ABSTRACT

The Japanese have always fostered culture as a nation and, amazingly, have inculcated their unique culture in their business organizations. Like excellence, culture seems easy to recognize, but sometimes it helps to consider what a concept is not rather than what it is. Strong cultures have always thrived in the best organizations, but we’re just beginning to be able to articulate, describe, and use them to create excellence. Culture building requires renewed application of some “soft” management skills, but that doesn’t mean it’s a simple or easy matter. By culture building we mean selecting, motivating, rewarding, retaining, and unifying good employees. Assessing an organization’s culture is the first step any executive must take before considering if and how a culture needs to be built, adapted, or changed. Strategy and culture each contribute to the success of any organization.