How to Change Corporate Culture + Examples from The Biggest Companies

In an ever-evolving business landscape, changing company culture may be crucial in adapting to emerging trends and staying competitive. It doesn’t automatically mean that a company culture is toxic — just in need of a refresh. Unfortunately, culture change is one of the most challenging tasks for many organizational leaders. 

A healthy or unhealthy corporate culture can make or break a company. Those with a distinctive culture were reportedly 80% more likely to see an increase in employee satisfaction and 89% more likely to see an increase in customer satisfaction. That’s not all — a distinctive culture also showed a 48% more likely increase in revenue. (Pwc)

Changing organizational culture can unlock the full potential of any business. Keep reading to see how you can change your organizational culture and examples of companies that successfully changed theirs.  

How do you change organizational culture?

1. Have a Clear Vision

Leaders should articulate clear and compelling reasons why you need a culture change. They should also communicate a shared sense of purpose, any specific desired outcomes and offer guiding principles to inspire staff.

2. Engage your team

Employees should be encouraged to share their input in shaping the new culture. Open communication and feedback will create a sense of employee ownership and inclusivity. Try using office digital signage to achieve this.

Read more: The ScreenCloud Guide to an Internal Communication Strategy

3. Assess and Modify Structures

Re-evaluate existing structures and processes and decide which aspects you want to retain. Analyze them carefully and determine how they'll merge with the new values. This may include restructuring teams or redesigning the performance evaluation system to align with the desired culture.

4. Lead by Example

Culture change starts at the top. Leaders must manifest the desired cultural traits and exhibit behaviors that align with the new values. Your commitment to cultural transformation will inspire your team to embrace change and become advocates for the proposed changes.  

5. Measure Your Efforts

To demonstrate the effectiveness of your efforts, implement employee surveys and analyze gaps between desired values and actual behavior.   

 Read more: How to identify company culture

How long does it take to change company culture?

Most studies suggest it takes anywhere from 18 to 24 months for new values and behaviors to become part of everyday work life and culture. One such source is a report from Culture Partners which found a company needs up to 2 years of focused effort.

Kamwell’s research suggests it could take even longer to change company culture; as long as 3 years for new behaviours to become the norm.

During this time, employees slowly adjust to new expectations, habits begin to form, and leadership continues to reinforce the change through communication and action.

That said, early signs of progress can appear much sooner. You might see small shifts in engagement, collaboration, or morale within the first 6–12 months, especially when leaders are visibly driving the change. But for culture to truly “stick,” it needs consistent reinforcement and a long-term commitment from every level of the organization.

The takeaway? 

Treat culture change as an ongoing journey, not a one-off initiative. The most successful organizations build culture into their daily routines, review progress regularly, and celebrate the small wins that signal real, lasting change.

Now, let’s look at some examples of companies who have successfully changed their culture.

Examples of successful organizational culture change 

Here are some notable real-world cultural change examples of companies that successfully changed their culture. 

IBM: Changed from culture of bureaucracy to innovation

In the early 1990s, IBM was on the brink of collapse. The company had become weighed down by bureaucracy and internal competition, losing sight of what mattered most—its customers. 

When Lou Gerstner stepped in as CEO in 1993, he faced a daunting task: reshape the culture of what was then the world’s largest computer company.

Gerstner quickly realized that fixing IBM wasn’t just about changing strategy; it was about changing mindsets. The new approach was to be “all about execution.”

One of the most significant shifts came as IBM moved away from its legacy hardware business and embraced software and services. This pivot not only transformed the company’s business model but also its culture. Employees began to see themselves as problem-solvers rather than product-pushers, working creatively to help customers adapt to emerging technologies like the internet and e-commerce.

As one case study on Mbaknol put it, Gerstner quickly found that IBM and its employees had the potential for “genuine problem solving, the ability to apply complex technologies to solve business challenges and integration.”

The results spoke for themselves. By the late 1990s, IBM had reinvented its image as an innovative, forward-thinking technology company.

Microsoft: Changed from “know-it-all” to “learn-it-all” culture

When Satya Nadella became CEO of Microsoft in 2014, he inherited a company widely regarded as stuck in its ways with siloed teams, internal competition, and lagging innovation.

Bloomberg even published an article on January 30, 2014, titled “Why You Don’t Want to Be Microsoft’s CEO,” exploring these very issues.

Nadella’s first move was to shift the core mantra: instead of rewarding people who “knew it all,” Microsoft began valuing those who were willing to learn, adapt and collaborate.

He introduced the “growth mindset” concept into the company’s culture, inspired by psychologist Carol Dweck, moving from fixed-abilities thinking to continuous learning and curiosity. Microsoft also flattened internal hierarchies, reduced forced competition between employees, and encouraged cross-functional teamwork over internal rivalry.

This cultural shift was tightly linked to a strategic pivot: Microsoft embraced cloud computing, open-source, and enterprise services rather than relying solely on legacy software and operating systems. 

The outcome: a revived culture of innovation, stronger collaboration, and a business position that reaffirmed Microsoft as a leader in technology transformation

Netflix: Changed to building freedom, responsibility and disruption

When Netflix was still mailing DVDs, change was already coming. Under the leadership of Reed Hastings and others, the company re-imagined its culture to match its ambition and to disrupt how we consume media.

At the heart of that shift was a bold internal document — the “Culture Deck” (also called the Culture Memo) created around 2009 by Hastings and Patty McCord. It laid out a new way of working: high-performance teams, extreme transparency, autonomy over process, and expectations that every individual would bring creativity and accountability.

And it worked. Netflix shifted its business model from DVDs to streaming, producing original content, and expanding globally. It also created a culture of agility and innovation to match, while remaining the biggest streaming platform in the world, despite stiff competition.

One key takeaway here is aligning culture with strategy. The company created a workplace where people were trusted to decide, empowered to act, and rewarded for results rather than tenure.

Zappos: Culture built around happiness and customer-obsession

Zappos started in 1999 as an online shoe retailer. From early on, the company didn’t just compete on price or selection. Instead, it chose to compete on how it made people feel, both employees and customers.

At the heart of Zappos’ culture are its 10 core values, such as “Deliver WOW through service” and “Create fun and a little weirdness”. These values guide hiring, daily operations, and even how the company treats customers.

Employees are empowered to make decisions that benefit the customer, even outside the usual service rules. This autonomy builds a sense of ownership and creativity in how people work.

By embedding culture into everything from recruitment to customer service, Zappos turned its culture into a key differentiator in e-commerce. The internal focus on employee happiness translated into external loyalty and brand strength.

It can take up to 24 months to start seeing real culture changes. But Zappos’ example shows that when this culture becomes part of the business model, it can shape how people behave, how customers respond and how the company grows.

Making culture change stick

Changing company culture takes time, commitment, and clear leadership, but the payoff can completely reshape how a business performs. A strong culture doesn’t just lift morale; it drives innovation, improves communication, and builds resilience across teams.

The key is consistency. When leaders communicate openly, measure progress, and keep employees involved, real transformation starts to take hold. The examples of IBM, Microsoft, Netflix, and Zappos prove that even the biggest companies can reinvent themselves from the inside out.

And while the process can take years, the first step often starts with better communication. Whether you’re gathering feedback, recognizing wins, or aligning people around shared goals, corporate digital signage can help keep everyone informed and connected throughout the journey.

ScreenCloud makes it easy to share updates, celebrate progress, and strengthen company culture with every screen.

Start a free trial or book a demo today to see how you can support your culture change efforts with smarter communication.