Company culture by design

By Alan Price | Peninsula

Your company culture has the power to make or break a business. So it goes without saying that it plays an important role.

Simply put, your company culture is the personality of your company. It includes a variety of elements that come together to define the environment in which your employees work. Elements such as your company mission, value, ethics and general work environment.

A common mistake made by companies when redesigning either their brand or their office building is not taking their company culture into account. This post will discuss the role of your office design when considering a company culture revamp.

Everything from interior design to the office architecture and furnishing can be used to enhance your company culture. This article will explore some of the different types of company culture as well as some aspects to keep in mind when considering a culture revamp.

Types of company culture

There are four main types of company culture

Clan culture: This is often formed of individuals with strong bonds based on things in common. You’ll normally find a friendly and even family-like atmosphere where people are more collaborative. These employees are more likely to be loyal to their company as they share a common goal.

Adhocracy culture: This culture mostly found in tech and startups encourage risk-taking and challenging assumptions. The ultimate aim is to push boundaries to innovate new ideas. Employees within this work culture are competitive and entrepreneurial in nature.

Market culture: A market culture is result orientated. This culture promotes competition amongst co-workers with the ultimate aim of boosting profits and market share.

Hierarchy culture: This culture revolves around processes and procedures. Employers determine the ‘right way’ to do tasks and managers are there to monitor and make sure things are going according to the procedures. These businesses are able to keep costs down by following the rules and guidelines that are said to be ‘tried and tested’.

Design tips to improve company culture

Team visibility: To promote inter-department collaboration, consider introducing glass doors and walls. This allows employees to feel like part of a bigger team and encourage teams to work together. You should also consider common work areas like cafes, atriums and community for tables and meeting rooms.

Colour: There are many studies that highlight the correlation between colour and psychology. The colour scheme of your offices should reflect the goals and objectives of your businesses.

Branded office spaces: it should be obvious what your company is about as soon as a client or employee walks into the building. The colour scheme, layout and general design should reflect your brand as well as the culture you want to cultivate.

Nature: Modern office should also consider incorporating nature into their office design. Encourage the use of natural lighting to improve morale and cut costs associated with utilities. Research suggests a bond between humans and other living organisms. Positioning plants around the office can bring an ‘outdoor’ feel to the office which plays a part in reducing stress levels and improving work performance.

Furniture: The furniture you choose can say a lot about you as a company. Your furnishing should reflect your company’s personality. For example, dark wood furniture is typically used in a traditional office setting like law firms. While tech or other companies with younger employees may decide to go for an active office. In which case they should consider standing desks and active chairs.

Conclusion

It is important to be able to capture the culture you want to develop within your company. It emerges from what people do and how your employees interact with your company. You can steer your company culture in the right direction. This is done by making choices that are not only visually appealing. They should also reflect the type of organisation your consumers would want to do business with.