Culture: The Most Abused Word in Corporate Vocabulary 

Culture has become the most celebrated and often misunderstood word in today’s business lexicon. It’s cited in mission statements, CEO speeches, and town halls. Yet in many companies, culture is reduced to birthday cakes, casual Fridays, or fun office walls.

But culture is not a feel-good add-on. It’s not a soft concept. Culture is your company’s operating system. It defines how things get done. 

According to Richard Perrin, Partner at KPMG Romania, 

“Organizational culture is the sum of values and rituals which serve as the ‘glue’ to integrate members of the organization.”

In high-speed, high-stakes environments, culture is not a luxury. It’s the backbone of commitment and execution. 

A SHRM study reports that organizations with a strong culture reduce turnover by 83%, while toxic cultures cause 57% of employees to look for new jobs. No wonder more companies are beginning to invest seriously in building workplace culture—not perks, but real systems of belief and behaviour.

Redefining Culture: From Concept to Practice

 Let’s move beyond surface definitions. In the world of Organization Development (OD), three major frameworks help us understand culture more deeply:

1. Edgar Schein’s Model of Organizational Culture 

• Artifacts (Visible): Observable behaviours, dress codes, office layout, and symbols. Example: Open workspaces suggesting flat hierarchy.

 • Espoused Values (Declared): What the organization claims to believe. Example: “We value engineering excellence.”

 • Underlying Assumptions (Invisible): Deep-seated beliefs that drive real behaviour. Example: A culture that discourages challenging authority despite claiming openness. 

1. Competing Values Framework (Cameron & Quinn)

• Clan Culture: Collaborative, family-like, with a focus on mentorship. 

• Adhocracy Culture: Innovative, risk-taking, and forward-looking. 

• Market Culture: Competitive and target driven.

 • Hierarchy Culture: Structured, rule-based, and efficiency-focused.

1. Burke-Litwin Model

 Places culture at a transformational level—impacted by leadership, strategy, and external environment. It helps organizations identify what to change and how deep that change must go.

 Despite these models, many organizations still reduce culture to perks or décor. But culture, at its core, is about:
• What gets rewarded (and what doesn’t).

 • How people behave under stress.

 • Who speaks up, and who stays silent.

 • How decisions are made and mistakes handled.

Culture as Organizational DNA 

In a startup like Axiro, where ambiguity is the norm and structure is still forming, culture is our compass. It helps us make aligned decisions even without policies or playbooks. While it’s tempting to outsource culture-building, true cultural resonance comes from internal dialogue—through passionate debate and collective authorship. 

An appropriate example: During the 2008 terrorist attacks at Mumbai’s Taj Hotel, staff members risked their lives to protect guests. They didn’t act out of duty, but from deeply lived values—culture in action.

Why “Cultural Fit” Can Be a Misnomer 

“Cultural fit” sounds appealing. But in practice, it can become a euphemism for hiring people who look, think, and behave like everyone else. It can lead to echo chambers, unconscious bias, and stifled innovation. 

Culture should be inclusive, not exclusionary. Instead of hiring for “fit,” hire for cultural contribution. Seek those who expand your thinking, challenge norms respectfully, and co create the next version of your culture.

Building Culture Through Micro-Moments 

Culture isn’t built in boardrooms or bullet points. It emerges from daily behaviours. Here are some examples from our workplace: 

• Hiring for Collaborative Humility: In a technically complex field like semiconductors, we value those who ask “why,” challenge assumptions, and collaborate openly. 

• Psychological Safety as the Root: Innovation dies where fear thrives. Leaders must model vulnerability, admit mistakes, and reward honesty. 

• Micro-Recognition: A simple line of appreciation from a peer can outperform even a formal award.

Culture as Competitive Advantage

 According to LinkedIn data, culturally aligned teams are 30% more productive. Engaged employees drive a 202% performance increase.

 In a world where strategies and products are quickly copied, culture is your only lasting differentiator. Here's how it plays out:

Impact Area Culture’s Role.

 Retention People stay when their voice matters.

 Execution Speed High-trust cultures eliminate delays and silos. 

Decision Quality Shared values accelerate decision-making.

Innovation Safe spaces foster experimentation and risk-taking.

What I’ve Learned as an HR Leader

 Some of the most impactful culture-building practices we’ve adopted include: 

• Story-led Onboarding We orient new hires through real stories—not policy binders.

 • Monthly Retrospectives Not just for tracking progress, but for surfacing behaviors that reflect or violate our values.

 • Transparency by Design We communicate openly—even when it’s uncomfortable. Adults deserve context, not concealment.

Culture Is Everyone’s Job

 At Axiro, we believe culture is: 

• Modelled by Top Leaders. 

• Reinforced by managers.

• Lived by employees.

 You are either shaping culture—or slipping from it. There’s no neutral ground.

When employees participate in building something—even a part of it—they gain ownership, pride, and commitment. That’s why culture cannot be outsourced. It must be shaped internally, intentionally, and iteratively.

A Closing Reflection 

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry once said in The Little Prince: 

“If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up people to collect wood and assign tasks. Instead, teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea.”

Culture works the same way. If your culture doesn’t shape daily behaviours, decisions, and interactions—then it’s not your culture. It’s just branding. 

Real culture shows up in actions, not slogans. It’s not something you “install” once you scale.

 It’s the reason you scale. At Axiro, we’re still learning, still iterating—but we’re intentional. Because one thing is certain: You can’t afford to fix culture later. You have to shape it now.

 • Lead with values, not rules

 • Reward what you want repeated

 • Create rituals, not just policies 

• Celebrate small wins visibly