Overall, yes, culture is what based on decisions of powerholders so it can be whatever they want it to be.

But there is such thing as a general “corporate culture.”

Corporations are built by the middle-class for the middle-class. Recruiters ensure this with “culture fit” and demanding degrees for positions that exclude real-world experiences and expertise. College education says more about your socioeconomic background than intelligence or capability, so the working class is gatekept from joining for the start. And since race stereotypes trump credentials and professional achievements, corporations are thus very white.

All of this stems from the biggest characteristic of the middle class: an obsession with how others views. People are constantly chasing power, profit, and prestige. Distinction. It’s quite competitive. Constantly comparing themselves or other workers to each other over outpit.

And if you’re an outlier who managed to get into the club, you have to hide or conform to play the game — or just not get cannibalized.

Also, backgrounds with an emphasis on educational/intellectual achievement and nurtured individualism translates into a lot of corporate workers having underdeveloped conflict resolution skills. Many are terrified of conflict or confrontation, which then gets handled through lying, passive-aggressiveness, and sneaky dealings.

Since optics matter more than truth or talent, charming and well-branded psychopathic tendencies have an easier time rising to the top.

Moreover, there’s homogeny, entitlement, status anxiety and insecurity, passive-aggressiveness, bureaucracy, backstabbing, bullying, and — did I say homogeny already? — pervasive in corporate environments.

All of this varies place to place, and there are leaders/managers with “pockets” that break the mold but the mold is pretty strong.