When it comes to company culture and having a reputation that attracts and retains quality people, the small stuff is the important stuff. If the boss adds a little to the expense account, maybe the CFO adds a little to the balance sheet. If the person in the cube next to you treats a vendor poorly, then maybe that vendor adds a little extra to the invoice next time - or tells 100 people not to do business with you. In November, CBS on line had an article entitled "Bad Behavior Contagious, Study Finds" - highlighting some of the research on this phenomena. For me and others I am sure, steeped in social psychology and the impact of the social norms - it's a no-brainer. But most folks blow off the effects of small behaviors.
Keeping your eye on the small stuff is probably the single biggest thing a company can do to influence culture.
