ENG 333 Communication for Science and Research

Corporate culture can be defined as a system of shared and meaningful symbols apparent in the company's image, myths, ideologies, values, and multiple cultural artifacts. (Deal, T, and A. Kennedy. (1982). Corporate culture: The rites and rituals of corporate life. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.) A company's image reflects its culture. A company may represent itself as "leading edge," or traditional.

As you choose a company that you are going to investigate for assignment 1, you should consider the "corporate culture." The culture of an organization affects communication, and the way things get done. Social cohesion is a factor of culture. Are people warm and friendly towards one another, or cold and competitive? Do teams come first, or is the individual the most important? Are results more important than policies or rules?

Deal and Kennedy, in Corporate Culture, define the following four types of corporate cultures:

1. Bet your company culture - long terms projects, large investments are made in time and people, R/D is most important (e.g., high tech companies, oil companies)
2. Macho or tough guy culture - big projects with short term feedback available, hand shakes make deals (e.g., entertainment industry, advertising, real estate)
3. Work hard/play hard culture - short term deadlines, requires high energy, lots of customer contacts (e.g, sales, mutual funds, investment bankers)
4. Bureaucracies or process culture - relies on ritualistic procedures, policy statements, rare feedback on success (e.g., government agencies, hospitals, universities)

Two factors that shape corporate culture are:

• Resources
• Feedback and deadlines

For assignment 1, you should begin by finding out information about a company's resources (money and people). The way a company operates is harder to find out and may require a little digging. Inside contacts are excellent sources of information about how feedback on success, and deadlines are handled. Go beyond the data, and find out if the company you choose is a place that you would "fit in." For assignment 2, your goal will be to write an application letter and resume that "stands out" but "fits in" with a company's culture.