GSTF Journal on Business Review (GBR) Vol.5 No.
2, December 2017 1
It’s What’s Inside: Impact of Culture on Strategy
Making
Momeena Mehdi, Syed Hashim Raza, Abbas Raza
BSc. Honors Business Management
Forman Christian College (A Chartered University)
Lahore, Pakistan
momeenamehdi@outlook.com, hashim.raza610@gmail.com, abbas.official95@gmail.com
Abstract— The purpose of this paper is to reflect how crucial
cultures’ impact on corporate performance, organizational
growth and success is. The paper portrays the implications of
cultural orientation for strategy formulation. The rationalization
of our topic belongs to different functional areas of knowledge;
therefore our study is incorporating a multiplicity of cultural
impacts. Culture being permeable can critically affect change
initiatives either by being supportive to the strategy
implementation or by hindering strategy execution. The power of
culture is undeniable while assessing the evolution of an
organization around strategy. Strategic planning in a firm must
ensure novelty amongst its competitors, which only becomes
possible when corporate culture aligns with the strategy.
Assessment of previous research in light of our constructs
highlights the aid of culture in the strategic management process.
The goal of this paper is three-fold: a) to outline an
organizationally relevant model of culture (its developmental
basis, evolution, and by- products); b) to appraise our topic in
light of previous research on culture and strategy, and c) to assess
the shortfall(s) in addressing the chosen theme and establishing a
paradigm for future work.
Keywords-corporate, culture, implementation, organization,
strategy making, performance
I. INTRODUCTION
I n this era, organizations cannot survive and sustain in the
business world, without maintaining their culture. (“How
cultural differences impact,” 2017) [1], [2] Studies on the effect
of organization’s culture started off in the ’80s [3], and now, its
linkage is evident with the human values and conduct of the
people serving in an organization. “Culture is not made up but
something that evolves which is human,” says Edward T. Hall
(Smith, 2013, p.75); accordingly corporate culture is something
that is continually shaped by employee practices. Effective
leaders realize that company’s success is dependent on the
workforce carrying out the vision, and transforming resources
into products/services day in and day out; the reason being that
successful companies support cultures encouraging employee
well-being. [4]
Culture can also be termed as: the ways, of work
execution in an organization; it provides direction of things
which are being done and which are not, why they are being
DOI: 10.5176/2010-4804_5.2_419
©The Author(s) 2017. This article is published with open access by the GSTF. page 1
done and for whom [5]. Deal and Kennedy (1982) proclaim
culture as one of the most important factors in any
organization’s success or failure. Studies have asserted the fact
that nature of organizational culture is a determinant of
organization’s performance. [6] Nonetheless, culture alone
cannot account for the factors driving performance, but in fact,
culture sponsored organizational strategies keep the firm
competitive in the global marketplace. [2]
In context, discerning the significance of
organizational culture as a reassuring factor, we need to come
up with culture, supplementing strategy making and its
implementation process. [7] Therefore, it is necessary to find
out the type of cultures that will help business in strategy
making, and the effects of culture’s component on the
implementation of a strategy. [3]
Culture impacts strategy formulation by manipulating
the interpretive schemes and meanings, which strategic
decisions makers assign to the events within and outside of the
company. [8] Strategy making is very crucial to organization’s
growth, but according to Ahmedi, Salamzadeh, Daraei, &
Akbari (2012) most of the organizational failures occur due to
lack of strategy implementation rather than strategy making.
We have discovered that 66% of corporate strategy goes
unimplemented, as per the research reports. [9] So,
implementing strategies is also as important as designing them.
Organizational culture being an incentive feature for
strategy implementation can either legitimize its formulation or
being incompatible with the culture can represent a barrier to
strategic accomplishment. [6] Depending upon the
characteristics, strong i.e. fixed and inflexible organization
culture can resist the great strategies. [10] To make the strategy
an accomplishment, there are four cultural imperatives: work
with and within your prevailing culture; start challenging a few
critical behaviors, not mindsets; use viral techniques; activate
rational and emotional forces, both. [11]
The study on strategy and organizational evolution
advances that strategic planning must be a guarantor of
structural novelty against the system, giving it a competitive
advantage. [12] Whereas, according to Katzenbach and
 GSTF Journal on Business Review (GBR) Vol.5 No. 2, December 2017
10.5176/2251-1970_BizStrategy17.13
Leinwand (2015), the best strategy is the one which fits in our
culture, i.e., accords with our system. [10]
II. LITERATURE REVIEW
A. Organizational Culture & Strategy
Different meaning results in dissimilar interpretation
to each individual: Corporate Culture is emotive, evolving, and
entwined to those who constitute it. [13] Culture especially
when defined in organizational context is as exposed, and as
moody, as the people present there. [14] Culture possesses an
extremely powerful element in a company’s long-term success.
[15] For realization of futuristic goals, we always come down to
the potential of strategy; there come in people; people derive
culture, and that always makes the difference. Quite often a
company’s strategy, enforced from the top, is at odds with the
embedded practices and approach to its culture. [14] Leaders
may undervalue how much strategic success depends on
cultural alignment; however, the most critical success factor in
strategic implementation is its translation into reality. [13] The
following figure is based on the structural alignment of strategy
and culture, foundation of which is backed by Rick (2013) in
his article expressing the relationship between Corporate
Culture and Strategy. [13] Fig. 1 illustrates the achievement of
organizational performance, moving around the path of
Organizational Value Troika; culture and strategy both are first
order co-dependent links [27] in the derivation of performance
based results.
Organizational
Performance
Strategy Culture
Figure 1. Organizational Value Troika (Source: Author/Self)
(Forman Christian College – A Chartered University Lahore, Pakistan)
©The Author(s) 2017. This article is published with open access by the GSTF. page 2
2
B. Role of Culture and Strategy Formulation
In the study of cultures’ impact on organization(s),
Evan (1975) suggests breaking down of culture into individual
behavior, as the organizational system is composed of different
individuals. Also, the individuals in any organization are the
entities responsible for strategic performance. [16] Hofstede’s
(1980) research has found culture to be an enduring element in
determining individual attitudes and behavior, more so than
demographic and organizational variables. [17] Subsequently if
we describe strategy making anent employee-held values,
Kelley et al. (1987) points out the three components
influencing their respective behavior: i) Inter-organizational
component signifies how individual attitude diverges from the
industry patterns but converges with the associated
organization; ii) Social structural component suggesting the
management behavior and effectiveness to be a function of
contextual variables; and iii) Cultural component acclaims
dependence of individually held values on one’s cultural
heritage. Culture accounts for the hidden component of the
organizational environment, in its normative dimension. [18]
Henceforth, the underlying assumption of the organizationally
relevant model of culture suggests a substantial amount of
variance in the organizational strategy (be it structural or
functional) is accountable by cultural variables. [6]
Contrary to the tangibly explicit features like
structure(s), system(s), and technology, culture constitutes the
intangible muscle. Authors today argue that the organizational
culture rather than analytic management techniques, serve as a
driver for corporate excellence. [20] As the acuteness of strategy
gives a direction for company’s fortune, similarly corporate
culture sensitizes strategy. [19] Explaining corporate culture in
relation to strategy, Green (1988) points that culture is a central
factor in determining organizations’ synchronization with the
strategic imperative. To remain competitive, in the face of
evolving organizational macro forces, culture needs to be
coherent and consonant with preferred strategy; else the
friction needs to be eliminated to ensure strategic success. [20]
Simon (1993) in his research of Strategy and
Organizational Evolution says that strategic planning should
ensure structural novelty against the system, which gives it a
competitive advantage. [12] However, only the right balance of
culture is a marker of favorable corporate strategy. [20]
Organizational evolution calls for efficacious strategic planning
bringing about structural changes; strategy is indispensable for
capturing the obtainable gains in a growth industry (as for
attaining normal growth in stable industries). [21] Day (2017) in
her article exclaims culture as the best growth strategy. In
context, corporate culture’s impact on profit varies across
different organizations in industry; it is both measurable and
quantifiable, says an HBS Professor Heskett. [22]
C. Role of Culture in Strategy Implementation
Culture does not only tend to bring about operational
shifts, but it also moderates the relationship between influence
strategies and company success. [23] Tripathi and Tripathi
 GSTF Journal on Business Review (GBR) Vol.5 No. 2, December 2017
10.5176/2251-1970_BizStrategy17.13
(2009) have found out that participative cultural strategies are
ideal for contributing towards organizational success, whereas
manipulative cultures are giving rise to self-serving and
dominant strategies which decrease the overall effectiveness.
[24] Nonetheless, the strategy made to serve the purpose is a
product of the culture at hand. Richard Branson articulates that
vision, brilliance, and far-sightedness of any leader’s strategy is
lacking; if not being assisted by a strong-willed corporate
culture. [21]
Culture being a collective behavior of sub-cultures is
multidimensional and complex; being permeable it could either
sustain or terminate strategic changes in an organization. [25] A
company has to face challenges while implementing the
strategy, by the culture at hand in an organization. [26]
According to research conducted by Conner Partners (2010)
some leaders are of the view that culture reshapes with the
implementation of a strategy. [5] This may be true in some
cases, but according to our reasoning approach strategy is
modified by corporate culture.
D. Key Examples from Industry
Culture is also subject to examination by the
propensity of change, i.e. through the analysis of design and
implementation of corporate strategy in function; some cultures
are static: close and fixed, while others are versatile: open and
adaptable. [18] Effective strategies are based on a pluralistic
company culture undergoing rapid change. The best example is
of the United States which has a “melting pot” culture; the
social and corporate environments both are open and adaptable.
[17] If the company’s culture is not congruent to its
requirements, the values become persistent over time;
accordingly, corporate culture institutes a critical success factor
for strategic decisions and organizational effectiveness. [19]
Slater, Olson, and Finnegan (2011) in their study of
the relationship between business strategy, marketing
organization culture, and performance have directed that
strategy and culture are codependent. [27] Successful businesses
like Starbucks have seen this relationship transform into
reality; Starbuck’s culture is powerful, because it is firmly
allied to the company’s distinct strategy. [26] Research has seen
how business strategy: a product of organizational culture,
associates itself with superior performance. [27]
Significance of culture as a unifying and reassuring
factor, in the light of strategy-making and implementation,
cannot be repudiated; as corporate culture has omnipresence
over the employee related variables (such as satisfaction,
commitment, cohesion, and performance, etc.). [28] Where the
aim of our study is to solidify base for the fact that culture has
implications over the strategy-making; there Ahmedi et al.
(2012) infers that the immediate/trickle down effects of societal
culture on organizational culture are not avoidable while
formulating a strategy. [8] Still, practitioners suggest that
flexible cultures (i.e. a diverse social culture and open
organizational culture) are more associated to formational and
operational dimensions of strategy. [29] However, the
©The Author(s) 2017. This article is published with open access by the GSTF. page 3
3
differences between strategies of institutions arise due to the
influence each component of culture has. [30]
The examination of research material validates the
strength of the relationship between culture and strategy
making. Our analysis of previous work on this topic maintains
that culture fosters and molds the strategy for organizational
success. However, strategy aligned and informed with the
company culture is the right choice for value creation. [31]
Studies have indicated the importance of societal culture
(external, macro-level culture) on the organizational culture
(internal, micro-level culture) [32], yet there remains scope of
further research on its alignment with company strategies.
Also, cultural strengths need to be augmented and enabled for
transformation into performance-driven strategies (strategy&
2015). [30] Strategy undoubtedly breeds under corporate
culture, but its alignment, execution and change management
remains a challenge to win the battle.
E. Research Validation
In order to support the analyses of our secondary research,
responses were derived real-time. We geared our efforts
towards conducting first-hand research in light of the above
chosen constructs: strategy and culture. Using a
comprehensively developed questionnaire, following the
underlying theme; how culture impacts the strategy making
process; we were able to fully utilize our research tool in
obtaining data to quantify the opinion(s) formed and the
defined variables. A sample size of 20 (number of employees
was chosen; one employee from each of the 20 organizations
was made to participate in the study; the sample comprised of
an equal proportion of men and women i.e. 1:1.
To conduct this phase of research, employees belonging to
different organizational sectors were involved in the study, i.e.
academia, development, finance, FMCG, marketing, media,
pharmaceuticals, security and welfare sector(s) etc. The
selected sample responded to our specially designed survey in
their natural environment, without any interference from the
author(s) or any information bias. The employee responses
were collected psychometrically; variation being captured
using the Likert scale in a series of 20 close-ended
statements/questions (see Appendix). This bipolar scaling not
only helped us institutionalize our pre-developed postulates
that put forward culture to be the secret ingredient of a perfect
strategic blend, it also gave us basis to refute the weak
propositions like inability of a well-rounded strategy to suffice
against loopholes of corporate culture.
The obtained data shows the asymmetric nature of the
responses, holding good for the acquiescence bias i.e.
employees mostly believe in the indispensability of culture for
the formulation of a sound strategy and organizational
performance overall. Results uphold that 95% of the
respondents agree that their organization maintains a distinctive
culture. This most importantly determines the competitive
nature of every organization. As we have deduced earlier from
Evan’s (1975) study that company individuals are responsible
for strategic performance; our conducted research reveals, on
 GSTF Journal on Business Review (GBR) Vol.5 No. 2, December 2017
10.5176/2251-1970_BizStrategy17.13
average 60% of the employees consider the organizational
culture to place value over them.
According to our rationale, employees are the assets of any
organization; if they are not held integral to the system,
definitely the culture is close and fixed in nature; consequently,
the strategy formulation and implementation phase may lack
potentially in turn causing the organizational performance to
suffer. Having indicated above that corporate culture sensitizes
strategy [19]; taking account of our study we came to know that
this statement holds good only to eleven employees out of the
sample size and a proportion of them (seven) is indifferent
about the sensitivity i.e. our assumption has weak practicality
in nature. Nonetheless, nearly 3/4th of the sample responses
endorse the Organizational Value Troika’s proposition which
the co-dependency of culture and strategy in deriving
organizational performance. All the research respondents
believe individual’s attitudes and behaviors contribute to the
company culture; which in turn marks culture to be the
benchmark of growth strategy across industry practices.
We infer from the survey results that 90% of the employees
appreciate that culture possesses ability to either sustain or
terminate strategy in the implementation stage. A healthy
average of the research sample acknowledges that societal
culture has an unavoidable influence over the organizational
culture; hence, indirectly stating that in order for the strategic
management process (of any company) to bear success, it
should bring in account the society it operates in. Through the
conducted research, we have verified that barrier to strategic
success is attributed to the inability of strategy implementation
and formulation, in light of the current (i.e. organizational)
culture. Every success story has a secret constituent in its
promotion; employees assert that organizational culture is
potent enough to be the secret sauce for developing exceptional
strategies.
III. CONCLUSION
All the above arguments can be summed up in one
statement: culture is crucial in designing strategies and
devising structural policies. Culture is defined differently by
different people as stated above, but one thing remains
persistent that culture is constituted by individuals. It is the
combination of their values, behaviors, actions, demographics
and geographical location. The fact that people are independent
and their behaviors and actions aren’t controllable enforces that
strategies need to reflect the corporate culture to be productive.
Strategies are designed and implemented by people, so strategy
needs to imitate their culture.
Corporate culture is always growing, so strategies
need to evolve with it. Culture is vulnerable, and it is always
under threat by independent variables that are beyond the
measures of an institution. The only mechanisms businesses
can control are: coping with change, developing strategies, and
designing goals in light of the culture. Culture remains
undercover i.e. hidden from clear sight. Culture, unlike systems
and technology, is intangible. It defines an organizational
structure in making or breaking the strategy. Culture may itself
©The Author(s) 2017. This article is published with open access by the GSTF. page 4
4
not be measurable, but its impact on strategy is both assessable
and quantifiable. Some cultures are static while other versatile.
The example of US in literature review highlights that how
flexible cultures undergo rapid change and how strategies need
modification accordingly. If the same strategies are
incorporated for a long period of time, cultural values become
obstinate which ultimately leads to failure. Starbucks being an
exemplar of the restaurant business has a prominent culture and
its strategy reflects success and growth being contingent to
workplace culture. Effective management techniques, carefully
implemented MIS, not even state of art ERP systems can save a
company if they neglect culture.
Corporate culture entails immense importance. Thus,
as validated by sample employee-base, we cannot ignore the
effect of societal culture on strategy. Researchers believe that
societal culture affects organizational culture and corporate
structure directly; nonetheless the aftermath comes down to
strategy.
Strategy implementation is fairly as essential as
formulating it. More than half of the companies do not succeed
because they fail to implement strategies; even if the strategy at
hand correlates with their culture. Corporations are a
combination of humans with a distinct set of beliefs and values,
understanding these views result in efficiency and productivity.
Some researchers believe that culture is configurable through
the implementation of a strategy. The preceding statement may
hold value in an autocratic institution like armed forces, but in
corporations where democratic merits persist, strategy
implementation completely falls apart if it is unsynchronized
with corporate culture. Culture-driven strategies result in
satisfied and self-motivated employees; which leads to low
employee turnover and better performance; ultimately resulting
in healthy profits.
Corporate culture is an undeniable critical factor in
developing a strategy. As the cultural existentialism theory
suggests culture is inherent in any assemblage and it tends to
endure specific conducts. It cannot be ignored or bypassed.
Strategists need to keep in mind their corporate culture at the
internal level and societal culture at external level, while
designing strategies, if they want to ensure success for their
companies.
Devising and executing of strategy in the context of
culture is a high-priority matter which calls for elaborate
research and analysis. This article states the importance of
cultural norms whilst strategy formulation and implementation,
but falls short to elaborate on how strategy can alter the cultural
practices. Researchers have identified the penetration of
societal culture in an organization to formulate success
strategies; in turn driving organizational performance.
However, further research needs to investigate how the
ingrained, specific, and uniqueness of cultural values shape
distinct type of strategies; how the cultural dynamism impacts
the strategic management process; what if the equilibrium of
strategy and culture is disturbed in the due process of achieving
performance based results (Figure. 1).
 GSTF Journal on Business Review (GBR) Vol.5 No. 2, December 2017
10.5176/2251-1970_BizStrategy17.13 5
Last but not the least, culture exhibits the potency to Disagree
become the company’s secret ingredient for an extraordinary
Strongly Disagree
strategy!

3. Which best fits your company culture:

ACKNOWLEDGMENT
Open & Adaptable
The accomplishment of this paper is accredited to many
assistive persons. First of all praise for Almighty Allah for Close & Fixed
giving us the will-power to reach this height. Secondly, endless
gratitude towards our institution Forman Christian College (A Participative
Chartered University) for encouraging us, and providing all the Manipulative
necessary facilitation of what was needed to realize this
research prospect. Last but not the least we owe this success
story to our family, teachers, our mentor and supervisor for the
project; their hearty prayers have made us achieve this 4. Strategy-making in your company is sensitive to the
milestone. We also appreciate the work of previous scholars corporate culture.
and online accessible content which solidified base for our Strongly Agree
research.
Agree
neither agree nor disagree
APPENDIX Disagree
Impact of Culture on Strategy Making Strongly Disagree

This questionnaire is a tool for additional research on the 5. According to our concept of "Organizational Value
previous paper "It's what’s Inside: Impact of Culture on Troika" culture and strategy are co-dependent links in
Strategy Making" deriving organizational performance; how do you
Name: _________________________ assess this proposition in light of your organization?
Gender: Strongly Agree
Male Agree
Female neither agree nor disagree
Other Disagree
Current Organization: __________________________ Strongly Disagree
Designation: _________________________________
1. Does your workplace maintain a distinctive 6. Do you believe that individual attitudes and behaviors
organizational culture? contribute towards the company culture?
Strongly Agree Strongly Agree
Agree Agree
neither agree nor disagree neither agree nor disagree
Disagree Disagree
Strongly Disagree Strongly Disagree

2. Does the culture in your company, place value over its 7. 'Culture' is a benchmark of growth strategy across
employees? (your) industry practices?
Strongly Agree Strongly Agree
Agree Agree
neither agree nor disagree neither agree nor disagree

©The Author(s) 2017. This article is published with open access by the GSTF. page 5
 GSTF Journal on Business Review (GBR) Vol.5 No. 2, December 2017
10.5176/2251-1970_BizStrategy17.13 6
Disagree Agree
Strongly Disagree neither agree nor disagree
Disagree
8. In your perspective, can a well-rounded strategy serve Strongly Disagree
in the absence of a strong-willed corporate culture?
Strongly Agree
13. Culture is defined differently by different people.
Agree However, is constituted by individuals (i.e.
employees).
neither agree nor disagree
Strongly Agree
Disagree
Agree
Strongly Disagree
neither agree nor disagree
Disagree
9. We suggest that culture has the ability to sustain or
terminate strategy implementation. How do you see Strongly Disagree
the preceding statement?
Strongly Agree
14. Being intangible, culture could either the make or
Agree break the strategy of an organization.
neither agree nor disagree Strongly Agree
Disagree Agree
Strongly Disagree neither agree nor disagree
Disagree
10. The societal culture has unavoidable, Strongly Disagree
immediate/trickle down effects on organizational
culture.
15. A strategy enforced over a long period, causes
Strongly Agree
obstinate cultural values; ultimately leading to failure.
Agree
Strongly Agree
neither agree nor disagree
Agree
Disagree
neither agree nor disagree
Strongly Disagree
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
11. Effective strategies are based on evolution; pluralism
in company's culture; undergoing rapid change.
16. Societal culture has a direct influence over
Strongly Agree
organizational culture and corporate structure; hence,
Agree the aftermath comes down to strategy.
neither agree nor disagree Strongly Agree
Disagree Agree
Strongly Disagree neither agree nor disagree
Disagree
12. Value creation in a/any organization is attributed to Strongly Disagree
strategic alignment, and formulation on basis of
company culture.
Strongly Agree

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 GSTF Journal on Business Review (GBR) Vol.5 No. 2, December 2017
10.5176/2251-1970_BizStrategy17.13 7
17. Research puts forward that 66% of strategy goes Surveying Firms in Nigeria. Retrieved from
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Practice and Skills. SAGE Publications. Retrieved from
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 Strongly Disagree 01
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Christian College University, Lahore, Pakistan. Also, she
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[30] Culture eats strategy for breakfast. (2015, March 31). Retrieved from
http://www.bing.com/cr?IG=747BC7867DDC4D56BB0C6BC590885D Syed Hashim Raza has graduated with a degree of BSc.
D2&CID=3B76630E Honors Business Management (specialization:
610D6A203A23695A603C6B21&rd=1&h=keCXpxDOsYWB5VbGK_ Accounting & Finance) from Forman Christian College
U7wfJ2yMsLfPcnP University, Lahore, Pakistan. He is currently pursuing MS
mEeOuz2uaY&v=1&r=http%3a%2f%2fwww.strategyand.pwc.com%2f
media%2ffile%2fKat zenbach-Center_Webinar_Culture-Eats-Strategy- Finance degree.
for-Breakfast.pdf&p=DevEx,5063.1
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Culture-Alignment- How-to-Identify-and-Close-Critical-Gaps

Abbas Raza has graduated with a degreeof BSc. Honors

Business Management (specialization: Operations
Management) from Forman Christian College University,
Lahore, Pakistan. He is currently doing MBA in Supply
Chain Management.

©The Author(s) 2017. This article is published with open access by the GSTF. page 8
 GSTF Journal on Business Review (GBR) Vol.5 No. 2, December 2017
10.5176/2251-1970_BizStrategy17.13 9

Organizational
Performance

Strategy Culture

Fig. 1 Organizational Value Troika (Source: Author/Self)

©The Author(s) 2017. This article is published with open access by the GSTF. page 9