A winning culture.

• Position: Corporate culture - Brief Article - Statistical Data Included

IN THE MID-'70s I went to work for the Hay Group, a human resources consulting company with 100 offices in 30 countries. In the early '70s Hay was one of the first consulting firms to develop a practice in the assessment of corporate culture, the shared values and beliefs that affect how people work in an organization. Culture ties people together and gives meaning to their work and guidelines for their behavior. As a young consultant I learned that top management is accountable for shaping the corporate culture, and that a strong, cohesive culture can bring about consistently outstanding performance.

For the past five years I have served on the board of the Alberto-Culver Co., where I have been reminded of the importance and power of a strong corporate culture. With $2.5 billion in sales and 13,000 employees, Alberto-Culver is both a large producer of personal care products, such as VO5 hair care, and the largest distributor of professional salon products through its 2,000 Sally Beauty stores. Alberto-Culver's top management has recognized the paramount importance of building a strong corporate culture, and they have worked hard to fashion a culture that both directs and drives performance. The board has supported the cultural initiative, which has been led by Carol Lavin Bernick, vice chairman of the board and president of Alberto-Culver North America.

The transformation of her division's corporate culture is well chronicled in Bernick's June 2001 Harvard Business Review article entitled "When Your Culture Needs a Makeover." Bernick offers a first-hand account of how to create a culture where people have a sense of ownership, and thus are "true partners in growing the...