RUNNING HEAD: A Look into the Corporate Culture of Capital One
A Look into the Corporate Culture of Capital One
Karen C. Gulliford
Virginia Commonwealth University
ADLT 623
A Look into the Corporate Culture of Capital One
A Look into the Corporate Culture of Capital One
Introduction
Capital One has emerged as a leader in the financial services industry in the past two decades.
A Virginia-based corporation, Capital One has a significance presence geographically in McLean,
corporate headquarters, and Richmond areas. Capital One is now a recognized bank with 1,000 locations
all over the United States, Canada, and United Kingdom. A continually growing company, Capital One
has 30,000 employees, and currently has over 3,000 position openings worldwide. The organization is
currently in the process of acquiring two additional banks, ING and HSBC.
I am attempting to outline the culture of Capital One as observed in the Richmond locations. My
fascination with this company resides in feedback I have received from colleagues, neighbors and
relatives who have worked there and my personal experience currently in the company as a contract
employee. As a current contractor within the company, I have witnessed the operation from the
perspective as a contract employee. I work in three locations - the corporate office in Goochland County
(called West Creek), the call center location in Chester, called the James River Center (JRC) and a
location in Glen Allen (Knolls) which is also a call center environment and traditional office space.
My experience directly with the company is that of an outside contract employee, only having
about three months of inside contact with Capital One. I work as a career coach within the Capital One
University’s (COU) Career Development Center (CDC). I meet five to seven clients a day who come by
appointment for individual career coaching services on a volunteer basis. My role is to provide career
assessments, have dialogue, and assist each associate reach his career goals. I desire to give my
viewpoint from an outside examiner. I am using my data and notes from coaching the organization’s
associates, individual interviews from human resources associates, and information from my participation
in the new hire on-boarding exercise.
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A Look into the Corporate Culture of Capital One
Several cultural artifacts exist in the environment; however each location is distinctly unique.
The West Creek location is a campus tucked in a beautiful wooden landscape with eight large, multi-level
buildings. The buildings are designed with a very open floor plan, bright colors, lounge and coffee bar
areas, learning centers, and conference rooms with high-tech audio-visual systems. The associates are
culturally diverse, including White, Indian, and African American, but visibly mostly White associates.
The associates are dressed professionally – men uniformed in khaki pants and button-down or oxford
shirts, and women in tailored slacks and blouses. These professional-level associates may work flexibly
in any building, at flexible times and with an option to work from home. In contrast, the Chester call
center (JRC) is a one level non-descript building with performance dashboards, recognition posters and
over 1,000 cubicles strewn throughout the sectioned areas in rows. The associates must come into the
office for the assigned shift. Through observation, I would suppose more than half of the associates here
are African American. The clothing consists of jeans, t-shirts, sweat pants, designer-style boots and
jackets.
Many hair styles consist of braids, dreadlocks, and afros. I immediately found this location to
be a sub-culture of Capital One.
This visual contrast is noted throughout this analysis, in addition to differences in literacy,
internal adaptation and assumptions. This paper is organized by three areas of analysis. The first area of
discussion is how Capital One adapts to its external environment. The banking and financial industry has
endured much change and scrutiny in the past decade. In addition to competition, Capital One has
adjusted to economic downturn and legislation changes in just the past five years. The second area to
observe is the topic of the management of internal integration. To understand its culture, one must
recognize the power and influence dynamic, rewards and benefits allocation, performance management,
and relationship formation. The third area of consideration in looking at the culture is the underlying
assumptions that are present. I will try to unravel some of the unspoken patterns of behavior and actions
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A Look into the Corporate Culture of Capital One
such as how the company determines truth, the value of time and space, and leadership assumptions about
human nature of the Capital One culture.
The Process of External Adaptation
Mission and Strategy
The early years of the company began in 1988 as a credit card provider offering innovative credit
approaches. At that time, most card companies were big banks, all offering the same 19.8% annual
percentage rates. Owners Rich Fairbank and Nigel Morris decided to use databases to develop an
Information-Based Strategy (IBS) to dissect how the customer uses credit and consequently offer the
customer a unique product with infinite possibilities. The two men offered the idea to 23 banks, but only
one bought the idea – Signet Bank in Richmond, Va. The beginnings of Capital One started on the
premise of innovation and perseverance. In addition to creating a new era in credit cards, they were the
first to offer the concept of balance transfer, where customers could transfer the balance on one credit
card to another. Schein (2010) asserts that companies need a goal definition so that it can survive
economically and grow, while providing good relationships with investor, stakeholders, suppliers,
managers and employees, and finally the customer. The shared assumptions around mission, goals and
strategy are evident in Capital One’s innovation and determination right from the beginning. The
espoused mission at this time was to get credit cards in customer’s hands. This was done though the IBS
platform. This process allowed the company to discover many product options, offering different products
to every single customer based on individual data such as age, credit rating, debt, income, etc. and
offering credit to customers who had been turned down by other big banks.
Capital One has an espoused strategy of “unassailability and conservative lending”. They claim
that this strategy has held them though the challenging economic downturn. Later, in 2002, Capital One
added a new goal, to become a bank. Knowing nothing about banks, it took a risk in order to fulfill the
business need for more reliable funding sources. They aggressively pursued this goal and purchased three
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A Look into the Corporate Culture of Capital One
banks within a four year period. It was very clear early in the company’s history that the establishment of
goals and strategy were important to survival. This strategy proved to help the company in tougher times.
Means and Measurements to Survive in Competition
By 1997, Capital One was a publicly traded company, was in growth mode, and hiring. Another
strategy they employed was that of “test and learn”. The company believed that it should take risks based
on IBS results. They soon developed markets in Canada and the U.K. They continued to take more risks
and expanded into the medical business, 1-800-Flower, cell phones and other ventures. Many of them did
not work. Around this growth time, the company had to deal with its market share reality. Their new
logo “What’s in your wallet?” proved that people did not know what was in their wallet, so they dumped
the extensive direct mail campaign. At one time, Capital One was the largest user of the U.S. Postal
Service. The company admits these mistakes, but that the mistakes helped them learn. The means and
measurements that Schein (2010) outlines as adaptations for survival include Capital One’s IBS, taking
risks, employing a “test and learn” philosophy, and correcting or stopping strategies as mistakes are made.
The original plan by the founders to use data, technology and innovation (usually involving risk)
has followed the company’s operating principle to make decisions. The data collection, controls, analysis
and aggressive actions are evident in how employees are hired, trained, monitored, rewarded and
organized as well. The ongoing assumption is that data is favorable and always needed to determine the
next business action.
Values are Established
By 2002, to further distinguish its strategy and mission, the company espoused its Values and
Attributes. The new values were: “Excellence” and “Do the Right Thing”. These Values were played
out in much of its internal and external operations, such as recruiting, performance management along
with the pursuance of its business and community goals.
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A Look into the Corporate Culture of Capital One
The hiring process includes evidence of the pursuit of excellence. Job candidates are rigorously
screened with several layers of interviews, case studies and online “assessments” and tests, to determine
suitability for the demanding performance expectations. The new values were asserted down to the
individual associate level and the expectations of excellence. The COU and the CDC are also examples
of excellence, where the tools are available so each associate can do ones best. The company also
embodies “Do the Right Thing” through its availability of career coaching for all associates at no cost,
and extensive community outreach projects in the area public schools and other pro bono work by
associates.
Each value is defined by several accompanying written attributes. The attributes of excellence
are: Best People, Strategically Bold, Intellectually Rigorous, Well-Managed, and Ownership. Artifacts
respond directly to many of these attributes. For example, a definition of being well managed is “obsess
for great execution” and “communicate too much” and “anticipate and drive change”. These words speak
to hard work, long hours, continuous process improvement projects, and constant meetings to complete
tasks and collaborate. Under the value of Do the Right Thing, the company states the attributes as:
Open, Teamwork, Respect for Each Other, Respect for the Customer, Integrity.
Some definitions of
being open are: “be direct”, “be authentic”, “value diversity of ideas” and “seek and give feedback”.
Some of the artifacts evident in response to these words are the very open process of ongoing feedback in
what they call the 10-10 conversation between a manager and a subordinate. I asked some associates if
they feel they are living the values overall, as well as listening in to many associates in my coaching
conversations. Most values and attributes are manifest, and associates acknowledge the culture of
rigorousness, constant feedback, change, restructuring, and challenging high standards.
Correction and Repair
In addition to learning from business mistakes, such as buying cell phone and flower companies,
Capital One’s aggressive fast-moving and aggressive growth came to an abrupt halt in 2001 with the
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A Look into the Corporate Culture of Capital One
September 11 attacks, and in 2002, when the company received a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)
from the government. The stock fell 40% in one day from the announcement of the MOU. There was
little risk management process in place and they had to correct this immediately. The company made
tough but firm decisions including layoffs, constant restructuring and while maintaining to be an
aggressive leader with managing its problems. The company had to formalize its corporate governance
structure and they admittedly called this the “wake up call” and emergence into maturity.
There was also a change in atmosphere after the MOU. One of my sources I spoke with thought
that the company limited its risk-taking and entrepreneurial spirit after the MOU. She noticed a marked
limitation in new technology since that time. Many longer term employees remember that period in time
as being a quiet, uncertain time. The reprimand obviously changed the company forever, as they
regressed to a more conservative approach. Becoming a bank thwarted the era of fast innovation and big
sweeping changes. Risk management became the new order of the day.
The company is proud of its quick rebound to this external reprimand. The rebound was so
profound, that legislators asked the company for input on the 2009 Credit Card Accountability,
Responsibility, and Disclosure Act (CARD).
The Process of Internal Integration
The corporate culture within the organization has many facets, reflected by the different
locations, employee populations and job tasks. The common language, for example, can vary depending
on the location. Also, items such as norms of trust, intimacy, love and friendship are very different based
on the West Creek location or a call center, such as the JRC location. Some areas where I learned how
individuals integrate are mostly seen in the treatment of new hire associates, the prevalence of local
language, intimacy and distribution of rewards.
Being New
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A Look into the Corporate Culture of Capital One
New associates are treated differently based on job type and location. As I have stated earlier,
there are visible differences based on location within Capital One. New associates in the West Creek
location are given a formal tour, and visit the Town Center building to attend orientation sessions in this
state-of-the-art conference center. The location includes an amphitheatre-like training room, an executive
dining room and food stations with free pastries, coffee, and snacks during breaks. After orientation, the
new associate in this environment is assimilated in their department. The process of learning on-the-job
varies at this point based on the manager and type of work. I have been told by coaching clients and my
contacts that being new can be a trial-by-fire experience. The assumption is that if you were smart
enough to get hired, you are smart enough to know what to do. Some new associates are disoriented with
the lack of clear direction, set tasks or job knowledge. I have talked to newer associates after only three
months of employment who are not feeling productive and they fear reprimand or termination because the
are floundering in ambiguity. The associates are not hand held. They must figure out how to make it in
their new dynamic, diverse surrounding.
At the JRC, new associates go to training classes in their call center location. The learning is very
organized and planned. The new associates are taught the computer system, the call center process and
procedures. They do side-by-side job shadowing and learn the specific production metrics to which they
will be held. The team leader is responsible for answering questions, on the floor training, and
monitoring the calls for quality control. Managers are more stationary and reliable in the call center. The
controls are very strict in the JRC, and the outline of expectations is very clear. The associates know
their role and the consequences of not meeting the goals.
The company is currently revamping aspects of the on-boarding process and the use of buddies
have been employed to assist employees assimilate as soon as possible.
Common Language
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A Look into the Corporate Culture of Capital One
The use of language used in the different locations is also interesting and fascinating. The
proliferation of literacy used especially in the professional ranks has a distinct tone and definition. I
identify the language used specifically as a literacy, which carry meaning, a social practice or a
representation of a corporate value or attribute (Belfiore, Defoe, Folinsbee, Hunter & Jackson, 2004).
Some examples of words used and collected meanings are:
“Deck” – a presentation of ideas, given in a PowerPoint™ presentation
“Pull-up” – to have an informal brief meeting on a specific topic
“10-10” – a feedback meeting; 10 minutes for manager, 10 minutes for subordinate (theoretically)
“Space” – department; line of business or area of general responsibility
“Own” – responsible for a body of work
These terms all represent the corporate culture in some form. For example the term “deck”
indicates that presentation skills and clarity are important. The term “10-10” indicates a need for
succinctness. The term “own” translates to taking responsibility for work. This literacy is individual to
Capital One, and must be learned through listening, becoming oriented or asking someone what is being
said.
I found the corporate literacy used widespread in the West Creek location. The body language
and preparedness to speak with confidence was also evident. Upon asking a human resources associate I
had just met about herself, she stood straight up, poised herself and said in a very stately manner that she
worked in a certain” space”, and “owned” a certain type of reporting function. Another example occurred
when a friend of mine, who was working as a contractor in human resources, told me that she was having
trouble understanding the direction of a Sr. Director. Upon asking him for clarification his response was
not only full of the corporate jargon, but posturing and vagueness. This pattern proved to be very
frustrating, as an outsider cannot decode some of the meanings. It appears that words can be used to
promote or to deter as needed in the organization. Schein (2010) explains that language is often
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A Look into the Corporate Culture of Capital One
overlooked and taken for granted that all language is understood. He writes “But as we know all too well
from our own cross-cultural travel experiences, language is embedded in a wider context in which nonverbal cues, tone of voice, body language, and other signals determine the true meaning of what is said”
(p. 120).
I find very different literacies in the JRC. The corporate literacy here is not as evident, but rather
I experience a localized slang, informal joking and teasing, along with laid-back body posture, sighing,
gum-chewing and lack of the professional stance that I witness in West Creek. The differences are
perhaps expected since the job qualifications and expectations are very different in this location; however
I found it fascinating that in the same company there are very different assumptions about the acceptance
of body language and communication. The Knolls location seems to exhibit a combination of both. One
associate described Knolls as the “in-between” culture.
Intimacy
Another great distinction between locations is the phenomenon of closeness, trust and intimacy
among peers. I witness a certain distance, or a barrier, between peers in the West Creek location. Due to
the high expectations of excellence and hard work, associates are very busy, hurried and preoccupied with
work. Overall, there is a low degree of emotionality, as associates generally communicate for business
only, and for specific purposes, such as to complete a task, make a decision or gain information. As I
enter an elevator or visit the café for lunch, I am not addressed, or given eye contact. No one will speak to
me, smile or ask my name or role. Perhaps the assumption is that if you are competent, you will not have
time for small talk. The Teamwork attribute includes one definition to “have fun”. I do not see evidence
of people having fun at work, although a departmental holiday party seems an acceptable time to lighten
up and have some cheer. I attempted and experiment by giving a slight hug to a female professional
associate at the COU holiday party, and it was extremely awkward for her – she gently patted me on the
back quickly to end the embrace. However, I will note that during a couple of my coaching
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A Look into the Corporate Culture of Capital One
conversations with professional women, they chose to give me a hug, and thanked me for the
conversation or said “have a nice holiday”. I suppose that after knowing someone more intimately, it is
acceptable for women to show closeness.
The fact that employees in West Creek do not have an assigned schedule, seat, or hours also may
interfere with bonding, collaboration, and dialogue. An associate told me that her team is so spread out
throughout the country that it did not matter where she worked. She actually preferred to work in a remote
area, so she could get her work done. The interruption of chatter would set her behind with all she had to
do.
At JRC, there is a lot of eye contact, talking, self-expression, laughter, and casual walks to the
cafeteria or to another associate’s cubicle. The associates are not walking so swiftly or in much of a
hurry. Associates in the call center are often congregating in the halls, and they will have small talk
between taking customer calls. I have also observed that my coaching clients in JRC and sometimes
Knolls locations have very different conversations with me. For example, associates in the call center
location are very open with me about aspects of their personal lives including parenting, issues with
parents or other elderly family members, financial troubles, problems with attaining an education, and a
variety or other socio-cultural issues. They are very open and relaxed with me. We often engage in
conversation about the reality of roadblocks to success such as feelings of low self-esteem, suppression,
family pressure, and lack of support.
Rewards and Performance Management
Associates are subject to performance ranking – called cross-calibration. It is well known among
associates that they are rated amongst their peers. Associates are given ratings based on performance
compared to peers in the same position. There is a compulsory bell curve rating system with few on the
top, most in the acceptable range (65%), and few on the bottom. According to my contact I interviewed,
this open system of evaluation causes competition between some associates. This competition may
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A Look into the Corporate Culture of Capital One
contribute to the loss of intimacy in the atmosphere, where associates are primarily concerned with strong
individual performance. This reaction to the cross-calibration seemingly imposes on the attribute of
Teamwork and Respect for Each Other.
Rewards are available to those who work very hard, have the best and brightest ideas, and have
strong project and communication skills. For West Creek associates, hard work has been defined by
associates as long hours, including working all hours of the day or from home on the company-issued
laptop. Praise can be given publicly in front of peers and includes promotions, more income, status and
titles. The assumption is that to receive these rewards, you must put in the hours, communicate ones
needs and wants, have new ideas, and have exposure to projects and higher level management.
In the JRC, employees are rewarded for meeting sales and collection metrics. There are tensions
that exist between the different cultures. Call center associates have expressed feelings to me of being on
the bottom, suppressed, overlooked, and unintelligent or robots. If a call center associate can articulate
career aspirations, one can become promoted to supervisor, data analyst, trainer, or higher level nonexempt position. I wonder if the management in the call center environment assumes these associates
need high levels of regulation, and will not perform or learn unless “trained”, motivated with cash
incentives, and subjected to constant phone monitoring and feedback. Schein (2010) states that
employees are acquiescent and respond and adapt to the assumptions held about them. Many associates
that I talk to in the call center are very aware of the close supervision, monitored calls and production
goals. Some associates have named the JRC the “dungeon” that is hard to ever “make it out of here”.
Feeling oftentimes removed from the view of other offices, they are fully aware that gaining exposure and
recognition outside of their team are rare, thus leading to ongoing frustrations.
All associates must constantly perform and show value or they are ranked low in cross-calibration
and put on a performance action plan. Exempt associates are expected to change roles, projects, or
responsibilities frequently. Employees openly admit they are offered excellent pay with benefits, bonuses,
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A Look into the Corporate Culture of Capital One
flexibility and time off – even in the call center. The tension exists between having an ostensibly “good
job” in challenging current economic times and feeling the pressure to perform at the highest level at all
times. Many have searched for positions outside of the company and reported that the salary was lower
and the hours less flexible.
Underlying Assumptions
Identifying the hidden assumptions in the social context can be difficult to decipher. For example,
when I try to determine Capital One’s high or low context, I find a mixture of evidence. At times,
statements and events are clear across the board, but in other situations, associates have to be careful
about what the say or do around certain managers.
Reality and Truth
Capital One expects that truth finding is a process of utilizing data (as in the use of IBS) to make
determinations and decisions. Facts are brought to the group to weigh, and a scientific method is used to
test reality (test and learn philosophy). Problems are discussed as a team, yet the next level(s) of
management must have the final say in the next action step. Associates are glad to have input, yet they
must present all the facts to upper management and wait for the verdict. Once data and evidence are
presented, the leader must take into consideration all aspects and make a choice. Schein (2010 describes
this process as a revealed dogma, where the leader is the wisest and knows the way. He describes this
method of reality-seeking as an external physical reality. The company’s original goals, values and
mission filter down to the department level – data is supreme and required for the real answers. Data
must be tested and then the correct information is revealed. Decisions are to be made quickly and acted
upon immediately.
Testing and trying is another corporate strategy that permeates down into the department level.
As Schein (2010) outlines, truth can be defined by what works - the pragmatic trying out of ideas, is a
technique used by organizations to determine truth (pg. 94).
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A Look into the Corporate Culture of Capital One
Human Behavior
As mentioned in the new hire discussion, West Creek associates are expected to be smart and top
notch (attribute: Best People). Associates are expected to deal with changes, difficult situations,
challenges and hard work. Communication skills, poise and tact are traits that dominate the competitive
environment. If you are shy, timid, work slowly, or lack assertion skills, one will lose the fight to stay in
the culture – one will be “out” quickly. Associates without a project to work on will likely be a target to
lay-off or get moved to another area. Some associates in JRC tell me that they do not feel the company
employs the attribute of hiring the best in the call center. It has been acknowledged that the criteria have
been downgraded in recent years to attract more people to work in Chester. In this case, pragmatism
wins out over espoused attributes. Since data is supreme and it is the true answer to the company’s
direction and strategy, associates learn to expect rapid changes and to not expect current operations to
stay the same very long. One Knolls associate I talked to recently told me she was struggling with this
ever-changing environment. She had been with the company two years. She has had four managers in
these two years and each manager has brought new goals and processes. She said her department was a
“test area” where new processes and procedures are tested and tried out in her area, and if the new ideas
work, the managers take the new idea to more areas and a new manager emerges. Project management
and process improvement is part of life, as the “test and try” strategy is core to the business strategy.
Over time associates must become accustomed to this phenomenon and adjust.
Associates and management assume they have control of the environment, so they seek and track
more data to act on. The environment encourages innovation, testing, evaluation and quick action.
Schein (2010) makes a distinction between a “doing” environment and a “being” environment. It is
apparent that Capital One’s assumption is that individuals can seek perfection, and should try to seek
perfection (Value: Excellence). Failures are considered natural, but only after data are analyzed, and
actions are approved to test and try. The company does show some signs of a “being-in-becoming”
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A Look into the Corporate Culture of Capital One
orientation, in that associates are offered career coaching as a means to improve, explore possibilities, and
reframe ones condition. Potentially, one may discover through this self-exploration that they are better
off leaving the company.
It is also a widely held assumption that contractors are needed, yet they are not the same status
and level as an associate. Contractors should not be viewed as having spare time, or be seen in the gym
or lounge areas. One source told me the standards are lower for contractors. They are there to do a
specific job, so they do not have to be as competent. As a contractor, I am becoming aware that I should
not waste time, so I pack my schedule tightly, and follow the rules. When asked for my opinion, it is best
to give it, yet I have heard I should be careful not to be too open and honest. The attributes of Open and
Integrity may not be completely true for “outsiders” such as contractors.
Time and Space
The idea of time and space at Capital One assumes that everyone is so busy, so there is little time
to relax and socialize or waste another’s valuable time. Associates are expected to be on time, because
schedules (managed by Outlook™ calendars) are tightly scheduled and monitored by administrative
assistants. If your time is not booked, along with a room to meet, the meeting is non-existent. I found
resistance within my work group when I inquired about possible interviewees in preparation for this
analysis. Everyone I asked had to check with someone else to see if it could be done. I later learned that
stopping one’s work to assist someone on a school project is meaningless and an unwelcome distraction.
I described earlier the landscape of the diverse locations. West Creek’s open architecture conveys
importance and professionalism, and exposure to the outside world. Associates in these areas are
assumed to work independently without close manager supervision. They all have use of a laptop,
including contractors. There are no phones ringing or paper and few file cabinets, as the environment
encourages working remotely, working “on the run” and occasionally from home. I once witnessed a
female associate one morning at 8:30 working in the Town Center building at West Creek. She stood with
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A Look into the Corporate Culture of Capital One
her coat and purse still on, and had perched her laptop over a trash can as she worked feverishly. As I
excused myself when I attempted to throw my trash away, I joked with her about her work arrangement,
and she said “I know, I know, this is bad!”
The scheduling component is also just as demanding. Many people will set an appointment,
cancel it and reschedule. There is a constant juggle of time and fitting people in based on priorities,
changing demands, and meetings. It has become an assumption that everything must be scheduled and
the calendar will tell you what you can handle and when. I personally put time on my calendar to eat,
visit the ladies room, and pack up so I can leave on time to get to my class after work. I assume that
dropping in on someone for a quick five minute chat is an imposition.
The JRC location represents a lower expectation, as a production center with and less exposure
to the public. Associates sit near a supervisor in a cubicle. The display of posters and performance and
recognition boards are what my colleague calls “like an elementary school”. Personal artifacts such as
pictures and gadgets are completely acceptable to display in personal work areas. This environment
permits a better possibility of intimacy at work.
The time and space assumptions in each location are very distinct yet similar in some ways. The
facilities are very clean and well maintained. For example, the bathrooms are continually cleaned and
refreshed several times a day. I notice that each location has conference rooms or work areas named after
a Richmond landmark or major street, like “Shockoe Bottom”. This artifact ensures constant contact with
the community at large. These traits all signify the company’s stated values and attributes.
Conclusion
I have challenged myself to analyze this large corporation. My goal was to provide a background
of the history, means, measures and behaviors that make Capital One the entity that it has become. A
very successful company, it thrives on an unwavering business strategy, with the use of data, technology
and innovation. Rich Fairbanks is still at the helm, and has embedded his original methods, beliefs and
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A Look into the Corporate Culture of Capital One
values upon the organization. I do not have knowledge of his executive leadership staff, yet I presume
that his head chiefs are like-minded in philosophy. The apparent solutions and concepts Fairbanks has
entrenched over 20 years ago still exist today. This culture he created can only be continued through the
modeling, teaching and supporting of similar behaviors and actions throughout the management team.
I hope that this analysis also brings about the very positive characteristics of the company as well.
Associates acknowledge the flexible schedules, training and development, great benefits and pay. The
company is also very involved in the community and supports several charities, especially working with
local public school children.
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A Look into the Corporate Culture of Capital One
References
Belfiore, M. E., Defoe, T. A., Folinsbee, S., Hunter, J & Jackson, N. S. (2004). Reading work: Literacies
in the new workplace. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Schein, E. (2010). Organizational Culture and Leadership. San Francisco, CA: John Wiley & Sons.
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A Look into the Corporate Culture of Capital One
IBS
Information
Based Strategy
Internal
Adaptation:
 Fast pace
 High
Performance
 Adapt quickly
Assumptions:




Leader
Knows Best
Up or out
Work hard
and change
often
Speak up or
lose out
Internal
Adaptation:
 Low Emotion
 Good
Opportunity
 Good Pay
External Adaptation:
 Data Rules
 Innovation
 Test and Try
Strategy and
Mission:
 Right Product
to the Right
Customer at
the Right Time
 Unassailability
Values and
Attributes:






Excellence
Do the Right
Thing
Be Open
Best People
Teamwork
Intellectually
Rigorous…
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