Unilever and Heineken are examples of companies with networked cultures. Heineken,
for example, has more than 60 000 employees but retains the feeling of friendship and
family more typical in small firms. The company’s highly social culture produces a
strong sense of belonging and often a passionate identification with its product. Family
businesses can often have this type of culture, although not all family businesses would
have a networked culture.- Mercenary culture (low on sociability, high on solidarity).Organizations with this
type of culture are fiercely goal-focused. People are intense and determined to
meet goals. They have a zest for getting things done quickly and a powerful
sense of purpose. A mercenary culture is not just about winning; it is about
destroying the enemy. This focus on goals and objectivity leads to a minimal
degree of politicking. The major downside to this culture is that it can lead to
an almost inhumane treatment of people who are perceived as low performers.
Enron, Mars, Campbell Company of Canada, and Komatsu Canada (the Japanese
heavy-equipment manufacturer) have classic mercenary cultures. At Virginia-based candy
manufacturer Mars, for instance, meetings are concerned almost totally with work issues.
There is little tolerance for socializing or small talk. - Fragmented culture (low on sociability, low on solidarity).Organizations with this
type of culture are made up of individualists. Commitment is first and fore-
most to individual members and their job tasks. There is little or no identifi-
cation with the organization. In a fragmented culture, employees are judged
solely on their productivity and the quality of their work. The major downside
to this culture is that it can lead to excessive critiquing of others and an
absence of collegiality and cooperation. Some large accounting and law firms
have this type of culture.
Most top-tier universities and some large accounting and law firms take on the prop-
erties of fragmented cultures. Professors at major universities, for instance, are judged on
their research and scholarship. Senior professors with big reputations do not need to be
friendly to their peers or attend social functions to retain their status. Similarly, law
partners who bring in new clients and win cases need to expend little energy getting
to know co-workers or being visible in the office. - Communal culture (high on sociability, high on solidarity).Organizations with
this type of culture value both friendship and performance. People have a feel-
ing of belonging, but there is still a ruthless focus on goal achievement.
Leaders of these cultures tend to be inspirational and charismatic, with a clear
vision of the organizations’ future. The major downside to this culture is that
342 Part 4Sharing the Organizational Vision
Heineken Canada
http://www.heineken.com/canada
Mars Incorporated
http://www.mars.com
FragmentedNetworkedLowHighSociabilitySolidarityMercenaryLow HighCommunalEXHIBIT 10–5 Four-Culture TypologySource:Adapted from R. Goffee and G. Jones, The Character of a Corporation: How Your Company’s
Culture Can Make or Break Your Business(New York: HarperBusiness, 1998), p. 21.Hewlett-Packard Canada
http://www.hp.com/country/ca/en/
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