Workplace culture is shaped more by daily actions than policy documents. Photo / 123RF
Workplace culture is shaped more by daily actions than policy documents. Photo / 123RF
Opinion by Lisa Oakley
Lisa Oakley is an employment relations consultant at the Employers and Manufacturers Association (EMA)
THE FACTS
Workplace culture is a mix of norms, systems, symbols, and behaviours influencing daily interactions.
Misaligned structures, poor recognition, and lack of tools undermine culture, leading to disengagement.
Toxic leadership, poor communication, and ignoring people erode trust and hinder collaboration and innovation.
Culture. It’s a word tossed around in boardrooms and team huddles, but ask 10 people what it means, and you’ll get 10 different answers. Workplace culture is a complex mix of norms, systems, symbols, and behaviours. It’s not just about what’s written in the handbook; it’s about howpeople actually behave and interact day to day.
As an EMA facilitator working with leaders across industries, I’ve seen how culture can be a powerful driver of performance – or a silent saboteur. When culture is constructive, it fuels engagement and collaboration. But when it’s undermined by certain behaviours or structural flaws, it quietly erodes everything from morale to market share.
Let’s talk about the behaviours and conditions that kill culture – the “culture killers”. These are the inputs that shape the outputs of your organisation, whether that’s retention, productivity, or customer satisfaction. Understanding them is the first step to changing them.
When structures are misaligned – roles overlap, workloads are uneven, or handoffs are unclear – it creates dysfunction.
Duplication, confusion and bottlenecks all contribute to frustration and disengagement. A well-designed structure enables people to do their best work. If your structure is working against your people, your culture will suffer.
Broken systems of reward and recognition
Culture is reinforced by systems such as performance management, rewards and recognition. If these are absent or poorly designed, mediocrity becomes the norm. People stop striving when effort isn’t acknowledged. The EMA AdviceLine team regularly fields calls from businesses where unclear or inconsistent performance systems have led to disengaged staff and declining morale. A lack of recognition signals that achievements don’t matter, and that’s a fast track to disengagement.
Lack of tools and technology
It’s hard to feel positive about your workplace when you don’t have the tools to do your job. Whether it’s outdated software or missing resources, frustration builds. In cultural reviews, this comes up time and again: employees feeling let down by the basics. Technology isn’t just an IT issue; it’s a cultural one.
People don’t leave companies, they leave managers. Inconsistent behaviour, unethical conduct, micromanagement, and favouritism erode trust. And trust is the cornerstone of any healthy culture. When leaders undermine autonomy or treat people unequally, psychological safety disappears. Without it, collaboration and innovation are impossible.
No vision, no values, no compass
Culture needs direction. If an organisation lacks a clear vision or authentic values, people struggle to find meaning in their work. When purpose is vague or constantly shifting, it creates friction. Employees feel disconnected, unsure of where they’re headed or why it matters.
Communication isn’t just about sending messages, it’s about connection. Over-reliance on email and top-down directives doesn’t build culture. You can’t change behaviour with a three-page email. You need real conversations – on the ground, with empathy and intent.
Ignoring or undervaluing people
Failing to recognise achievements, dismissing diverse perspectives, and treating people as disposable are all culture killers. When employees feel unseen or unheard, they disengage. Recognition isn’t just a nice-to-have, it’s a cultural imperative.
Tolerating bad behaviour
What we ignore, we accept. In New Zealand, we often avoid feedback and courageous conversations. But when poor behaviour goes unchecked, it festers. The result? Toxic environments that require damage control.
Addressing conflict constructively is essential. Feedback isn’t confrontation, it’s care.
Cultural clashes in mergers and acquisitions
When organisations merge, cultures collide. Different values and ways of working create friction. Integration efforts often fail not because of strategy, but because of culture.
There are tools that can help teams clarify roles, goals, and expectations, building a shared language to navigate complexity.
For those looking to strengthen their leadership capability and address their cultural challenges head on, the EMA offers a range of practical webinars and courses, such as the From Hire to Retire series, designed to turn insight into action.
Culture isn’t built in a day but it can be broken in one. Leaders must be intentional about the systems, behaviours, and conversations that shape their workplace. When culture is strong, everything else – performance, retention, innovation – gets easier. When it’s weak, even the best strategy struggles to take root.
