"I came to see in my time at IBM, that culture isn’t just one aspect of the game – it is the game. In the end, an organization is nothing more than the collective capacity of its people to create value … management system can carry you for a while … but no enterprise will succeed over the long haul if those elements (culture) aren’t part of its DNA''.   Louis Gerstner past CEO of IBM

Workplace culture known also as corporate culture is the distinctive personality of the company. It is the framework in which both formal and informal rules are defined and governed within.

Employee engagement refers to the degree in which an employee displays motivation, passion and emotional commitment to his work and to his company. Employee engagement has five contributing factors. They are separated into Emotional factors and Organizational factors below:

Emotional Factors:

• Employee emotional wellness

Organizational Factors:

• Department practices
• Leadership behaviors
• Corporate practices
• Visions and values

Research indicates that 20% of employee engagement is directly due to the employee’s emotional health. The remaining 80% of emotional engagement is affected by organizational elements.

Every organization has a unique workplace culture of its own. This social structure determines how staff members will interact and the degree of health the environment experiences as a result.

Workplace culture is staged in three progressions. Each stage measures the collective contribution of individuals of the company. This is then compared to the organization’s expectations, potential and against the industry average.

The three stages of workplace culture are:

• Distressed/ Diseased culture = less than expectations
• Normal culture = expectations
• Healthy culture = greater than expectations

A lack of communication and trust will be prevalent amongst staffs in destructive cultures. Personal growth of employees will be suppressed or limited and team members will pull in conflicting directions. Excessive gossip, high and growing turnover rates are also indicators of serious workplace issues.

Addressing organizational factors will create environments conducive to employee engagement. Additional benefits of a healthy workplace include increased attendance, competitive advantage and staff retention.

Department practices

• Creating Team environments – to strengthen the sense of community and shared values
• Responsibilities – empowering employees with real responsibilities and to validate employee contributions
• Unrestricted communication channels – to find out how employees feel about their jobs, their company and their perceived fit in the company

Leadership behaviors 

• Empathetic qualities – strong communication and interpersonal traits gains trust, respect and loyalty. A leader that instills confidence can uncover personal strengths of others
• Encourages and applauds risk taking – a leader gains more allowing individuals to show initiative and innovation than the manager who instills fear and whose team learns to play it safe
• Reward and recognition – validating inputs, suggestions and ideas from the individual rather than as a collective team contribution

Corporate practices

• Training – supplying tools and the necessary forms of coaching, manuals, training materials and courses to keep employees informed, updated and challenged
• Reward and recognition programs – to consistently supply feedback and recognition for a job well done

Visions and values

• Procedures and policies – to set out the standards for shared responsibilities. Policies should serve to guide behaviors rather than to define and restrict them.
• Company’s vision – the company’s identity, the services provided, strengths and values should be known by the employees, customers and shareholders
• Bridging the gap – between the company’s current situations and the company’s future aspirations

Organizations have a great role in influencing the working environment. It is also vital to acknowledge that the Employee holds responsibility for their personal direction too. Organizations and employees must work together to create a mutually satisfying arrangement.