In December Merriam-Webster announced “culture” as their word of the year for 2014. The word was selected after an analysis of online top search hits on their website contrasted with those of last year.
“Culture is a word that we seem to be relying on more and more,“ said Peter Sokolowski, Editor at Large for Merriam-Webster. “It allows us to identify and isolate an idea, issue, or group with seriousness.”
It’s a small word that conveys a large meaning. It can provide a context for an event or help us isolate and identify an issue or group. In an online TIME magazine article, a list of phrases related to culture that graced headlines this year included pop culture, consumer culture, startup culture, cultural clashes, drug culture, Western culture, high culture, teenage culture, culture shocks, and media culture. In the HR and business world, we’ve seen many emerging discussions on company culture this year, and we’ve even contributed to these conversations on this blog.
Clearly, “culture” is not a new word or concept to most of us. Words of the year, which are annually selected by a number of online dictionaries, highlight a specific word that made a splash or shifted in meaning and/or scope in some way.
According to the online etymology dictionary, the word “culture” first came about in the 15th century. It is rooted in two Latin words, cultura, which is defined as “a cultivating, agriculture” and colere, “to inhabit, care for, till, worship.” Merriam-Webster lists today’s definitions of “culture” as:
: the beliefs, customs, arts, etc., of a particular society, group, place, or time
: a particular society that has its own beliefs, ways of life, art, etc.
: a way of thinking, behaving, or working that exists in a place or organization (such as a business)
The origins of “culture” can provide a perspective on these ideas of cultures today and our places within them: the work involved in creating, maintaining, or becoming part of a culture is found in the original context of the word as an agricultural concept. Cultures thrive and grow, much like crops, due to the investment of careful diligence, patience, nurturing, and time if they are to be productive.
In the realm of human resources, we think of culture as defining the way we think, act, and believe within our organizations. Why “culture” has become a buzzword in HR this past year is mostly due to the fact that prospective employees often aspire to work for a company they share the same core beliefs and values with. Without a culture that states what they believe in and instills it throughout all business and people practices, it’s just an organization that operates…like everyone else.
Want to learn more about company culture and nurturing a culture specific to your company?
Don’t miss Xenium’s workshop, “Creating a Desired Culture that Sticks,” in April.
Find out more here.