4. Values at Work

What distinguishes successful companies from their less successful counterparts? All companies enjoying above-average performance are known to have a dedicated corporate culture. It is sustained by a clear set of values that are maintained and applied in all areas at excellent companies—within and without. The means and tools offered by the values cockpit will now be explored with case studies drawn from current German and Austrian based business: HiPP GmbH & Co. Vertrieb KG, Hilti AG, Brauerei Gebrüder Maisel KG, dm-drogerie markt GmbH + Co. KG, and Pro Natur GmbH, who enjoy coherent corporate cultures that are constantly evolving and durable enough to survive any crisis. The interviews with the people at the helm of these companies, Professor Claus Hipp, Michael Hilti, Jeff Maisel, Erich Harsch, and Rudolf F. Schreiber, show that their companies consider the corporate culture as the key value creation process that precedes and governs all other processes. Values-oriented management and corporate social responsibility are two cornerstones of this value adding process.