Chapter 4: Comparing organizational cultures

Aims of the exercise

• To gain a picture of a company’s culture and values from its corporate website


• To compare organizational cultures of companies from differing cultural environments, based on the content available on their websites


• To form general conclusions about how a company’s values are presented or emerge indirectly from its website

Getting started
This exercise concerns two companies: EDF of France and Coca-Cola of the US. The focus will be on their corporate websites, where they explain what they do, their histories, careers information, shareholder information, CSR policies and their mission/values. Both these companies also provide information on their global operations. The two websites are:

• www.edf.com/the-edf-group


• www.thecoca-colacompany.com

Note that these websites do not provide marketing information on the companies’ products: marketing/product information is provided on separate websites, which can help in learning what they are like as organizations.

Tasks
Look at the information under the various topics on the two websites, and then answer the following questions.

A. Questions

1. What is the single most prominent feature about the company that you feel the website of each company is projecting?


2. Describe the main values and culture of EDF and Coca-Cola, as presented in their web materials. In particular, how do they value


(i) employees


(ii) customers


(iii) the environment


(iv) the shareholders


(v) the organization itself


Some hints for answering this question:
• You will find that EDF is 85% state owned. How does this affect the above topics?


• Helpful information can be found in the topics listed under Careers.


3. Each of these companies has international affiliates. How do they differ in their approach to these partner companies?


4. From the information you have seen on their websites, would you like to work for either EDF or Coca-Cola, and why?

B. Reflection

1. It is sometimes said that corporate websites present too ‘rosy’ a picture of the company. For example, it has become commonplace for companies to use similar terminology in stressing their values. The effect is that they appear to be similar when, in practice, they differ markedly. To what extent can this observation be applied to the two companies in this exercise?

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