Coming out of high school it is more than likely that you have never encountered the term ‘corporate culture’ before, and being asked what it means may invoke some frantic Googling. The dictionary definition states it as something that “describes and governs the ways a company’s owners and employees think, feel and act” (http://www.entrepreneur.com/encyclopedia/corporate-culture); so our definitions were – dare I say – not entirely off the mark. One classmate described the term as reflecting the interaction between a firm’s employees and its management; an idea that I feel sums up the theme quite nicely. The example company that we looked at was Zappos (the “Amazon of shoes”) – examining how it has been so successful with its level of customer service – and a lot of the factors in play seem to relate right back to the idea of a company-wide atmosphere. Although Zappos fosters a positive and relaxed atmosphere in an attempt to lessen the stress associated with call centre jobs, this is not the only form of corporate culture that exists.

Some companies such as investment banks believe that stress is a part of the job and are focussed on making as much profit as possible, so therefore their workplaces are much less laid back. If one were to look at a different sector – energy drinks for example – it would be evident that they too have their own distinct “feel” to their business. The corporate culture of a company is what sets it apart from the rest; what defines it, its values, and its strengths. It is even what often untimately decides who gets hired and who gets passed over for promotion, based on how well the employee fits in to the company and how well their individual and corporate goals are aligned.

So, the next time someone is making fun of the RedBull marketing campaign for being too flashy, high-risk, or expensive, just tell them that they will likely not be looking at a future working with Dietrich Mateschitz.