Organizational Culture Checklist covers questions for:

Owners 
Staff 
Customers / Community 
Competitors 
Operations   

Owners

  1. Is the current owner the founder of the business? 
  2. If yes, when was the business founded? 
  3. If no, how long has the current owner had the business? 
  4. What role does the current owner play in the business? (hands-on day-to-day involvement, focus on strategic plans rather than tactical operations, financial involvement only)
  5. Is the company owned by more than one person? 
  6. If yes, who are the partners and what is their ownership percentage?
  7. If there’s more than one owner, what are the roles and responsibilities of each owner? 
  8. How has the founder/owner/partner shaped the culture of the business? 
  9. What was the vision for the business? 
  10. What were the core values for the business?
  11. What personality elements of the owner are currently reflected in the way the business is being run? 
  12. What style does the owner use to manage the business? (command and control, shared authority and decision-making, delegates heavily)
  13. What communication style has the owner used to communicate with the staff? (closed and secretive, information shared on a need-to-know basis, open and collaborative)
  14. Why is the owner selling the business? (lack of capital, loss of interest, no succession plan, illness, other?)
  15. What are the defining characteristics of this business? (What’s distinctive? What differentiates it from other businesses and from the competition? Are these defining characteristics linked to the founder/owner/partners?)

Staff

  1. How is the current business staffed? (understaffed, staffed appropriately, overstaffed)
  2. Are there current resumes on file to support the quick replacement of all positions in case talent leaves the business as a result of the change in ownership?
  3. Are there open positions or positions that are particularly difficult to fill?
  4. What is the formal organizational structure?
  5. What is the informal network/communication structure? (Who really talks to whom and how does the work really get done?)
  6. Who is considered to be on the management team of this business? How strong is that management team?
  7. Who has power in this business and what gives them that power?
  8. Are there written job descriptions? Are staff members expected to do more than their job description?
  9. Have staff members been hired to fit an existing business process and workflow, or have they been hired to create their own business processes and workflows? Are the company’s processes and workflows documented or in people’s heads?
  10. How are staff members likely to respond to a change in ownership?
  11. What will staff members be most concerned about as a result of being merged or acquired?
  12. What impact would layoffs, restructuring, and relocations have on current staff members?
  13. How attached/loyal are staff members to the current founder/owner/partner?
  14. How attached/loyal are staff members to each other?
  15. How attached/loyal are staff members to the business?
  16. Are there particularly pertinent personality characteristics about any staff members that we should be aware of because they impact the way the business operates?
  17. Are there any significant subcultures within the business? ...

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