Prof. Marcus Fischer, Creative Director at dan pearlman Group and Professor for Brand Management about the meaning of a holistic corporate culture
WHAT EXACTLY DOES “THE CULTURE OF WORK” EXPRESS?
Generally, the involvement of employees in a company creates the overall structure. Employees shape values with their work and crucially contribute to the value of a company. How successfully they increase a company’s value with their work no longer depends solely on the salary’s amount, but on how they value their own work. Thus, the employee defi nes the value of one’s own actions and fi nally the value of one’s self. Companies can not win the battle for the best minds by offering money only. They have to offer their employees business goals that align with their identity and which makes them want to act as a brand ambassador.
HOW CAN COMPANIES ACHIEVE THIS?
Companies in mature markets may no longer rely only on maximizing profi ts. They need goals that create meaning and stand for a positive system of values. Here, we feel an ethical responsibility of businesses to give society something back. This responsibility could even be understood as an entrepreneurial duty, especially for globally present companies. Being Internal Branding & New Work Specialists, we elaborate those strategies together with the company, which then serves as an internal branding and corporate culture campaign able to involve all their employees. We know that investing in the employees means investing in the brand’s value and therefore investing in the company’s value. Every measure aiming for internal branding and corporate culture is better than none.
DOESN’T CORPORATE CULTURE MAINLY REFER TO BEAUTIFUL WORKSPACES?
First of all, the three major atmospherical themes light, air, and noise play a big role in expressing appreciation toward the employees. A good start is when the workspace meets the employees’ needs, the physiological needs, and the legal framework is fulfi lled. Putting functionality aside, people of course prefer working at a well-designed, well-organized and well-equipped place, which focuses on the employees’ needs. Thereby the spatial experience and the behavior are strongly connected. What has to be created is an overall concept of identity which suits the brand and can be recognized throughout the space.
WILL THE DIGITALIZATION MAKE WORK ENVIRONMENTS SUPERFLUOUS?
Surely digitalization will have a strong impact on the future of work. Analogue and digital will merge into one hybrid space including an increase of neurological interfaces. Nevertheless, people live in a physical world. They long for real experiences. Inspiration and creativity mainly rise due to real encounters. Because of this, employees will continue working in physical locations. It is important to cultivate
