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The Best Business Culture Books

Last updated on August 25, 2021

We looked at the top 5 Business Culture Books and dug through the reviews from 12 of the most popular review sites including and more. The result is a ranking of the best Business Culture Books.

Best Business Culture Books

Our Review Process

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Business today truly is international, with technology allowing employees, customers and owners/partners to come together from anywhere in the world. With this comes a plethora of communication styles and cultural backgrounds.

Moreover, the economy, technology and global culture are changing so quickly that what worked for the manager that came before you may not work for you. In such an environment, the right book on business culture can be a lifesaver.

Organizational culture is now its own field of study, and you can easily begin reading up with a textbook on the subject. When choosing a book, check an author’s bona fides to see if they’ve successfully led or fostered specific companies or cultures. If they come from an academic or scientific background, find out if their research is rigorous and peer-reviewed.

More than anything, look for specific and actionable advice. It can be easy to get lost in generalities with an abstract concept like organizational culture.

Our Picks For The Top Business Culture Books

View All Recommendations
Product Overview
Our Take
Pros
Cons
 Our Top Pick

Ben Horowitz What You Do Is Who You Are

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Ben Horowitz

What You Do Is Who You Are

Using four examples of successful leadership from history (including Genghis Khan's cultural inclusiveness and the only successful slave revolt) this book analyzes how these lessons can be applied to build an intentional and purposeful corporate culture in the modern world.

Overall Take

Historically Based WisdomGreat for history buffs, managers, and those who are a bit of both, this book will transform how you approach business culture.

Pros
" Unexpected and delightful. Possibly the least dry and simultaneously most practical book on organizational culture currently on the market. Using a blend of case studies from history and present-day interviews, Horowitz offers insight and suggestions on purposeful actions leaders can..."
Cons
"A study in tone-deafness; a white author using Louverture’s rebellion against murderous slave owners to contextualize Amazon’s frugality principle does not land in the place the author seems to believe it will. Readers looking for a testosterone jolt will find..."
 Runner Up

Daniel Coyle The Culture Code

Daniel Coyle

The Culture Code

This book examines a diverse array of the world's most successful organizations, ranging from shoe companies and sports teams to military units, to identify specific strategies that produce cooperation, innovation and cohesion. The book also includes real-life examples of what not to do.

Overall Take

What Works BestTake control of your business' culture with a book that offers an effective mix of science, insights from leaders and practical advice.

Pros
" This is a really engaging, inspiring, and helpful book about the often subtle or misunderstood behaviors that make a team successful."
Cons
"My only critique is that it does drag on in a spot or two, but overall it doesn’t."
 We Also Like

Erin Meyer The Culture Map

Erin Meyer

The Culture Map

Corporate cultures worldwide are as different as the social cultures they're embedded in. This book breaks down these cultures and provides concrete, actionable advice to bridge gaps and create a functional framework for your business. It does so in a readable and engaging way.

Overall Take

Guide to Global DifferencesThis book unlocks the secrets to communicating with those from different backgrounds and is perfect for global companies.

Pros
" A practical guide for navigating cultural complexity while conducting global business. Interesting examples of everyday failures to communicate and work around solutions. Implements personal changes sounds like a challenge, but that is the way things are."
Cons
"From an academic perspective I was a little disappointed that the development of the data used to establish each of the rankings is only discussed briefly. Having more information on the background source for the data would, for me, have..."
 Strong Contender

Edgar H. Schein Organizational Culture and Leadership

Edgar H. Schein

Organizational Culture and Leadership

The fifth edition of this book, a defining one in the field, explains the abstract concept of organizational culture and how it relates to leadership. The role of leadership is examined especially in terms of organizational age: from its founding, though its mid-life, and into maturity.

Overall Take

Shape Your TeamThis book offers a great starting point for understanding business culture and considers unique approaches for your own business.

Pros
" Dr. Schein is an expert on Organization Culture and Development, having spent decades in the field. This book is a must have for any manager or leader. It provides insights and deeper understanding in to the way people work and..."
Cons
"The length made this a long, but worthwhile, slog."
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Products Considered

We identified the majority of the business culture books available to purchase.
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Expert Reviews Included

In addition to our expert reviews, we also incorporate feedback and analysis of some of the most respected sources including: Good Reads, Stravaro, LLC, Ulfire, Justin G. Gravitt, Gemba Academy.

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Our experts reviewed the top 5 Business Culture Books and also dug through the reviews from 12 of the most popular review sites including and more. The result is a ranking of the best of the best Business Culture Books.

DWYM is your trusted roduct review source. Our team reviews thousands of product reviews from the trusted top experts and combines them into one easy-to-understand score. Learn more.

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The Best Bang For Your Buck

Daniel Coyle The Culture Code

Our Expert Score

8.8
3 expert reviews

User Summarized Score

9.4
12,106 user reviews

Our Take

This book examines a diverse array of the world's most successful organizations, ranging from shoe companies and sports teams to military units, to identify specific strategies that produce cooperation, innovation and cohesion. The book also includes real-life examples of what not to do.

What other experts liked

This is a really engaging, inspiring, and helpful book about the often subtle or misunderstood behaviors that make a team successful.
- Good Reads
A great read that’s super helpful to anyone looking to intentionally build a culture. Coyle has uncovered three keys to culture: 1. Build Safety 2. Share Vulnerability 3. Establish Purpose. He supports these ideas with research that’s laid out in an engaging and interesting manner. For organizational leaders and pastors...
- Justin G. Gravitt
Coyle is a very good storyteller who keeps the pages turning. Each section is summarized with an “Ideas for Action” chapter which one can return to again and again.
- Gemba Academy

What other experts didn't like

There's a type of books that start with an idea and then go through many stories applying confirmation and attribution bias to explain how this simple idea was crucial to the success or failure present in these stories. Well this is one of these books.
- Good Reads
My only critique is that it does drag on in a spot or two, but overall it doesn’t.
- Justin G. Gravitt
He doesn’t overburden the book with findings from other studies. The book could have used a few more data visualizations such as the Allen Curve, showing how communication skyrockets when people are seated 8 meters or less apart, and nearly halts at 50 meters apart.
- Gemba Academy

What to Look For

  • Seek out additional reading that’s specific to your industry. This can depend on the age, size, sector and location of your business.
  • Find books focused on your specific situation. For example, are you a small business or in the public sector?
  • Always make sure the author does not dismiss the experiences of diverse employees, clients and partners.
  • Buy the latest edition of the book to ensure you’re getting the most up-to-date information about statistics, people and processes.

Business Culture Book Rankings

1. Ben Horowitz What You Do Is Who You Are

Overall Score: 9.4
Reviews Included: 6

2. Daniel Coyle The Culture Code

Overall Score: 9.2
Reviews Included: 7

3. Erin Meyer The Culture Map

Overall Score: 9.1
Reviews Included: 6

4. Edgar H. Schein Organizational Culture and Leadership

Overall Score: 9.0
Reviews Included: 4

5. Karin Hurt & David Dye Courageous Cultures

Overall Score: 8.4
Reviews Included: 3

More to Explore

The study of business culture and organizational structure borrows from the long histories of psychology, sociology and economics. Four people were especially important in the development of organizational structure as a field of study, starting with philosopher and economist Adam Smith in 1776 as the father of modern capitalism.

After him, sociologists Max Weber and Frederick Winslow Taylor stressed rationality and how individual strengths benefit an organization in the early 20th century.

In the 1950s and ’60s, psychologist Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs influenced how businesses prioritized meeting their employees’ physical and emotional requirements. The purpose was to make it possible for individuals to survive, thrive, and make more creative contributions to their workplaces.

Today, the #MeToo movement and growing awareness of employment and equity gaps mean that modern managers need to incorporate a commitment to diversity into their business culture. Fortunately, many books are available to help with that.

More to explore