A Google search for “culture in the workplace” uncovers pages of lengthy definitions, similar to one another, but subtly different. Susan M Heathfield, a US-based management and organisation development consultant, probably hits the nail on the head in unpacking the concept: “People in every workplace talk about organisational culture, that mysterious word that characterises the qualities of a work environment … culture is difficult to define …”
Heathfield does go on to write that culture is made up of “the values, beliefs, underlying assumptions, attitudes, and behaviours shared by a group of people. Culture is the behaviour that results when a group arrives at a set of — generally unspoken and unwritten — rules for working together.”
Whatever its definition, culture is inarguably a major contributing factor to the success of an organisation, more so today than ever before, says Patrick Hull, Africa Leadership Development director at Unilever.
“A lot of organisations are struggling with the challenge of doing more with less (resources), and realise that they need more discretionary efforts from people. Lots of organisations are therefore looking at the role that culture can play in achieving the best in people and breaking previous barriers so that people are clearer on what they can do and feel more confident about innovating and taking risks,” he says.
For Unilever, culture is quite simply about how things get done, says James Hu, talent manager for South Africa at Unilever. “Our culture is purpose and performance-driven,” he says.
It sounds simple enough, but it’s not when a company is a multinational, spanning over 180 countries and totalling over 170 000 employees.
Unilever has tried to overcome this challenge through its Bright Future initiative, which unifies the organisation globally, while allowing for different approaches at a national level. At the heart of the Bright Future concept is the premise that the way to do business is to focus on doing good, thereby driving the organisation’s purpose and giving it direction, says Hu.
“Bright Future gives us all the same goal and objective,” Hu explains. “Each country may approach it differently, but ultimately it ties us together.”
Within the South African context, Bright Future translates into looking at the positive impact Unilever can have on society and the environment.
Unilever’s Domestos brand, for example, has partnered with the United Nations to build and restore toilets in disadvantaged communities, thereby championing hygiene and sanitation in the country, whilst its Lifebuoy team works hard to encourage learners at schools to wash their hands, thereby helping reduce the spread of diarrhoea and other illnesses.
Inclusivity is also an aspect of culture that should be highlighted, particularly within a South African context, says Hull: “It’s really important from a business perspective to be inclusive in order to be able to achieve a 5% increase in operating income and sales, as shown in research conducted by the Centre Leadership Council.”
“Inclusivity drives an organisation,” he points out. “It’s imperative to be more agile, for example, to get products to the market faster. If in a brainstorming meeting a person feels that they can’t raise their voice because they won’t be heard (for whatever reason), then the organisation is potentially missing out on great insight.”
Inclusivity also attracts people to an organisation, and motivates them to give of their best. One of Unilever’s mantras is therefore “ensuring people bring all of themselves to work so that they can be the best they can be”.
Its proposition statement reads: “Unilever is a place where the rich diversity of the country is represented, and the power of an inclusive culture is embraced to deliver business growth and create a bright future for all South Africans.”
“When you join Unilever, this is what it’s all about,” says Hull. “It’s a diverse organisation that is inclusive. This inclusive culture is based on our Unilever values and code of ethics and is a strong driver of performance. By focusing on an inclusive performance culture we develop our talent to be able to perform on the global stage, and in this way ensure that our culture of inclusivity translates into high levels of performance.”
Implementing a culture of inclusivity, however, is not without challenges. For starters, Unilever is a global organisation operating in a matrix structure and people in South Africa often report to people in London or Singapore, for example.
“Sometimes they don’t understand the South African context, but we have to keep trying to make sure that we include everyone and operate with inclusivity even within a global context.” Then there’s the fact that given South Africa’s history and diversity, certain people can feel frustrated or concerned about what an organisation that has taken a strong stance on inclusivity is trying to do.
Unilever has tried to overcome this by conceptualising a series of “Inclusive Culture Workshops”, which are facilitated externally. Over the course of 2015, 90% of its management has attended these workshops.
The workshops have been simultaneously challenging and useful. “It’s not all plain sailing — people don’t suddenly become inclusive — we have to go back and engage them in one-on-one debriefing sessions.”
But the constant emphasis on inclusivity has been fruitful. Hull cites the example of a senior manager who has started a number of initiatives to drive this culture of inclusivity in his department. Ultimately, Unilever believes that it is through this culture of inclusivity, underpinned by a desire to do good through its Bright Future initiatives, that will enable it to create the necessary environment for it to achieve its ambition of creating a brighter future for all South Africans.
Living our Values
Unilever enthusiastically embraces the role that we play in building a nation that reflects the South African society, with opportunities for everybody and sustainable outcomes. We also believe that transformation is not about numbers and statistics — it is about the hearts and minds of everyone with whom we interact, hence we call it Creating an Inclusive Culture.
This is about encouraging an environment of inclusion that encourages employees to be successful, with opportunities for everybody. It’s an approach that benefits our people and customers. By valuing our differences, we build on our individual, team and organisational strengths. This makes all the difference in the world. In October 2014, the leadership team, together with the Diversity Steering Committee, introduced the diversity workshops called CIC — Creating an Inclusive Culture. The primary reason being that we understand that our people come from all different walks of life, they have different frames of references, therefore when we say, we will help create an inclusive culture by living our values every day … Respect to each and every individual means something different, depending on their culture. So these workshops seek to raise diversity awareness through unpacking unconscious biases, linking inclusivity to our values and business success, and thereby Unilever remains a game changer in the market.
Ninety percent of our management staff have done the workshops. We started right at the top to emphasise leadership commitment and ownership of this wonderful journey we have embarked on.
Princess Andries (Leadership Development Manager, Unilever South Africa)