The Chief Executive Officer of Business School Netherlands International, Prof. Lere Baale, has urged Nigerian organisations to intentionally build cultures around five pillars of responsiveness, respect, reliability, responsibility and relationships.
Baale made the call while delivering a keynote lecture at the WorldStage Business Forum Q2 2026 in Lagos, as he said it was necessary for local companies to compete effectively on the global stage.
Speaking on the theme, “Nigeria’s Corporate Culture and Global Standard,” the management expert said world-class organisations distinguished themselves by their financial performance and the quality of their culture and stakeholder engagement.
According to him, organisations across Europe, North America, Asia and other emerging economies have consistently invested in building strong corporate cultures, a trend Nigerian companies can no longer afford to ignore.
Baale said many large Nigerian organisations had developed a culture of poor stakeholder engagement, as he made reference to delayed responses to correspondence, inaccessible chief executives, ignored customer complaints and weak communication with business partners.
“While the phrase ‘corporate terrorism’ may sound provocative, the concern is real.
“Many organisations ignore emails, fail to return calls and treat stakeholders as inconveniences rather than partners,” he said.
He emphasised that corporate culture went beyond vision statements and office decor, describing it as the way organisations make decisions, treat customers, value employees and demonstrate leadership.
According to him, organisations can sustain competitive advantage only through trust, professionalism and consistent stakeholder engagement.
“You can fake strategy for a while, but you cannot fake culture for long,” he said.
Baale said reputation had become one of the most valuable corporate assets in today’s digital economy, where a single poor customer experience could influence public perception within minutes.
He warned organisations against corporate arrogance, noting that many successful businesses had forgotten the relationships and responsiveness that contributed to their growth.
“The greatest danger of corporate success is not failure; it is arrogance,” he said.
Baale explained that global corporate standards were defined more by behaviour than physical infrastructure.
He said organisations regarded as world-class were known for responding promptly to enquiries, keeping promises, listening to stakeholders, communicating transparently and solving problems efficiently.
“Global standards are not expensive buildings or imported furniture. They begin with professional discipline and everyday behaviour,” he said.
The professor identified declining trust as one of the biggest challenges confronting Corporate Nigeria, noting that trust remained the foundation of sustainable business growth.
According to him, organisations earn trust through consistency, transparency, integrity and responsiveness.
“Every ignored stakeholder interaction is a withdrawal from the trust account, while every fulfilled commitment is a deposit,” he said.
Baale advocated a new corporate social contract under which customers would be respected, employees valued, suppliers treated fairly, media organisations regarded as partners and stakeholder trust protected.
According to him, organisations that will shape Nigeria’s future will not necessarily be those with the largest balance sheets, but those with the strongest cultures and highest levels of public trust.
Earlier, President and Chief Executive Officer of WorldStage Ltd., Mr Segun Adeleye, said the forum was designed to stimulate conversations on the need for Nigerian organisations to embrace globally acceptable standards of corporate conduct.
Adeleye lamented what he described as “corporate oppression,” where some large organisations ignored correspondence, declined media engagement and paid little attention to small businesses in spite of their contributions to the economy.
He noted that Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) account for about 90 per cent of businesses and provide millions of jobs in Nigeria, stressing that they deserved greater respect from larger corporations.
