To be successful, organisations need to establish a clear culture that will help people know how to behave and feel that they belong. Culture is the particular emphasis on certain values; the unwritten rules that everyone takes for granted. For example, Vodaphone is building a culture '... where employees feel valued and empowered to get the job done, where they work together and help others to do the same'. Microsoft aims to '... try to create a work culture that is fun, and offers the kind of individual affirmation people want'.

Sometimes, however, the prevailing culture has evolved over several decades, and continues simply because no one wants to change it. The competitive long-hours culture in the financial services sector suits the male-dominated workforce because the lifestyle is exciting and the rewards are high. If we women can't stand this heat, they'd probably tell us to get back to the kitchen.

Identifying your culture
One of the main reasons why it's important for you to understand the culture of your own organisation is so that you can work effectively within it, and try to influence it if necessary to achieve your goals and objectives.

But how can you recognise which culture you're working in? It can be difficult if you're so accustomed to the existing climate that, although the air is unhealthy, it feels quite normal. The trick is to ask some shrewd questions, and try to answer them as honestly as possible.

How are people expected to behave in this environment?
What is acceptable (and not acceptable) here?
What is admired and what earns disapproval?
What do you have to do to fit in?
What do you have to avoid doing?
What do these clues tell you about the values of your organisation?

Contrast the answers to these questions with your own values. Are you uncomfortable with or resigned to the dominant atmosphere? Do you ever find yourself in conflict with what others do or say? If the answer is no, you are lucky, because you have found a culture that suits your preferences. If it's yes, then there is a mismatch and you are probably feeling out of place, frustrated or powerless.

Taking action
One step towards regaining some sense of control is to identify alternatives to the current situation. Try to imagine the values, the behaviours, the attitudes and the unwritten rules that you would establish if you had the power to do so. The bosses have to battle for car-parking spaces like anyone else, people are consulted and respected, honesty is seen as important and it's OK to make mistakes.

The point of doing this is not to become even more dissatisfied with the current situation but to recognise that your personal values are not wrong – they are just different. They may be labelled soft, impractical and from cloud-cuckoo land. But they are real, they are important and, crucially, they are shared with many more people than you realise.

Sometimes you will have the opportunity to get your values acknowledged and applied. If you're a team leader and you don't like the way a member of your team is being treated, you could say how you feel and ask for things to be done differently. Those times when you foul up and the boss comes down on you like a ton of bricks, you don't have to crawl away and hide under the photocopier. You could accept responsibility confidently and ask for support while you develop your skills. Rather than remain silent when people are gleefully assassinating a colleague's character, you could point out the other side of the story. She's vulnerable, shy, awkward and is only trying to do her best. You may be ignored, you may be dismissed as being too sentimental or too prissy, but others may occasionally agree that you do have a point. They may even change their attitudes and behaviour a little. At the very least you will have said what you think, maintained your self-esteem and remained true to your own values.

Finding a better climate
If you work in a large corporation or an organisation with a long-established culture, your only chance of making significant changes may be to become the managing director! Are you becoming more alienated, angrier, more stressed as each week passes? In that case you have to consider moving on to a more agreeable working climate. It's going to be easier to find an appropriate environment, now that you understand the values that are important to you. Read the job ads carefully, study company websites, look for clues when you go for interview. If it helps, keep a mental checklist of the items you are looking for (honesty, open communication, concern for individuals, opportunities to take responsibility, an atmosphere of trust) and tick them off as you spot them in the new workplace. If you don't find them, maybe there is another aspect of the job that offsets the deficiency.

Culture is a complex phenomenon to understand, and it's even more tricky to influence. But it is one of the most important ingredients of satisfaction or dissatisfaction with work. Having identified what's important to you, you can say nothing, you can sometimes enforce your own values and, if you are lucky, you can find a job that encapsulates the things you feel are important. Whatever you do, remember that you have the right to be different – it's not the same as being wrong!