About the Culture 500

The Culture 500 provides a data-based view of company culture within some of the largest and most powerful organizations in the world. Powered by cutting-edge AI and human expertise, our interactive tool and data set are updated on an annual basis to reflect how companies measure up on culture in the eyes of employees.

The Methodology

CultureX conducted a rigorous large-scale research project to measure corporate culture in top companies, using a data set of 1.4 million employee reviews from Glassdoor.

A vibrant culture can not only keep employees happy — it can also be the difference between financial success and failure. For decades, corporate culture has been notoriously difficult to measure in a scientific and meaningful way — until now.

Over a three-year period, the Culture 500 research team developed an AI-powered system for measuring culture using natural language processing to analyze text responses from actual employees. This human-machine approach allows us to create a more precise and accurate picture of culture that moves beyond the anecdotes and personal observations that managers often rely on to understand their own organizations.

The research demonstrates how no two corporate cultures are exactly alike and how cultural values vary drastically across companies and industries. Using the Culture 500, leaders can now benchmark their organizations against direct competitors and best-in-class organizations and identify areas of strength or opportunities to improve their cultures.

A vibrant culture can not only keep employees happy — it can also be the difference between financial success and failure.
The Big 9 Cultural Values
Value
Definition
Also Known as
Agility
Definition:
Employees can respond quickly and effectively to changes in the marketplace and seize new opportunities.
Also Known as:

Flexible

Nimble

Fast moving

Collaboration
Definition:
Employees work well together within their team and across different parts of the organization.
Also Known as:

Demostrate teamwork

Identify with the company

Join forces

Customer
Definition:
Employees put customers at the center of everything they do, listening to them and prioritizing their needs.
Also Known as:

Have a customer focus

Deliver for clients

Customer-driven

Diversity
Definition:
The company promotes a diverse and inclusive workplace where no one is disadvantaged because of their gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, or nationality.
Also Known as:

Inclusive

Welcomes everyone

Celebrates difference

Execution
Definition:
Employees are empowered to act, have the resources they need, adhere to process discipline, and are held accountable for results.
Also Known as:

Demonstrate operational excellence

Manage projects well

Take ownership

Innovation
Definition:
The company pioneers novel products, services, technologies, or ways of working.
Also Known as:

Cutting edge

Leads change

Technologically advanced

Integrity
Definition:
Employees consistently act in an honest and ethical manner.
Also Known as:

Do the right thing

Behave ethically

Play by the rules

Performance
Definition:
The company rewards results through compensation, informal recognition, and promotions, and deals effectively with underperforming employees.
Also Known as:

Meritocratic

Recognizes achievement

Results-driven

Respect
Definition:
Employees demonstrate consideration and courtesy for others, and treat each other with dignity.
Also Known as:

Treat others with dignity

Courteous

Show appreciation for one another

Behind the Data-Driven Research

The Culture 500 research methods explained.

The Research Team
Don Sull
Don Sull
Cofounder, CultureX, and Senior Lecturer, MIT Sloan School of Management
Don cofounded CultureX in 2019. At the MIT Sloan School of Management, he teaches courses on competitive strategy and strategy execution. Sull was formerly a professor of strategy and entrepreneurship at Harvard Business School and the London Business School. He earned his bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate degrees at Harvard University. He has written five books and more than 100 articles and case studies, and has been identified as a leading management thinker by The Economist, the Financial Times, and Fortune. Before entering academia, Don worked as a strategy consultant with McKinsey & Co. and as a management investor with the leveraged buyout firm Clayton, Dubilier & Rice. He has directly advised the leadership teams of over 50 Fortune Global 500 companies.
Charlie Sull
Charlie Sull
Cofounder, CultureX
Charlie cofounded CultureX in 2019. Before that, he cofounded Charles Thames, a boutique advisory firm specializing in strategy execution and related cultural issues. In addition to working with top teams of middle-market and Fortune 500 clients, Charlie regularly publishes related research in leading journals. Charlie graduated from Harvard College, where he was the president and technology board founder of The Harvard Lampoon.

Credits

Project Management
Lauren Rosano
Art Direction
Pete Strutt
Common Co.
Development
Francisco Caballero, Juan Carlos Cruz, Diego Ferreyra, Gabby Rodriguez, Cali Rojas
Rockstar Coders
Content Development
Ally MacDonald
Content Editing
Michele Lee DeFilippo, Linda Frahm
Marketing
Desiree Barry, Deb Gallagher
Research
William Cipolli, Peter Ryan Melehan, Stefano Turconi, Xueying (Serene) Wang