An organisation’s culture is based on the company’s values. Successful companies have values that are meaningful to the organisation, which are the shared beliefs that guide all actions. For example, if honesty, integrity and transparency are values that are essential to the company; lying, stealing and being untruthful would not be tolerated. People demonstrating these behaviours would not be welcomed on the jobsite. Instead, contractors would hire employees, contractors and subcontractors that share the same values of honesty, integrity and transparency.

Organisational culture is defined as a group of internal values and behaviours in a company. It includes experiences, ways of thinking, beliefs and future expectations. It is also intuitive, with repetitive habits and emotional responses. A company’s culture defines how business is conducted and how people interact with stakeholders, including employees, contractors, subcontractors, customers and the community.

A contractor’s brand and reputation depend on the cultural aspects of the company. If a contractor is known to build a high-quality product using the best materials, taking shortcuts or using less expensive or inferior materials would not be acceptable.

Companies with strong cultures tend to be higher performers. If employees, contractors and subcontractors are happy in an organisation, then they will have increased performance and will want to deliver better results. Culture can drive positive traits like mutual respect, trust, taking responsibility, helping others and collaboration. It can also let people know that they are contributing to the success of the company.

Culture is created by the leadership of the organisation based on the organisation’s corporate governance protocols. Leaders set the tone of the organisation. People watch to see if leaders are living by the values of the company. It is critical that leadership “walks the walk and talks the talk.”

Benefits of a strong culture

Strategies for developing a strong culture