ABSTRACT

Culture within organizations has been studied for decades and continues to gain importance as organizations are positioning themselves to perform at their maximum potential and provide value for their customers. The preponderance of these studies suggests that culture can be created to exhibit the creator’s values, priorities and vision. These studies further suggest that culture is key to employee commitment, productivity and corporate profitability. The first step in culture creation involves the actions of the leadership team and the expectations set for organization members. Leaders must demonstrate honesty and transparency in dealing with implementing regulatory requirements and responding to inquiries concerning their compliance posture. The culture of an organization drives behaviors of employees as they perform their job responsibilities. The culture of an organization serves as the foundation of the organization and enhances the ability for members to build relationships and trust among members. Leadership has the responsibility of creating a culture of compliance for their organizations. As such, leadership must be committed to a compliance culture and solicit employee engagement to ensure a successful compliance program.