A company’s culture is best described as, “the shared values, traditions, customs, philosophy, and the professional atmosphere that grows from these, affecting both behavior and performance.” Not every company has a mission statement or core values, yet every company has a culture. One of the most interesting things about culture is how quickly it can change when an organization is under stress.
Stress occurs when, “shared values, traditions, customs, and philosophy” change. For example, one of Toyota’s shared values is “not to allow short-term profits to impact long-term goals.” If Toyota were to abandon this long-held shared value, employees and stockholders alike would become confused and disillusioned.