Many believe that American corporate culture is broken. In fact, in an April 2023 LinkedIn article, corporate consultant Jenn Maer writes that “every client I talk to thinks they’re stuck in their own special hell,” with clients griping that “everyone here is stressed,” “this company makes it impossible to get things done,” and that “our corporate culture is totally broken.” Perhaps Maer’s clients are onto something. In a December 2023 U.S. News and World Report article, writer Elliott Davis Jr. reports that “a strong majority of respondents believe corporate America is in the midst of a ‘leadership crisis'” and that older business leaders “refuse to pass the torch to the next wave.” Analyzing results from a joint project between U.S. News and The Harris Poll, in which 2,100 American adults were asked to assess the state of corporate leadership in the country, it was discovered that over three-quarters of respondents agreed with the statement that “there is a leadership crisis in Corporate America today.” Interestingly enough, when asked to speak about leadership at their own company, respondents were generally more favorable, but nonetheless, it was noted that a significant majority (59 percent) agreed that “I don’t see any leaders at my company today that I aspire to be.”
With such alarming findings, it seems as though Corporate America is in need of a makeover. If you need further proof, try Googling “Corporate America” and see what pops up as the first result (as of April 23, 2024). You will see that the first result is a brief blurb from a Wikipedia article stub in which “Corporate America” is defined as “an informal (and sometimes derogatory) phrase describing the world of corporations and big business within the United States.” It’s rather revealing how reviled “Corporate America” is if the first Google result showcases this biting characterization. It is evident that there are problems which plague Corporate America, making it “hell” for employees and leadership alike; so, what can we, as a society, do about it? If you have been following our blog series so far, you might be led to assume that sociology can provide solutions to many of these problems.
As evidenced above, one of the most prevalent issues plaguing Corporate America is the lack of a cohesive and structured workplace culture, as well as a positive and supportive organizational climate. Workplace culture can be defined as “the shared values, belief systems, attitudes, and the set of assumptions that people in a workplace share.” Furthermore, organizational climate can be described as “the perception your employees have about the work environment within your company.” Reflecting upon the recent findings above, many employees feel disconnected and abandoned by leadership. So, how can sociology help to bridge gaps in order to make Corporate America less “hellish?” First, we must consider the implications of the sociological perspective. According to Merriam-Webster, sociology is “the science of society, social institutions, and social relationships – specifically : the systematic study of the development, structure, interaction, and collective behavior of organized groups of human beings.” As many sociologists would argue, the study of sociology is inherently tied to actionable work and advocacy to ultimately resolve social issues. So, it seems evident that sociology can provide blueprints of how to better structure and improve workplace cultures, as well as support and maintain more positive and responsive organizational climates.
When looking at how to potentially address issues in the workplace, we might look to the sociology of organizations, which is “a distinct field within sociology that examines how the structure of the group influences, limits, and defines human interactions within a given organizational context.” While various forms of organizational sociology have arguably existed since time immemorial, for the purpose of this blog, organizational sociology has existed in the United States since the 1940s, when sociologist Robert Merton translated some of Max Weber’s work on bureaucracy. Seen as a rationalizing force, Weber devised a set of 10 characteristics of the ideal-type bureaucracy, some of which include observing only professional duties, a clear hierarchy of authority, specification of functions of the office, and the organization being subject to unified control and discipline.
Highlighting the importance of understanding and applying organizational sociology in the workplace, in a professional development video disseminated by the American Sociological Association (ASA), various sociologists discuss the importance of understanding workplace culture. They argue that, while workplace cultures will be undoubtedly different in varied sectors/fields, at its core, studying workplace culture can greatly help to improve the ways in which different structures within the organizational system function. Additionally, we can also see how social actors (employees, leadership, etc.) maneuver amongst themselves, and furthermore, examine motivational systems put in place in order to guide the company to its goals. While all of the sociologists featured in the video have different backgrounds and experiences, many of them shared similar insights into what makes a workplace culture and organizational climate successful for all involved. Primarily, one of the most important aspects that can be focused upon is teamwork. Almost all of the sociologists interviewed in the video had previous experiences in academia and shared that academic settings could be “isolating” and “insular,” but in the corporate world, it is of the utmost importance for all involved to be team players and to contribute to the group to ensure its success. For example, Lisette Garcia, Senior Vice President and COO of the Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility, mentioned that in her role as COO, she is responsible for maintaining regular and effective communication with all people in her team and, furthermore, being responsive and reflective about how all in her team interact with her, each other, and those outside of their organization. David Porter, Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer for the Haas School of Business and former ED and CEO of the Walter Kaitz Foundation, mentioned that in his role as CEO, it was his responsibility to ensure that the proper systems were in place within the organizational structure of the foundation to ensure that all on his team knew what to do in order to achieve the foundation’s goals. These are just a few of the many examples showcasing ways in which sociologists are working to humanize corporate environments.
While leadership can certainly benefit from having sociologically-mindful people in its ranks to help motivate team members, what is Corporate America without its clients and customers? Having sociologically-mindful leadership and employees will help to attract and retain clients, as these corporate entities will be able to more effectively meet the needs of a diverse clientele. In the joint U.S News and The Harris Poll study, it was noted that 77 percent of respondents agreed that “business leaders, not just political leaders, have a responsibility to help solve issues in society.” 72 percent of respondents agreed that business leaders who maintain “the status quo” are only “harming their companies, their employees, and their clients.” Furthermore, an equal percentage of respondents agreed that business leaders should be addressing DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) more in the workplace than they are currently. With all of this in mind, it is arguable that employing sociology in the corporate world can provide a multitude of benefits. Perhaps with more advocacy and awareness, as a society, we can make the commitment to humanize bureaucracy.
Burkat is a guest contributor at UITAC Publishing. UITAC’s mission is to provide high-quality, affordable, and socially responsible online course materials.
Images used in this blog:
- Image by Yan Krukau from Pexels; https://images.pexels.com/photos/7640830/pexels-photo-7640830.jpeg?auto=compress&cs=tinysrgb&w=1260&h=750&dpr=2 This image has not been altered.
- Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay; https://cdn.pixabay.com/photo/2022/06/20/11/44/organization-chart-7273554_1280.png This image has not been altered.
