The ‘steering’ of behavior in companies does not occur only through the control of the labor processes. Company members also share views and norms and generally stick to these. This ‘collective mental state’ is called the culture of a company. This is a rather intangible phenomenon since it largely happens in the heads of the people in the company, yet has a large impact on the functioning of a company.

Company culture does not arise out of nothing and is not static. Through solving problems, patterns are formed that are followed and imitated. Several types of company culture can be discerned, which will be briefly discussed here.

1. Role Culture

In a role culture the accent lies on the acting according to procedures and regulations. This improves objective and impersonal acts, but a culture such as this often lacks flexibility and innovative thinking. This pattern is mostly observed in (machine) bureaucracies, where rules tend to be more important than solutions.

2. Task Culture

In this type of culture, the focus lies on achievements. The output is where the most attention lies, and the optimization of the involved processes is often implemented in the ‘output part’ of the labor process. This cultural pattern is often found in organizations that are forced to constantly deal with a complex and dynamic environment (such as division structures). Demands and tasks change quickly here.

3. Personal Culture

Here, the individual is the center of attention. The competences, needs and skills of the people are the primary focal point of the organization. The work is divided and organized based upon personal needs and preferences. The success of the company overlaps with the success of the individual employees. This type of culture is found in professional bureaucracies, such as universities, advice- and research institutions, where individual characteristics are the basis of success.

4. Power Culture

Lastly, a typical power culture can be discerned, where a constant ‘fight’ for key positions seems to take place. Behavior is often modeled by the example provided by those in leadership positions. This type of culture will mostly dominate simple company structures.

An important remark with this division of cultures in a company, is that within an organization often a combination of different cultures is found. For example, as mentioned above, professional bureaucracies are characterized by a personal culture in the professional part of the company, but the supportive departments often show a role or task culture.