In a world characterized by economic and geopolitical turbulence, organizational culture is at the center of entrepreneurial interest. The increased uncertainty caused by wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, persistent inflationary pressure and a change in monetary policy are putting the global economy under enormous stress.

Particularly noteworthy of the increasing importance of organizational culture is the shortage of skilled workers, which is spreading like wildfire across industries. The competition for the best employees is becoming even more intense because companies are realizing that customer satisfaction through outstanding products and services is significantly reduced without qualified employees. In this context, organizational culture proves to be not only a stabilizer, but also a decisive competitive advantage. These developments of more competition on the part of employees are leading to increasing turnover and absence rates across industries. Companies in various sectors are already struggling with rising turnover rates and absences costs are burdening organizations with around 21 billion Swiss francs per year (as of 2022). These figures underline the urgency to place a sustainable organizational culture with a high level of employee retention and health at the center of corporate strategy. But a sustainable organizational culture is not only a buffer against external shocks, but also a catalyst for internal innovation, adaptability and good teamwork.

This article highlights how a strong and adaptive organizational culture will become a decisive competitive advantage in the near future, although team and organizational development is only effective if it is implemented systematically and in a data-driven manner. The basis is over a hundred qualitative interviews with board members, business and area management members, various studies and metadata from Moodtalk from over 50 organizations. For all decision makers, this paper serves as inspiration and not as full truth.