‘Corporate culture will define future firms’

Nigerian organizations need to intentionally cultivate corporate cultures centered on five key pillars, responsiveness, respect, reliability, responsibility, and relationships, to effectively compete on a global scale. This call comes from Prof. Lere Baale, CEO of Business School Netherlands International, a scholar-practitioner with over 40 years of cross-sector experience.

Speaking at the WorldStage Business Forum, Baale noted that leading global organizations consistently invest in their culture, a pattern Nigeria cannot afford to ignore. He addressed the issue of "corporate terrorism," where large companies exhibit a lack of basic courtesy towards the public and smaller businesses. This behavior includes ignoring emails and phone calls, failing to acknowledge proposals, and treating media inquiries with disdain.

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While the phrase ‘corporate terrorism’ may be provocative, the concern is real.

"While the phrase ‘corporate terrorism’ may be provocative, the concern is real," Baale stated, highlighting that many stakeholders experience prolonged unanswered correspondence and ignored customer complaints. He observed the irony that many of these large organizations were once small businesses themselves.

Baale emphasized that culture is the tangible experience people have when interacting with an organization, influencing decision-making, customer treatment, and employee value. He asserted that while strategy can be faked temporarily, culture cannot. In today's transparent world, where reputation travels instantly, a single negative customer experience can reach millions. "The era when organisations could hide behind size, market dominance, bureaucracy, or regulatory protection is over," Baale warned. "We are now operating in an age of transparency, accountability, and stakeholder scrutiny. The organisations that will win in the future are not necessarily the biggest, but those that build strong, ethical cultures."

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The era when organisations could hide behind size, market dominance, bureaucracy, or regulatory protection is over. We are now operating in an age of transparency, accountability, and stakeholder scrutiny. The organisations that will win in the future are not necessarily the biggest, but those that build strong, ethical cultures.