is executed.

Organizational Culture

To better understand how culture affects strategy, consider these questions: Who is executing the company’s strategy? And how are they doing it? Do our employees’ behaviors and attitudes support the achievement of business goals? And if not, what behaviors do we expect instead? Are our people motivated, equipped with the right tools, and working in the right conditions that make them want to engage and perform?

Example:

• The company is going through a transformation and needs proactive, change-ready employees.
  → Ask: Can we support our employees in becoming more proactive? How? (Tip: it’s best to ask them directly.)
• Openness to change requires clarity of purpose and understanding of what we’re doing and why.
  → Ask: Does our culture encourage open, honest, and widespread communication of strategy and goals?
• Change also demands quick adaptation and continuous learning.
  → Ask: Does our culture promote collaboration? Are we allowed to learn from mistakes? Do we reflect on failures and successes? Is growth encouraged? Are progress and knowledge-sharing recognized and appreciated?

According to a 2021 PwC survey, 72% of respondents identified organizational culture as a key enabler of successful change management.

The success of any transformation is heavily influenced by the atmosphere, habits, processes, and leadership quality within the company. That’s why organizational culture should never be treated as a standalone objective. It must align with business goals. Companies that manage their culture consciously — and adapt it to a changing environment — achieve better financial results, stronger competitiveness, and greater stability.

Deloitte research shows that companies with well-managed culture see revenue growth of up to 682%. Kotter and Heskett found that an adaptive culture leads to higher profitability.

Culture can either strengthen or weaken your strategy — the key to success is shaping it intentionally, in alignment with your business goals.

You might also be interested in our article on how to build an inclusive organizational culture.

Who Shapes Organizational Culture?

So, who shapes organizational culture? The answer is: everyone!

And who is responsible for it? (This is where I often see people look surprised.)

Organizational culture is built through our behaviors — but the greatest influence comes from leadership. Managers and executives set the tone, lead by example, and define what’s acceptable and expected in the workplace. Their actions create the standards that others follow.

Leaders should set the tone for organizational culture — because if the culture is not aligned with the company’s strategy, the organization pays the price.

This misalignment can lead to talent attrition, a drop in employee morale, and eventually, poorer financial performance. Culture is not a “nice-to-have” — it’s a strategic asset that must be shaped consciously and led from the top.

Organizational Culture — So, Who Should Take Care of It?

Everyone is responsible for organizational culture — but especially leadership. Experts often point out that middle management has a particularly strong impact on culture. And if your company has a dedicated person for this area, their role should include checking the organizational pulse, listening to employees and leadership, and ensuring that the culture evolves in the desired direction.

If you’re ever tasked with taking care of organizational culture, start by diagnosing the current state of your company’s culture and its foundations. Be prepared to have many conversations. You’ll need to understand what leadership expects, what the strategy is, and which behaviors and attitudes are needed to make that strategy work effectively.

Your role is to ask questions, listen, dig deeper — and then suggest solutions. You’ll need to listen to all sides: leadership, employees, customers, and candidates. You connect the dots and help others do the same.

Organizational culture is about building an environment where people are motivated to act — where we want to do good work.

I personally see the role of a “Culture Owner” as someone who moves throughout the organization, designing solutions that support better communication and collaboration. They stay close to leadership and close to the people. In an ideal world, each of us would be a bit of a “culture shaper,” finding satisfaction in improving the work atmosphere without losing sight of the business goals.

Organizational culture is much more than organizing fun events or building a friendly atmosphere — it’s about the real impact a company has on its people, on how they work, and how they feel about belonging to the organization.

It’s worth pausing now and then to ask ourselves:
Who, in our company, is really responsible for culture?

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