1. What is corporate culture? What is meant by academic and non-academic approach?

There are two answers to this question, one non-academic and one academic. In the non-academic approach, the basic definition of corporate culture is ‘the personality of an organization’, or simply ‘how things are done around here’. It includes: core values and beliefs, corporate ethics, rules of behavior. Corporate culture can be expressed in the company’s mission statement and other communications, in the architectural style or interior decoration of offices, by what people wear to work, by how people address each other, and in the titles given to various employees.

Then, in the academic approach to corporate culture (often called ‘organizational culture’ in this context). There are many gurus in this field, and perhaps the best known is Greet Hofstede. He has developed a Cultural Orientation Model which classifies cultures based on where they fall on five continuums: 1) individual vs. collective (at what level in the organization is behavior regulated?), 2) power distance (do less powerful parties accept the existing distribution of power?), 3) uncertainty avoidance (do employees feel threatened by ambiguity? How important are rules?), 4) Dominant values (what are the dominant values? Assertiveness? Money? Job satisfaction?), 5) Short-term vs. long-term (do employees expect immediate or deferred gratification?)

2. How does company culture affect employees?

Company culture affect employees in many ways. For example:

• The hours you work, including options such flextime and telecommuting

• The work environment, including how employees interact, the degree of competition, and whether it’s a fun or hostile environment

• The dress code, including accepted styles of clothing and things such as casual days

• The office space, including things such as cubicles, window offices, and rules regarding

• Display of personal items

• Training and skills development available to employees

• Onsite perks, such as break rooms, gyms, daycare facilities

• The amount of time outside the office you’re expected to spend with co-workers

• Interaction with other employees, including managers and top management

3. What problems can interns experience with work placement? How can companies help interns to adapt to their work culture and achieve work-life balance?

Companies should train supervises who can help interns to adapt to their work culture and achieve work-life balance. Supervises should think about guidelines which are designed to help them ensure their intern adapts quickly to the work culture of the organization. For example, if possible, give advice about office etiquette by telephone before the beginning of the placement or give the student a copy of the company rules on the first day.

4. What is the organigram of the company? What types of company hierarchy are known?

Organigram is a drawing or plan that gives the names and job titles of all the staff in an organization or department.

The company hierarchy can be ‘tall’ (with many layers) or ‘flat’ (with few layers). This links to the issue of the delegation (or not) of responsibilities.

Most companies are made up of three groups of people: the shareholders (who provide the capital), the management and the workforce. The management structure of a typical company can be shown in organization chart. At the top of the company hierarchy is the Board of directors, headed by the Chairperson or President. The Board is responsible for policy decisions and strategy. It will usually appoint a Managing Director or CEO, who has overall responsibility for the running of the business. Senior manager or company officers head the various departments or functions within the company, which may include the following: marketing, public relations, IT, finance, R&D, production, human resources.