3 PwC | Global Culture Survey 2021
In this report, we will lay out the evidence that
amplifying their cultural traits can be a source of
competitive advantage for companies. We will also
identify cultural challenges that our survey reveals,
particularly the crisis of authenticity: a mismatch
between what leaders say about culture (especially
regarding diversity, equity and inclusion) and what their
people actually experience. Finally, we will discuss ways
in which leaders can activate their culture, managing
cultural traits—specifically by using a variety of culture
change ‘enablers’ we’ve identified—in order to support
change and strategic objectives.
Reid Carpenter
Global lead, Katzenbach Center
PwC
Understanding culture
Behaviours: Patterns within a company
of how individuals spend their time,
make decisions, live relationships, handle
conflicts and truths, and perform their
jobs; what people ‘do’ on a day-to-day
basis.
Traits: A recognised organisation-
wide tendency for people to behave
in a certain way. A trait’s ‘neutrality’
means that it has positive and negative
repercussions, representing two sides of
the same coin.
Enablers: Levers that are effective in
helping organisations create coherence
around the traits and behaviours they’ve
identified as most important to their
success.