Have you ever asked yourself why armies are vastly cooperative groups?

Why are religious groups so coherent?

Why are gangs so well organized?

The answer lies in the beliefs and ideologies that people share. Ideological beliefs (i.e., culture) are what reduce conflicts of interests among the same group of individuals. The more you share the others’ beliefs, the better you can predict their behavior and the easier it will be for you to decide whether you can trust them to act in your interests in any given situation.

Knowing this helps to understand how shared beliefs could serve, unite and advance a business. Companies are social settings that should be distinguished by their belief systems, purpose and values. When people in the business share the same belief “purpose”, they are emotionally engaged and connected.

In money worshipping businesses where money is the purpose, greed prevails, and people disregard each other as human beings to pursue and achieve their selfish gains. Money is not a unifier.