when it’s hard, it is not absolutely necessary, and no one is looking

[GoodTaste]

Does "when it’s hard, it is not absolutely necessary, and no one is looking" mean "when the culture is hard, when the culture is not absolutely necessary, and (uphold the culture when) no one is looking (at you how you behave)"?

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GINO: Toxic cultures and workplaces, research finds, cause anxiety, stress, health problems, absenteeism, job burnout, counterproductive work behavior, and ultimately degrade productivity and increase turnover. For effective cultures to produce the effects they are intended to have, everyone has to uphold the culture even when it’s hard, it is not absolutely necessary, and no one is looking.

June 8, 2020

Source:Harvard Universitty
https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/sto..._medium=social

 

[GoesStation]

No. What else might "it" refer to?

 

[GoodTaste]

No. What else might "it" refer to?

It most likely refers to "upholding the culture."

When upholding the culture is hard, stick to it! When upholding the culture is not absolutely necessary, stick to it. When no one is looking at you, stick to it. This loyalty will produce the effects you aspire.