Week One: Organizational Culture at CVS|Aetna

During my first week as an intern participant in CVS Health|Aetna’s General Corporate Management Internship Program (GMCIP), I gained a thorough understanding of the organization’s culture. Through my week-long, full-day orientation schedule, along with my fellow interns, I was exposed to all parts of the CVS Health enterprise, including the values, attitudes and expectations about work in the company; as well as the strengths and weaknesses of the organization’s culture. First and foremost, values are extremely important to CVS Health as an organization and individually, to their employees. The company refers to itself as a health care innovator and its espoused values include innovation, collaboration, caring, integrity, and accountability. Through channeling these values, CVS Health empowers its employees to create meaningful, substantial change in the lives of those they service. Through my virtual orientation at the company, it was evident that people joined the organization with the common shared goal of improving the health and lives of others. From those on the financial side of the business, to those managing insurance, to those actually providing personal care, it was very clear to me that this goal was universally believed in by those who make up the company. I respond positively to the expectation that the work I will be doing will be directly contributing to CVS Health’s overarching mission and purpose. 

Regarding CVS Health|Aetna’s strengths and weaknesses of the organization’s culture, I believe it is imperative to recognize the context of the organization. In 2018, CVS Health acquired the insurance provider, Aetna, catapulting the healthcare giant to spot number four on the Fortune list. While the synergy was the reason for the M&A, there have been unintentional consequences related to the culture of the organizations. From what I have noticed during my brief time in the GMCIP, many people on the Aetna side of the business have resisted fully merging with the CVS Health culture. I believe the transition may have been conducted abruptly and the leadership styles of the executives in the two organizations differed considerably. As we discussed throughout orientation, the enterprise still has steps it can and should take to mitigate organizational cultural differences. As my internship places me on the Aetna side of the business, I am interested in learning more about the acquisition and how each organization has acclimated to the other.