Shaping Corporate Culture in Daily Practice
How values, communication and leadership shape corporate culture
Although corporate culture is often mentioned, many organisations struggle to define it clearly. Yet it influences daily decisions, collaboration and motivation. In this article, we take a practical look at the definition, characteristics and influencing factors – and show how HR can play a key role in shaping culture consciously.
HR Knowhow | Employer Branding | Vanessa Hunkeler-Bolliger

The heart of a successful company

A strong corporate culture is more important today than ever – especially in light of demographic change and growing expectations from applicants. Anyone who wants to attract and retain top talent needs not only attractive working conditions but also values that employees can identify with. But what exactly is corporate culture – and how can it be actively shaped?

What does corporate culture mean?

The Gabler Business Dictionary defines corporate culture as the “totality of shared values, norms and attitudes that shape the decisions, actions and behaviours of the members of an organisation.”


Two levels can be distinguished:

Deep structure: The invisible but effective foundation – consisting of values, beliefs and attitudes.

Surface structure: Visible elements such as behaviours, language, rules, or rituals.  

Characteristics of a Positively Lived Culture

A constructive corporate culture is reflected in many small things – such as how people treat one another, how they behave under stress, or how they communicate with clients. Typical characteristics include:

  • Appreciative communication
  • Openness to feedback and mistakes
  • Recognition of performance and commitment
  • Family friendliness and flexibility
  • Professional and fair conduct towards external partners

These elements contribute to employee motivation, satisfaction, and retention – and promote the achievement of corporate goals.

Influencing Factors – Internal and External

Corporate culture does not develop in a vacuum. It is constantly influenced – both by external conditions and internal dynamics:

  1. Externally: Globalisation, digitalisation, societal change, generational shifts, legal requirements
  2. Internally: Leadership approach, communication, structural framework, employee behaviour  

Influencing factors such as demographic change, performance pressure, or equality have a direct impact on cultural issues like work-life balance, diversity, or health promotion.

The Role of HR: Making Culture Visible and Tangible

HR professionals take on a key role in the development and maintenance of corporate culture – as sparring partners to leadership, as process facilitators in cultural change, or as active designers in recruiting.

  • They promote conscious reflection on values and attitudes.
  • They design processes in which culture becomes visible – e.g. through feedback tools, onboarding, or training programmes.
  • They pay attention to "cultural fit" in recruiting and strengthen employer branding. 
Not least, HR ensures that culture is not just formulated, but also lived – in everyday life, in communication, and in collaboration.  

"HR professionals play a key role in corporate culture: that of enabler and advisor."

Furthermore, they support managers with concrete methods – such as workshops, team development formats, or targeted coaching – thereby creating the framework for cultural advancement. At the same time, they are responsible for ensuring that culture is not only communicated top-down, but also lived in day-to-day operations: through transparent communication, active involvement of employees, and role modelling at all levels.  

Here, an e-recruiting software such as Refline can help make corporate culture tangible during the application process – for example, through authentic job ads, appreciative communication, or a structured onboarding process. After all, corporate culture is never static. HR must continuously reflect on, adapt, and co-create it – together with leadership and employees.  

Want to Learn More? Models Can Help Better Understand Culture

Would you like to dive deeper and understand how to analyse and further develop corporate culture in a targeted way? Then take a look at this article:

Better Understanding Corporate Culture