Do some businesses incorprate cult type brain washing and practices?

About 9 years before I retired we were forced to participate in the 7 Habits course, which consisted of several weekly cles. I hear many workers say that it was like a new "religion" or cult. Right after that some in my department became extremely manipulative in their game-playing in order to get a promotion. It seemed we were all trapped on an island playing Survivor after that.. I never heard the phrase "the Golden Rule" mentioned one time during those cles and that is what I believe in and stuck to in my last few years on the job.