Culture Care Technologies
  Human Resource & Organization Development Specialists in Company Culture

Core Ideology

Jim Collins (From Good to Great, Harper Collins, 2001) introduced the term in his first book with J. Poras ( Built to Last: The Successful Habits of Visionary Companies, 1994).

“Like the fundamental ideals of a great nation, church, school, or any other enduring institution, core ideology in a visionary company is a set of basic precepts that plant a fixed stake in the ground: ‘This is who we are; this is what we stand for; this is what we're all about.' Like the guiding principles embodied in the American Declaration of Independence (‘we hold these truths to be self-evident…')…core ideology is so fundamental to the institution that it changes seldom, if ever.” (p.54)

In these “best of the best” companies, there were several practices that played a key role in preserving the core ideology:

•  Employees' “near fanatical adherence” to the core ideology

•  Tightness of fit: Those not willing to commit to the core ideology were “ejected like a virus”. It was binary. An employee was either in or out; there was no middle ground.

•  Elitism: A widespread feeling of “being a part of something special and elite”.

An ideology, like a philosophy, is a system of related and self-reinforcing concepts, beliefs and values. Whereas a philosophy attempts to explain why things are the way they are, an ideology tries to change them. A company's core ideology “plants a stake in the ground” in terms of why it exists -- its mission -- and what it aspires to become –- its vision. As well, it articulates the basic “precepts” (i.e., values and beliefs) required to accomplish the mission and, over the long term, realize its vision.

An effective core ideology requires a quality more commonly associated with a philosophy – critical relection. With its goal of change, the beliefs of a political or religious ideology tend to become uncritically venerated. Whereas such ideologies rarely, if ever, reflect an attitude of reflection and criticism, it's an essential requirement for a company's ideology. Without it, company members run the risk of walking lock step over a cliff.

This combination of the seemingly mutually exclusive, critical reflection with a practice of near fanatical adherence, produce some intriguing outcomes. Consider the notions of an open-minded ideologue, permeable paradigms or experimental believing; they're all features of an effective core ideology. The key feature, however, is that of being organizationally unique. The fundamental beliefs and values of the core ideology most important to agree on, document and learn how to think from are those required to fulfill the unique mission and vision of the company.

It's not that the generic ones so common to many company websites (e.g., service, integrity, dedication, excellence, superiority, etc.) are not important. They'll undoubtedly have a positive impact on any organization. But these beliefs and values are basically the ‘table stake' – they're a prerequisite for just entering into the competition of today's market place. Without them, a company will not likely survive. It will certainly never thrive like the celebrated visionary companies noted by Collins and Poras.