Can we Turn Corporate Culture into Competitive Advantage?

Let's take an example from the very competitive IT industry, where only a handful of companies stand out. One of them, Centiro, is repeatedly recognized as a Great Place to Work in Sweden in specific and Europe in general. Centiro is a logistic software firm from Borås who are transforming the world of technology. The Gartner Group calls them a "cool vendor." What makes them cool is their ethos ofcreating a competitive advantage through corporate culture.

But what does it take to be among the best places to work for in Europe?According to Centiro CEO Niklas Hedin, "I always call the customer and ask them, why did we win? And they will most of the time say, 'It's about your people, it's about the way you interact with us and the feeling you create'"

According to Hedin, the company's "culture and people in the organization are our competitive advantage."We're a...