The Dual Architecture of Organisational Culture: Vision from the Top, Validation from the Base
Introduction
The Founder’s Influence and Leadership’s Direction (The Top-Down Force)
Often, culture begins with the founder’s own values, vision, and leadership style. Their influence establishes the “genetic code” of the organization. Which set patterns that can persist for years and resist change unless interrupted by major events (iima.ac.in, 2022; Gutterman, 2023; Pepperdine University, 2024). Today’s leaders add to this foundation by outlining what the organisation stands for and demonstrating those values in action.
Take Microsoft’s journey under CEO Satya Nadella, He didn’t only just announce a new cultural mindset shift from “know-it-all” to “learn-it-all” he lived it every day, fostering a growth-oriented environment (allconsultingfirms.com, n.d.). Similarly, AGC’s rebirth shows how open communication and proactive leadership can unlock creativity and innovation (allconsultingfirms.com, n.d.).
This leadership vision forms the basic design, the blueprint that guides everything. It’s how organisations like Noor Bank have driven lasting cultural shifts by aligning values with behaviour from the top down (theculturefactor.com, 2023).
The Power of Employee Co-Creation (The Bottom-Up Force)
However, even the clearest vision is just words until employees bring it to life. The daily interactions, and mutual understandings of the employees are what give a place its culture. The culture won't take hold if the leadership's words and actions don't align (Miraglia, 2024). Employees interpret and validate the leadership's vision.
Modern organisations recognise the need to build culture with their people, not just for them. Companies like Netflix and Starbucks actively involve employees to co-create culture, weaving wellbeing and development into its very fabric (hrdconnect.com, 2021). Such collaborative approaches fuel an authentic, adaptable culture that grows naturally from collective employee behaviour (bpasjournals.com, n.d.).
Culture as a Dynamic Interaction
The secret to strong, sustainable culture lies in the constant back-and-forth between leadership and employees:
Organisational Culture = f (Leadership Vision x Employee Behaviour)
Leaders set the direction and inspire change, but employees give culture its heart and soul through everyday practice. When people at all levels engage in shaping culture, it becomes deeply submerge, moving beyond policy into real, lived experience.
Practical Tips for Leaders to Foster a Collaborative Organizational Culture
1. Articulate a Clear, Inspiring Vision
Consistently communicate your organisation’s purpose, values, and expected behaviors. Make sure your vision resonates emotionally and aligns with employee goals. Leaders should model these values daily to set the tone for others.
2. Demonstrate Through Action
Show, don’t just tell. Embody the cultural attributes you want to see in your team. Regularly demonstrate behaviors that reinforce your values, creating a living example for others to follow.
3. Create Open and Transparent Communication Channels
Encourage honest dialogue across all levels. Use feedback sessions, and digital platforms to listen to employee perspectives and share updates, ensuring everyone feels heard and included.
4. Empower Employees to Co-Create Culture
Invite employees to participate in defining norms and practices. For example, involve teams in workshops or forums to shape policies that reinforce shared values.
5. Recognize and Celebrate Contributions
Acknowledge behaviors that exemplify your desired culture. Recognition reinforces the values and encourages others to follow suit.
6. Provide Development Opportunities
Invest in training and mentoring that align with your cultural goals. Empower employees to grow in ways that support the shared vision.
7. Embed Culture in HR Policies and Processes
Ensure recruitment, onboarding, evaluations, and rewards align with cultural aspirations. Hire for cultural fit and reinforce desired behaviors.
8. Be Resilient and Consistent
Cultural change takes time. Stay committed, especially during periods of change or challenge. Consistency and perseverance strengthen the message and help set the culture.
Conclusion
References
- allconsultingfirms.com (n.d.) Leadership's Role in Culture Change: Case Studies [Online]. Available at: https://www.allconsultingfirms.com/blog/leaderships-role-in-culture-change-case-studies/ (Accessed: 20 October 2025).
- bpasjournals.com (n.d.) Collaborative Organizational Culture Models Which Promote Co-Creation [Online]. Available at: https://bpasjournals.com/library-science/index.php/journal/article/download/2236/1459/3306 (Accessed: 20 October 2025).
- Gutterman, A. S. (2023) Founders and Organizational Culture [Online]. Available at: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4601553 (Accessed: 20 October 2025).
- hrdconnect.com (2021) Don't go it alone: build an organizational culture of co-creation [Online]. Available at: https://www.hrdconnect.com/2021/01/11/dont-go-it-alone-build-an-organizational-culture-of-co-creation/ (Accessed: 20 October 2025).
- iima.ac.in (2022) Founder-Culture in Organizations - Its Impact on Organizational Growth, Dynamism, and Performance[Online]. Available at: https://www.iima.ac.in/publication/founder-culture-organizations-its-impact-organizational-growth-dynamism-and (Accessed: 20 October 2025).
- Miraglia, Y. (2024) 'The Role Of Leadership In Shaping Organizational Culture', Journal of Organizational Culture, Communications and Conflict, 28(1), pp. 1–10 [Online]. Available at: https://www.abacademies.org/articles/the-role-of-leadership-in-shaping-organizational-culture.pdf (Accessed: 20 October 2025).
- Pepperdine University (2024) A qualitative exploration of founder leadership impact on organizational culture in startups[Online]. Available at: https://digitalcommons.pepperdine.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2516&context=etd (Accessed: 20 October 2025).
- theculturefactor.com (2023) Organisational Culture Success Story - Noor Bank [Online]. Available at: https://www.theculturefactor.com/resources/noor-bank (Accessed: 20 October 2025).
Your article provides a thoughtful analysis of organizational learning's dual architecture, effectively leveraging March's (1991) seminal work on exploration and exploitation. You adeptly illustrate how balancing these modes, as also discussed by O'Reilly and Tushman (2008) in their work on ambidexterity, is crucial for sustained organizational success and adaptation in dynamic environments.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your feedback
DeleteThis is a clear and well organized piece that effectively explains how organizational culture is shaped by both leadership and employees. It combines theory, real world examples, and practical advice in an engaging way. The writing is easy to follow, and the structure flows logically from introduction to conclusion
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment. Appreciate it!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteIt is a well-organized and thought-provoking examination on the way the organizational culture is formed by the leadership guidance as well as employee participation. I also find it very helpful that the article has brought out the role of the founder and how leaders can still be used to model values, citing examples such as Satya Nadella, to explain how behavior at the top can influence cultural change. The section on employee co-creation is equally robust and acknowledges that culture can only be realized when employees value, practice and strengthen the culture through daily activities.
ReplyDeleteYour focus on culture as a dynamic response between a top-down vision and bottom-up validation is quite effective. The leadership tips are practical, which gives a good addition to the article, and it is not only scholarly but also effectively applicable to the actual workplaces. All in all, it is a well-balanced and engaging piece that is easy to comprehend how genuine and working together organizational culture is produced and maintained.
Thank you so much for this detailed and thoughtful feedback.
Delete"This assignment provides a compelling exploration of the dual architecture of organisational culture by effectively highlighting the interplay between leadership vision and employee co-creation. The emphasis on the founder’s influence and leadership direction illustrates how top-down forces establish the blueprint for behaviour and organisational values. The examples of Microsoft under Satya Nadella and AGC reinforce the practical impact of leaders embodying cultural change, demonstrating that culture is more than policy—it is enacted daily. Equally important is the discussion on bottom-up forces, which acknowledges employees’ critical role in interpreting, validating, and sustaining the organisational culture. The integration of practical tips, such as fostering open communication, empowering employees, and embedding culture in HR processes, adds actionable value to the theoretical insights. Overall, the assignment successfully argues that sustainable culture emerges through dynamic interaction: 'Organisational Culture = f (Leadership Vision x Employee Behaviour),' capturing the essence of culture as both guided and lived experience.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for this detailed and thoughtful feedback.
DeleteThis article effectively highlights the dual nature of organisational culture, showing how it emerges from both leadership vision and employee co-creation. The emphasis on the dynamic interaction between top-down guidance and bottom-up participation provides a practical and realistic understanding of how culture is sustained. The inclusion of examples from Microsoft, Netflix, and Starbucks illustrates how theory translates into practice, making the discussion both insightful and actionable for leaders seeking to build authentic, adaptive, and engaging workplace cultures.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for this detailed and thoughtful feedback.
ReplyDeleteThis is an excellent article. You have discussed how organisational culture develops through both top-down leadership influence and bottom-up employee behaviour. And also, you have discussed how strong leadership influence and lived values from the top create the foundational blueprint for an organisation’s culture. Furthermore, you have discussed how practical tips for leaders to foster a collaborative organizational culture.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for this detailed and thoughtful feedback.
DeleteGreat insights here. I really like the idea that culture is shaped from both the top and the bottom—leaders set the direction, but employees bring it to life through daily actions. The examples show how culture only sticks when leaders model their values and when employees feel involved in shaping how things are done. The practical tips are spot-on too. Overall, a strong reminder that meaningful culture is a shared effort, not a one-sided process.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for this detailed feedback
DeleteI really enjoyed this piece. It explains so clearly how culture actually comes together in a company. It’s not just leaders telling people what the culture should be, and it’s not just employees deciding it on their own—it’s a mix of both. The examples, like Nadella at Microsoft, really show how culture sticks only when leaders live what they say.
ReplyDeleteI also liked the point about employees bringing the culture to life through their everyday actions. That part often gets overlooked. Your tips at the end are practical and feel very real—especially the ones about open communication and involving people in shaping the way things are done.
Overall, this was a great reminder that strong culture grows from real collaboration, not one-sided declarations.
Thank you so much for this detailed feedback
DeleteThis article provides a thoughtful and practical exploration of how organisational culture thrives through both top-down leadership vision and bottom-up employee participation. I particularly appreciate the emphasis on co-creation and the actionable tips for leaders to foster a living, adaptable culture. The examples of Microsoft, Netflix, and Starbucks effectively illustrate how aligning vision with everyday employee behaviour builds a truly authentic and sustainable culture.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for this detailed feedback
Delete