Purpose: This conceptual paper explores the problems associated with trying to address culture as one of the key aspects in effective workplace strategies. Design/methodology/approach: This paper critically addresses the relationship between workplace strategies and the behavioural components of locality. It reviews the role that the concept of culture has, so far, played in trying to predict these behavioural consequences as part of (literature discussing) efforts to design appropriate workplace strategies. Findings: The discussion reveals the need to further address this relation through dedicated research. What is more, it is argued that there is a clear need to focus explicitly on work patterns, and how these can be accounted for in workplace strategies, instead of continuing to focus on the concept of culture as a predictor for successfulness. It is argued that the latter does not allow for practical application, whereas the former could help us to better understand and predict the effectiveness of specific workplace strategies in specific (local) circumstances. Practical implications: The outcome of the discussion suggests that organisations consisting of multiple locations could benefit from explicitly accounting for (local) work patterns in setting up workplace strategies for the organisation as a whole. Originality/value: This paper reveals a relevant research gap in current literature on workplace strategies and suggests a shift in focus from culture to work patterns as one of the key aspects to address.