ROFF, point well-taken. This is because 1) culture is not about coming to work and making friends, 2) silly gifts are just that -- silly and worthless, and 3) this isn't elementary school -- it's a corporation.

That said, real culture must start from the top-down. Real culture is not where the employees buy each other coffee and goof around on Facebook... real culture is where it starts from the CEO and trickles down. And, it includes real care, not from the employees, but from the corporation: quality hotels, a sizable Christmas bonus, a gift of positive-space round-trip airfare, vouchers to take your family out if you worked a holiday, and a whole lot more. The bottom line is that the CEO must set the precedent, and it needs to trickle down.

If that were provided, would you feel differently that culture is, in fact, important to you? Real question.