1. Every company has its own unique culture.

2. The character of a company’s cultures or work climate is a product of the core values and business principles that executives espouse, the standards of what is ethically acceptable and what is not, the behaviors that define “how we do things around here,” and stories that get told over and over to illustrate and reinforce the company’s values and business practices, approach to people management, and internal politics.

3. The meshing together of stated beliefs, business principles, style of operating, ingrained behaviors and attitudes, and work climate define a company’s corporate culture.

CORE CONCEPT: Corporate culture refers to the character of a company’s internal work climate and personality – as shaped by its core values, beliefs, business principles, traditions, ingrained behaviors, and style of operating.

4. Corporate cultures vary widely.