10 Ways to Create a Corporate Culture for Employee Engagement
This post by Rita Men originally appeared on the Institute for Public Relations on Nov. 10, 2015.
On September 22, 2014, the largest global IPO in history was marked by the $25 billion value of Alibaba Group. Even though I left the company seven years ago, I was proud and excited the moment the bell rang. Earlier this summer, I interviewed one of the co-founders of Alibaba Group, who had started an investment firm in Hangzhou for another research project I was conducting. When I mentioned that I was an Alibaba Alumni, his eyes sparkled and I immediately felt a bond formed between us. He explained to me that the cultural values of Alibaba, such as “customer first,” “integrity,” and “embrace change” influenced his leadership style, management philosophy and the foundation of his current startup company.
Culture works this way. A strong culture of a great company unifies and educates people, and it may have an enduring and lifetime impact on its employees. The company culture and values at Alibaba are lifelines that tremendously contributed to the company’s success beyond its corporate strategy and leadership. Jack Ma also noted in an interview in 2013 that values and mission should come before a corporate strategy can be formulated. As a conglomerate with 10 diversified business units, “today’s Alibaba is not built by stitching pieces together, but by missions and values.”
