The Power of Organizational Culture – Asrar Qureshi’s Blog Post #1082

The Power of Organizational Culture – Asrar Qureshi’s Blog Post #1082

Dear Colleagues! This is Asrar Qureshi’s Blog Post #1082 for Pharma Veterans. Pharma Veterans Blogs are published by Asrar Qureshi on its dedicated site https://pharmaveterans.com. Please email to pharmaveterans2017@gmail.com  for publishing your contributions here.

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Credit: Mikhail Nilov

Credit: Theo Decker

Preamble

Organizational culture is one of the most significant yet often overlooked aspects of business success. It shapes how employees interact, influences decision-making, and determines how companies respond to challenges and opportunities. In an era where businesses must constantly adapt to rapid changes, culture is no longer a soft aspect of the organization—it is a strategic imperative. In this article, I would explore the definition of organizational culture, its impact on hiring, its role in strategy making, and why it should serve as a guiding force rather than a restrictive barrier.

It is particularly important in our context where culture-defining values of an organization are mostly meant to be framed and hung in public areas of the office. The owner/ boss does as he pleases, culture be damned.

Definition of Organizational Culture

Organizational culture is the shared values, beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors that characterize an organization and guide its practices. It is the invisible yet powerful force that defines how employees think, communicate, and work together. Culture encompasses everything from leadership style and ethical standards to work environment and communication norms.

Edgar Schein, the former professor at the MIT Sloans School of Management, defines organizational culture as the “shared assumptions that a group learns as it solves problems of external adaptation and internal integration.” It is a dynamic entity shaped by leadership, company history, and the collective behaviors of its workforce. [I would like to write more on Edgar Schein’s work in a separate post.

A strong culture can promote innovation, collaboration, and resilience, while a weak or toxic culture can lead to disengagement, high turnover, and strategic failure. Understanding and nurturing the right culture is crucial for businesses to thrive in today’s competitive landscape.

Relevance of Culture to Hiring

Hiring the right people is no longer just about skills and experience—it is about cultural fit. Cultural alignment ensures that new hires integrate smoothly into the team and uphold the company’s values, driving collective success.

Employees who align with company values feel a greater sense of belonging and purpose, leading to higher job satisfaction and lower turnover rates. A culturally aligned workforce, therefore, builds better collaboration and communication, thereby minimizing workplace conflicts. Employees who resonate with company culture are more motivated, proactive, and committed to achieving organizational goals. A strong organizational culture attracts like-minded talent and enhances the company’s employer brand, making it a desirable place to work.

Hiring for Cultural Fit

• Articulate company values and ensure they are reflected in job descriptions, interviews, and onboarding processes.

• Use situational questions to assess whether candidates demonstrate behaviors that align with company values.

• Involve team members in the hiring process to ensure new employees will integrate seamlessly into the work environment.

• Reinforce cultural values through structured onboarding programs and ongoing training.

However, while cultural fit is essential, companies should also embrace diversity and avoid hiring clones. A balance between alignment and diversity encourages innovation and dynamic problem-solving.

Personally, I recommend a three-part interview, which for very senior positions should be done in separate sessions, and for junior positions, may be done in the same session. First part should cover the biodata in detail, education, experience, employment history, changes and reasons etc. The second part should be focused on evaluation of skills and matching them with the required skills. The third part should be about assessing the cultural fit. Too often, people hired only based on technical competence only, fail because they not fit culturally. 

Role of Culture in Strategy Making

Culture does not merely reflect an organization’s internal environment—it actively shapes strategic decision-making. A well-defined culture can serve as a competitive advantage, influencing how strategies are formulated and executed.

Impact of Culture on Strategy

• Organizations with a strong ethical culture will integrate sustainability and integrity into their strategies, while high-performance cultures may prioritize innovation and agility. 

• Companies with an open and adaptive culture, like Google or Tesla, encourage experimentation and bold decision-making, leading to disruptive innovations.

• A culture that prioritizes customer satisfaction (e.g., Amazon, Apple) ensures strategies revolve around delivering exceptional user experiences.

• Organizations with a culture of continuous learning and adaptability navigate market shifts and disruptions more effectively.

Netflix: The company’s culture of freedom and responsibility empowers employees to take ownership of decisions, leading to groundbreaking strategies in content creation and distribution.

Zappos: Their strong customer-service-driven culture shapes strategies that prioritize exceptional customer experiences, setting them apart from competitors.

In contrast, companies that ignore cultural alignment in strategy-making often face resistance, inefficiency, and failed execution. Strategies that align with organizational culture have a higher chance of success because they are embraced rather than imposed.

Culture as a Guiding Light, not a Barrier

One common misconception is that culture should remain rigid and unchanging. However, organizations that treat culture as an inflexible barrier risk stagnation. Instead, culture should serve as a guiding light—providing direction while allowing for evolution and growth.

Why Culture Should Be Adaptive?

Market & Technological Changes: Organizations must evolve their culture to remain relevant in fast-changing industries.

Globalization & Workforce Diversity: Companies operating in multiple regions need a culture that respects and adapts to diverse cultural expectations.

Employee Expectations: Modern employees seek more flexible, inclusive, and purpose-driven workplaces. Culture should adapt to these evolving needs.

Balancing Stability & Adaptability

While aspects of culture should evolve, fundamental values like integrity, innovation, or customer focus should remain intact. Organizations should regularly seek employee input to refine cultural practices without losing the organization’s essence. Leaders should embody the evolving culture while maintaining continuity in key principles. For example:

Microsoft: Under Satya Nadella’s leadership, Microsoft shifted from a rigid, competitive culture to one emphasizing learning, collaboration, and innovation.

IBM: The company continuously reinvents its culture to align with changing market needs, transitioning from hardware to AI-driven solutions.

In contrast, companies that failed to evolve, such as Kodak or Blockbuster, suffered from cultural rigidity that prevented them from adapting to industry disruptions.

Sum Up

Organizational culture is more than a buzzword—it is a powerful driver of success. It influences hiring decisions, strategic direction, and overall business sustainability. A well-defined yet adaptable culture builds engaged employees, innovative strategies, and a resilient organization.

As businesses navigate an era of unprecedented change, those that treat culture as a living, breathing force— a guiding light rather than a restrictive rulebook—will thrive. By hiring for cultural alignment, embedding culture into strategy, and embracing evolution, companies can unlock the true potential of their organizational DNA.

In the end, culture is not what a company says—it is what it lives. And those who cultivate it wisely will lead the future of business.

Concluded.

Disclaimers: Pictures in these blogs are taken from free resources at Pexels, Pixabay, Unsplash, and Google. Credit is given where available. If a copyright claim is lodged, we shall remove the picture with appropriate regrets.

For most blogs, I research from several sources which are open to public. Their links are mentioned under references. There is no intent to infringe upon anyone’s copyrights. If, however, it happens unintentionally, I offer my sincere regrets.