Organisational Culture

Organisational Culture is the shared values, beliefs and norms that shape how people behave and make decisions in an organisation. It influences daily routines, communication and the employee experience.

In HR practice

What is Organisational Culture

Organisational culture is a system of visible and invisible practices that guide behaviour. It includes stated values, leadership style, rituals and informal rules. Strong culture aligns people around goals and standards.

How does it work

Culture operates through systems such as onboarding, performance reviews and reward structures. HR tools translate values into policies and actions that affect recruitment, retention and compliance.

Culture is how work actually gets done, not just what is written in a handbook.

Practical usage and examples

HR teams use culture to design recruitment messaging, set conduct standards for payroll and benefits, and guide workforce planning. Examples include:

• Using values-based interview questions to hire cultural fits
• Aligning performance management with desired behaviours
• Designing onboarding to transmit norms and expectations

Related concepts

Related terms include employee engagement, employer brand, leadership, values, performance management, diversity and inclusion, onboarding and culture change. These concepts interact to shape organisational outcomes.