EACH COMPANY HAS its own “culture”—the values and norms that define what is and isn’t appropriate behavior for the organization. Culture guides how you work, and a healthy one enables companies to attract and retain highly motivated employees and unite them around a common goal, purpose, or cause in pursuit of sustainable performance.
But what starts out as a voluntary alignment sometimes ends up looking like something more sinister. Healthy corporate cultures can easily turn into corporate cults, whether leaders intend for it to happen or not. Many of the companies we celebrate are treading that fine line; Apple, Tesla, Zappos, Southwest Airlines, Nordstrom, and Harley Davidson are a few examples. They have all built a cultlike following among their customers and, increasingly, are encouraging cultish behaviors in their workforces as…
You're reading a preview of
Harvard Business Review Special Issues (Digital) - 1 Issue, Winter 2024