A Company Culture Can Have Several Sub-Cultures

When we talk about the "culture" of a company, we are talking about the shared values, beliefs and modes of working that can exist among the employees of a specific company or business. We tend to think of one big, cohesive company culture when we start talking about this reality of the work world. The truth is, however, that many larger companies or organizations have several "sub-cultures" that exist within the overall company culture.

You may be wondering how it can be that separate sub-cultures are all coexisting within a larger company but think about this example: in a large company, the individuals who work in shipping and receiving may have their own inside jokes, policy surrounding time off and certain ways of socializing. The mail room employees may have created a culture where all the workers have a bowling team or go out for drinks or dinner after work a certain night of the week. This might not be the same way that the employees in the marketing department behave. Keep in mind that the overall company culture may be one that is focused on a casual work environment and strong customer service, but the way this manifests in individual departments may vary.

The reality of separate sub-cultures can come in to play in a variety of ways. If an employee or manager is transferred from one department or station to another, he or she may find that it is almost like working for a different company. He may feel very comfortable knowing how to do things within the company culture but find that the way things are done in X department is quite different from the way things are done in Y department. This means that he may need time to adjust and get acclimated just as if he was a brand new employee.

For upper management, learning how the different sub-cultures affect productivity and the overall operations of the company or business can be important. Some may be more functional than others, of course, but understanding these different sub-cultures can help management with motivation and policy-with an eye on the larger vision or picture of the company.