Organizational culture is defined as the underlying beliefs, assumptions, values and ways of interacting

that contribute to the unique social and psychological environment of an organization. Culture also
includes the organization’s vision, values, norms, systems, symbols, language, assumptions, beliefs, and
habits (Needle, 2004). Simply stated, organizational culture is “the way things are done around here”
(Deal & Kennedy, 2000).

(a) Which company do you believe has the best culture (in your opinion)?

There are many companies who has the best culture for example Google, Twitter, Facebook, Adobe &
Zappos etc. I opine that Zappos has the best culture. Zappos is as famous for its work culture as for its
quality of shoes. Its motto is ‘Powered by service’ that means it aims to provide a world-class service to
customers. The selection process of hiring a candidate is designed in a way that an individual who
resonates the most with the company culture and ethos is given a preference over others. Happiness is at
the core of Zappos culture. Great culture leads to employee happiness; happy employees drive higher
engagement and profitability, and low turnover. Zappos has a customer-centric culture, as expressed in
its purpose and core values. As the company started to grow, having a clear foundation and keeping it
alive and well, was a key component of Zappos’ business success.  

(b) What key factors do you think contribute to this optimal culture?

The key factors that zappos able to achieve optimal culture in their company the reason is presented
below:

1. Deliver WOW through service

2. Embrace and drive change
3. Create fun and a little weirdness
4. Be adventurous, creative, and open-minded
5. Pursue growth and learning
6. Build open and honest relationships with communication
7. Build a positive team and family spirit
8. Do more with less
9. Be passionate and determined
10. Be humble

In terms of prioritization, the company emphasizes:

Wowing customers over everything else

People’s happiness even over profit

(c) What's the organizational leader's role in creating or maintaining this culture?

Zappos leader has played significant role in creating and maintain their culture. Zappos CEO stated that
“Our number one priority is company culture. Our whole belief is that if you get the culture
right, most of the other stuff like delivering great customer service or building a long-term
enduring brand will just happen naturally on its own.” -Tony Hsieh. Zappos leader set rules for
making their culture stronger and more different from others. These are:

1. Company culture stems from intrinsic factors and needs to be established early rather than
reverse engineered.
2. Customer service excellence starts from a commitment from the top and must be “lived into”
by every employee.
3. Core values are underutilized tools. Set them collectively, authentically, and make them
committable.
4. Ultimately, it’s all about the people and their own belief in themselves.

This is how leader’s role they have developed and maintained culture and created differences
among others. That is why they have best organizational culture.

Reference:
McShane, S., Tasa, K., & Steen, S. (2018). Canadian Organizational Behaviour (Tenth edition). Organizational
Culture (pg. 391)

https://gothamculture.com/what-is-organizational-culture-definition/

https://www.zapposinsights.com/about/core-values

https://www.fearlessculture.design/blog-posts/zappos-culture-design-canvas#:~:text=Zappos%20is
%20known%20for%20its,its%20purpose%20and%20core%20values.

1.       Company culture stems from intrinsic factors and needs to be established early rather than
reverse engineered.
2. Customer service excellence starts from a commitment from the top and must be “lived into” by
every employee.
3. Core values are underutilized tools. Set them collectively, authentically, and make them
committable.
4. Ultimately, it’s all about the people and their own belief in themselves.