Workplace cultures can work for or against organizations. Just ask the FAA, which is training people to fill thousands of vacant air traffic controller positions Some of the trainees “have left of their own accord rather than endure what they described as haphazard instruction, organizational dysfunction and abusive conditions,” according to a story last month by the Washington Post.
“The agency employs about 11,500 certified controllers, about 3,000 short of its goal, a shortfall that affects almost every airport in the country. Chronic shortages put safety at risk and force flight delays when towers are understaffed, according to independent reviews of the system, while also requiring controllers to work grueling overtime schedules that contribute to fatigue and burnout,” the newspaper reported.
In the corporate world, workplace cultures can help or hurt efforts to keep employees or lay the groundwork for an internal crisis. There are several ways to tell what kind of culture companies have, and warning signs that something should be done to improve the culture before it is too late.
Success Factors
The Society for Human Resource Management says that there are five elements that contribute to a positive workplace culture. They include honest and unbiased management, civil behavior, meaningful work and opportunities, open communication, and empathy.
“Corporate cultures are influenced by so many factors but it comes down to the behaviors exhibited by the business leaders,” Allyns Melendez, CEO of HR Transformed, observed in an email message to me. “The best workplaces are the ones where leadership spends time checking in with staff, listens with intent, follows through on important initiatives, makes employees feel safe to speak freely, invests in their people, and communicates transparently and effectively,” she noted
Examples Of Excellent Workplace Cultures
Software company Atlassian, HubSpot, and Patagonia are examples of companies with excellent workplace cultures that is reflected in every level of their organization, Anu Mandapati, CEO and fractional chief culture and talent officer at Qultured, told me in an email interview.
Atlassian “builds team alignment through internal playbooks that clarify how decisions get made. HubSpot trains every employee from day one on giving and receiving feedback so psychological safety isn’t left to chance. Patagonia embeds purpose into policies from flexible schedules to paid time for activism,” she explained. “These cultures work because people know what’s expected, feel trusted to lead, and can see how their work connects to something bigger than a quarterly target. That’s why these companies also have some of the most loyal and long-tenured employees,” Mandapati pointed out.
Counterproductive Work Environments
There are plenty of examples of counterproductive workplace cultures. The worst “are the ones where leadership is inconsistent, micromanages the team, feedback is not considered, signs of burnout are ignored or not addressed, and avoids conflict,” Melendez commented.
Another example “is one where a bully boss screams and yells, throws tantrums like a toddler and publicly humiliates[s] team members,” Mita Mallick, author of The Devil Emails at Midnight: What Good Leaders Can Learn From Bad Bosses and a workplace strategist, told me in an email interview.
Business leaders who ignore or excuse or bad behavior of managers are not helping matters and are only making bad situations worse. “I have observed leadership make all kinds of excuses for the bully boss who stays while their team becomes a revolving door. And recruiters can’t replace people fast enough,” Mallik pointed out. “Fear can drive short term results. And in the long term, fear drives disengagement, decreases productivity and leads to burnout. How can individuals perform at their best if they are in a state of perpetual fear, wondering if they will be the next target of their boss’ wrath?”
What Business Leaders Need To Know
“What leaders need to know is that people don’t leave because of hard work or change. They leave because of confusion, disrespect, or inconsistency. A compelling mission might attract top talent, but it’s your day-to-day leadership behavior that determines whether they stay,” Mandapati concluded.
The best workplace cultures “don’t hide behind values statements. They operationalize them,” Patrice Williams-Linda, CEO, Career Nomad, told me via email. “I’ve seen companies with bold, lived values—where psychological safety, transparent growth paths, and recognition are non-negotiable—consistently retain top talent. These companies align leadership behavior with employee experience so the brand promise isn’t just for the careers page.”
Don’t underestimate the role that workplace cultures can play in managing or creating a company crisis. A positive culture can help ensure that everyone will pull together in tough or challenging times—just as a negative one can sow the seeds for a crisis, or make it more challenging for an organization to survive one.
Source – https://www.forbes.com/sites/edwardsegal/2025/08/22/the-workplace-cultures-that-can-help-or-hurt-companies/