Internal Integration - organizational culture

Culture helps members develop a collective identity and know how to work together effectively. It is culture that guides day-to-day working relationships and determines how people communicate in the organization, what behavior is acceptable or not acceptable, and how power and status are allocated. Culture can imprint asset of unwritten rules inside employees' minds, which can be very powerful in determining behavior, thus affecting organizational performance.

Organizations are putting increased emphasis on developing strong cultures that encourage team work, collaboration, and mutual trust. In an environment of trust, people are more likely to share ideas, be creative, and be generous with their knowledge and talents. At the Container Store, a chain of retail stores that sells boxes, garbage cans, shelving, and just about anything else you might need to organize your home, office, or car, the culture encourages employees to do whatever needs to be done. Simple maxims like "treat people the way you want to be treated" and "be helpful to others" are granted policy status at the Container Store. Cultural values that promote open communication, cooperation, and equality helped the company win the No. 1 spot two years in a row on Fortune magazine's list of the best companies to work for in America. It was edged out of the top spot in 2003 by Edward Jones, another company with a strong, collaborative culture.