A company's stated core values and ethical principles act to prevent the emergence of company subcultures. play a major role in improving strategy execution and making the company a strong competitor in the marketplace. are the two biggest factors that influence a company's long-term profitability and market success. most usually are cosmetic, existing mainly to impress outsiders and help create a positive company image. o have two significant roles in the culture-building process: (1) fostering a work climate where company personnel share common and strongly held convictions about how the company's business is to be conducted and (2) providing company personnel with guidance about the manner in which they are to do their jobs--what behaviors and ways of doing things are approved (and expected) and which are out-of-bounds