Corporate Culture

Understanding Corporate Culture

Corporate culture is not a random set of office perks or a fancy mission statement. It is a deliberate branch of management theory. The core goal is simple: to increase a company's productivity and make it more competitive. How? By creating a unique organisational culture that every single member of the firm feels a part of.

This isn't about just being friendly at work. A dynamic corporate culture is built on specific, planned elements. These include company events, shared rituals, and traditions. The thinking is that when employees feel connected to these things, their loyalty to the company grows. This sense of belonging also promotes group solidarity — a feeling of "we're all in this together."

Beyond internal bonding, "corporate culture" also refers to the company's external style. It shapes the way things are done — how products are promoted, how they are packaged, and the overall image the company projects to the world.

The New Professional Class in India

The spread of multinational companies (MNCs) and the opportunities from the information technology revolution have created a new social group in India's metropolitan cities. This is a class of upwardly mobile professionals.

These high-flying professionals work in a range of fields:

• Software companies
• Multinational banks
• Chartered accountancy firms
• Stock markets
• Travel and tourism
• Fashion designing
• Entertainment and media
• Other allied fields

Their work life is a study in contrasts. They have highly stressful work schedules and face immense pressure. In return, they get exorbitant salaries. This makes them the main clientele of the booming consumer industry — they are the primary customers for new cars, gadgets, luxury goods, and high-end services.

Threat to Indigenous Traditions and Knowledge Systems

Globalisation's impact on culture is also visible in the damage done to many indigenous craft and literary traditions and knowledge systems. It is important to remember that modern development, even before the era of globalisation, had already begun to erode traditional cultural forms and the occupations based on them. However, the sheer scale and intensity of change under globalisation is enormous.

Consider these examples:

• Theatre groups in Mumbai: About 30 theatre groups that were active around the textile mill areas of Parel and Girgaum in Mumbai have become defunct. The reason is that most of the mill workers in those areas have lost their jobs, removing the audience and community that sustained these groups.

• Traditional weavers in Andhra Pradesh: There were reports of a large number of suicides by traditional weavers in Sircilla village (Karimnagar district) and Dubakka village (Medak district). These weavers had no means to invest in new technology. They were unable to adapt to two pressures: changing consumer tastes and competition from power looms.

• Traditional knowledge systems: Various forms of traditional knowledge, especially in medicine and agriculture, have been preserved and passed down through generations. Recent attempts by some multinational companies to patent the use of Tulsi, Haldi (turmeric), Rudraksha, and Basmati rice have highlighted a critical need. There is an urgent need to protect the base of India's indigenous knowledge systems from being commercially appropriated without benefit to the original holders. …