Contrary to what most people would want to believe, business isn’t just business. Let’s be real, business is personal too, and that personal aspect of the business is what creates culture. Beliefs and self-inculcated values are what drives or dictates one’s personality, and it’s the same personal ego or charisma that is channeled into your business—forming the bulk of your business culture. This brings us to the concept of business culture.
What Is Business Culture?
As stated earlier, business creates a culture which in turn evolves from one’s personal disposition in viewing, conducting or managing certain affairs. Therefore, your business culture refers to, or consist of the values, beliefs, attitude or behaviors you or your employees share and utilize on a daily basis in your business or workplace.
The business culture you create from your own personal perspective (assuming yours is a small business) will determine the level of support or patronage your business will get. If people approach a business and purchase the product or services offered by the said business, and return for same service or product next time; the business culture is up to standard and they appreciate it. But if the standard of your business isn’t appreciated and patronage is on the low, it means your business culture isn’t attractive and you can only blame yourself for not establishing a proper business culture.
The Reality Of Culture In Business
There is an underlying culture that rules every business, whether intended or not. Culture “happens” whether we intend it or not, and it plays a critical role in determining the efficacy of the business in realizing organizational set goals and objectives. That is the primary reason the importance of business culture has become a buzz word attracting lots of attention these days, especially for small startup businesses.
Although the business culture you create is personal, it is also dynamic. That is, it represents the foundation that brings people together, determining the support and patronage of your business. But it also includes what drives people apart. It constitutes the things that make your business great, but also the things that serve as drawbacks, discouraging people from patronizing your products or services.
Let’s consider the Starbucks incident that took place recently (4/13/18?) in Philadelphia. Two black men, who came in to wait for a friend, requested to use the restroom and were told that the restroom is for paying customers only. Soon after, the two men were arrested when the manager of the branch called in the police due to the fact that the men wouldn’t leave. Although the two men weren’t charged with any crime, the fact that they were denied the use of the restroom and were subsequently escorted out of the building in handcuffs had sparked outrage across the United States, with thousands of people (including celebrities) calling for a boycott of the coffee giant for “unconscious and implicit bias” against people of color.
Implicit bias, in this case, refers to automatic associations people have in their mind about other groups of people, which include stereotypes. It is something that forms automatically and unintentionally, but the reality is that it results in attitudes, behavior or actions that are prejudiced for or against a person or group of people, including business personality. This is a clear sign of a business culture in action. By refusing to grant the two men a request to use the restroom and calling in the police, the manager of the Starbucks branch has demonstrated a culture created out of personal conviction, bringing it to bear in attitude, behavior, and actions in the course of business. In turn, the Starbuck CEO responded by dismissing the said manager—because they understood how critical such cultural display would affect their business in terms of patronage. No one wants to do business with a company that has a racist business culture.
Aside the racist business culture that might have been displayed, Starbucks had a culture that allowed visitors to come in and meet with people, use their free WiFi, etc. People say that anytime you go into a business, you should buy something or leave. This might be ideal, but this isn’t always the case if the culture of the business doesn’t firmly express that notion. Despite what people believe a business should be and how people should operate inside of said business, the culture needs to make it clear that anyone that steps foot inside needs to be a paying customer or else. Ideally, if people go to a business, they should buy something but if the standards aren’t set, then people will do what they want. You can’t blame people for that. As a business you have to blame it on the fact that you didn’t establish the proper culture.
The above analogies shows that the culture your business creates is the only true unique identifier of how successful your business would become. It also entails that business culture goes beyond stating your belief on the walls of a building, but rather involves putting it in action. People will not approach or deal with your business simply because it is a business. People will only support your business financially and patronize you if the culture of your business meets the standard expected in that line of business.
A Cause To Look Inward
The Starbucks incident that took place in Philadelphia and the repercussions that follow entails that business management and new startups must look inward to fathom and determine what business culture operates in their organizations. This means asking critical questions relating and taking necessary steps to ensure that the main goal of the business is not defeated. Just like Starbucks that is now ready to close 8,000 shops in the U.S. for racial bias training, you must also look inward by asking yourself:
- What is my current business culture?
- What are my business values, and how am I living up to them?
- How do I communicate my business culture?
- Is/are my employee(s) happy working for the business?
- Do employees stay long when employed in the course of the business?
- What do my clients/customers think and feel towards my/our business approach and conduct?
Why You Should Consider And Care For Your Business Culture
As stated earlier, your business culture isn’t the sign you put out in the open. It isn’t a value statement you post on your website or social media handles. Your business culture is the life that your business lives daily in line with your worker’s attitudinal disposition to work and how your business relates to your customers.
There are reasons why you should always consider the culture that is prevailing in your business place. The following are some reasons:
It Determines Your Business Edge Over Your Competitor
Performance of your business culture is where corporate promises are kept. It is your brand’s personality that describes the cultural genetic code of your business. A perfectly organized and implemented business culture can clearly differentiate your business from its competitors and put it ahead in the mind of its stakeholders and customers. That is the reason Google is way ahead of other search engines because they offer unique, and sometimes, luxurious benefits for employees and customers, which gives them the tag of “favorite.”
It Can Make Or Break Your Business
As seen in the Starbucks incident, business culture is a living, breathing aspect of your business that evolves as you grow. It is the genetic code that determines how your business operates internally and externally, and how people view it and relate to it. Take for instance the culture at Walmart, which has created a culture of cheaper but low quality (and sometimes trashy) products for people of low quality—classless, uneducated, and poor people of low income. This business of cheap prices has further created another business culture that is more of a stereotypical stigma attached to both employees and customers. While people regard the employees at Walmart as uneducated low-life and drug addicts, customers who shop at Walmart are described as “white trash” or just trash, period.
Although Walmart still thrives and the business hadn’t crumbled, the culture it has created speaks for itself.
Customers’ Satisfaction & Business Performance
The primary purpose of all business is to maximize profit, and the main target for profit is the customer. Operating as a small or medium-sized business, your business culture is unique. It determines what customers think about your brand and the rate at which they will access your product, depending on the measures you put in place. Your attitude towards feedback will generally affect the level of patronage from your customers. On the other hand, a strong and technologically implemented business culture will facilitate your business ability to adapt to a constantly changing world.
Amazon, for instance, has created a culture of fast delivery and prompt return policy for goods purchased on the platform. These have led to widespread use of the platform by millions of people globally. What about Apple? Their tech store is much different than any other computer store because of their business culture. MAC & Apple operate a more open, bright, cool, trendy and cutting-edge platform that make shopping attractive and user-friendly for everyone. This is by far a great difference from the typical bland storefront that just sells computers.
Conclusion
Whatever you do, always remember that the success or failure of your business falls on the culture your business creates.
Source:
