Douglas McGregor developed two theories of how people are viewed in the workplace. It's the paradigm of management vs. leadership. People need rules and direction (Theory X) vs. people are capable of self-motivation and self-direction (Theory Y). The influence of Theory Y can be observed in Whole Foods stakeholder model. The organization looks at customers, investors, and employees as interdependent stakeholders. This allows Whole Foods to operate in what Stephen R. Covey (1998) labels as the abundance mentality in his book “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People”. The idea is to think win-win, there is enough profits or benefits for everyone involved (Covey, 1998). To capitalize on Theory Y, Whole Foods knows the importance of “getting …show more content…
Whole Foods builds their human capital by focusing on talent, training, and development. The organization has made it a priority to hire top talent and give them the tools necessary to be successful in their role.
Kreitner and Kinicki (2013, p.15) defines social capital as “the production potential of strong, trusting, and cooperative relationships”. With the help of his team, John Mackey, Co-CEO of Whole Foods, has clearly identified the vision and purpose of the organization: “to try to change and improve our world” (Kreitner & Kinicki, 2013, p.30). This allows all employees to rally around their purpose, reinforcing a culture that aids in leveraging their human capital.
Corporate social responsibility is the idea that organizations should not only follow the letter of the law, but engage in ethical business practices and be good neighbors by serving their communities. Whole Foods believes in the model of conscious capitalism. Their focus is not only on following the law. They are also very aware and aligned with their purpose. As the organization has identified the world as one of their stakeholders in their purpose, they have recognized and prioritized their global responsibility. For this reason, they can be found at the top, Philanthropic responsibility level, on Carroll’s global corporate social responsibility pyramid. (Kreitner & Kinicki,
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Not only do organizations have a global social responsibility, they are also responsible for conducting business in an ethical manner. This requires organizations to act morally in decision making and identify a path to do that consistently. Hodgson principles are timeless, acting as a guide for managers and organizations. (Kreitner & Kinicki, 2013)
Whole Foods exemplifies two of these principles; the common good and humaneness. Whole Foods identified serving the world as their highest purpose and creating a culture that would aid in its mission. It can be seen in who the hire, how they train, and the service provided to their customers and community at large. This is the principle of the common good, making decisions that bring a positive impact to as many people as possible. (Kreitner & Kinicki, 2013)
Whole Foods also embodies the principle of humaneness. The principle of humanness mirror the ethical principles of beneficence and non-maleficence guiding health care practices. Beneficence is the idea of acting in manner to benefit others. Non-maleficence is the principle of “do no harm” (Byrd & Winkelstein, 2014). Both of these principles make up the principle of humanness. By practicing conscious capitalism, driving by their purpose, Whole Foods proves to be an example of humanness in
Journalist, David H. Freedman, and author of How Junk Food Can End Obesity, dedicates an article to address the situation regarding the wholesome food movement. In his writings, he points out that although this new phenomenon brags about healthier foods being made available, there are some faulty aspects within the cause. Many loyal fast-food customers are put off by the anouncement of healthier menu items, while health fanatics are raving about restaurants catering to their needs. There are two types of consumers in the world of food; both of which are blind to the opposing sides’ work ethics.
A strong upward and downward communication chain underscores the management and organizational style adopted by Trader Joe's. This means fostering a belief that the store group operates as a team and that individual opinions are valued, rather than an environment where people speak out and are either not heard or have their opinions suppressed (Workforce, 2005). (Schermerhorn, 2012) The company applies its pursuit of value to every facet of its operations” (p.W-99).
Whole Foods Market allows each market to supply products that are standardized, and also supply products based on local buyer needs, as well as the culture of the area; therefore their business strategy is transnational (Thompson, 2016, p. 192). Whole Foods Market varies their products based on location, focusing on local products and any unique products to promote a neighborhood market feel for their customers. The company strategically chooses its locations, placing them in educated areas, and then focuses on products to sustain a competitive advantage.
Across the globe, there are CEO’s, managers, and several other individual’s in leadership-type roles that have the expectation of making their company successful in the eyes of the investors, the employees, and the customers that they serve. This may be measured by a company’s gross profitability, employee engagement or overall customer satisfaction. Most companies have leadership models and strategies in place that leaders are expected to use in order to drive the expectations of the company while maintaining consistency across the business. In an effort to examine various types of leadership styles, I have conducted interviews with two individuals that are or have been previously tasked with leading their teams and their company towards success.
“Culture is not the most important thing. It’s the only thing.” (Gabler, The Magic in the Warehouse, 2016). It has been said that “Costco acts more like a cheerful cult than a hard-driving business.” (Gabler, The Magic in the Warehouse, 2016). Costco hasn’t wavered from their founder’s strategy of promoting within; over 98% of their management started their careers with Costco. This strategy clearly works; the environment is one of family not just coworkers. They are loyal to the brand and motivated to work hard and climb the corporate ladder. Costco sees this as ensuring the future of their values which in turn ensures their
This essay is an ethnographic study of Whole Foods Market which is located in Kensington, London. Whole Foods Market is a niche supermarket that sells high quality organic and natural products at high prices. In this essay, I will provide a brief orientation of ethics with regards to the concepts of Corporate Social Responsibility - macroethics and Business Ethics - microethics and the theoretical frameworks of consequentialism, deontology and virtue ethics. I will be using deontology framework in ethics devised by Immanuel Kant to assess if the marketing strategy and the products sold at Whole Foods Market support their principle of ‘organic and natural’.
They seem to be a company that enjoys their employee’s success. It is a great reflection on the company that so many people seem to enjoy their position at Whole Foods and feel like that are making a positive impact on both Whole Foods and the customers. Any company that focuses on self-motivation is going to be a winning company. This helps them build dedication and loyalty to their brand by giving those who work the hardest the most opportunities. They have been ranked as one of the top 100 places to work in America by Fortune since the list was created in 1998(WholeFoodsMarket.com).
(a) The importance of a mission statement. Whole Foods Market ® follows the basic guidelines for a mission statement with the most important aspect, motivation. This motivation was not only just for the customers to shop with them but also for their employees. “Business Week reports that firms with well-crafted mission statements have a 30% higher return on certain financial measures than firms that lack such documents” (David, 2003). In twenty-five years, Whole Foods Market ® was able to extend their business concept to “157 stores in 28 states” to include “the District of Columbia, Canada, and Great Britain” (WFM, 2004). Mission statements are to ...
To fully understand why social, economic, and cultural capital could lead to success or failure, it is essential to know the difference between the three. Social capital is defined by the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development as “the links, shared values, and understandings in society that enable individuals and groups to trust each other and to work together” (OECD, 2015). Social capital can be multiple things including family members, colleagues, and strangers who have the
One of the leading organizations that follow the servant leadership style is the coffee giant, Starbucks. The basis of the company’s organizational culture is the servant leadership principles. These principles pervade every aspect of their business. The company believes in caring their employees first, as they are the one who takes care of the customers (Ferguson, 2015). The hiring and management of the staff, the way the staff work and interact with one another, serving the customers all represent the organizational culture, their policies, and operations.
Store Operations/Incentives: From an internal perspective, Whole Foods uses a team-based strategy of operations. Employees are part of a democratic process of selecting new hirees, implementing new ideas and encour...
“Attention Whole Foods Shoppers” is an essay written by Robert Paarlberg for the May/June 2010 edition of Foreign Policy magazine. Foreign Policy was originally founded in 1970 with the intention of providing views on American foreign policy during the Vietnam war and does more or less of the same today. Paarlberg’s purpose in this essay is to convince an educated western audience that the Green Revolution was not a failure and improved life everywhere it took place, organic food having advantages over non-organic food is a myth, and the solution to food disparity is investing into agriculture modernization. With logos as the main mode of appeal, Paarlberg’s organization effectively sets up his points throughout the essay with consistently
The mission statement of an organization is designed to state the purpose of the organization. Developing an organization is usually determined during the initial start up and can be changed due to changing environment demands. Whole Foods Market is a dynamic leader in the quality food business. We are a mission-driven company that aims to set the standards of excellence for food retailers. We are building a business in which high standards permeate all aspects of our company. Quality is a state of mind at Whole Foods Market. (Whole Foods, N.d.) Before getting to the end of the mission statement it is clear that Whole Foods is focused on quality. From there Whole Foods builds on its mission statement with its vision and values aligning some of its components such as organizational culture.
In essence, Whole Foods’ mission is to highlight, “Whole Foods, Whole People, Whole Planet…” while it simultaneously meets, “…customer satisfaction, team member happiness, and excellence, return on capital investment, improvement in the state of the environment and local and larger community support” (Whole Foods, 2017). Whole Foods distinguishes itself from its competitors by championing a sustainability pledge, which guarantees that future generations will be afforded the chance to exist in a world that, “…Values human creativity, diversity, and individual choice” (Whole Foods, 2017). Furthermore, Whole Foods drafted its corporate strategies to align with the longevity of quality health for its consumers as well as the planet, specifically through the realm of organic food. Such a corporate-level strategy definitely aligns with the long-term success of the company because it informs consumers that it is interested in advancing their personal health.
The corporate social responsibility is a commitment by a business to contribute to economic development while improving the quality of life for employees and their families’ as-well as contributing to the society. Walmart is a well-known company that offers customers the items they want and need at a low cost, with nearly 4,000 stores in the United States. According to the Fortune 500, Walmart was ranked number 1 in 2015. Just like any other superstore Walmart needs to continue the use of social responsibility by recreating a relationship between business and the community especially if they want to dominate the competition in 2016. The use of sustainability, strategic philanthropy, causing market, shared values, stakeholders and global perspective will help readers understand the purpose of social responsibilities in the corporate world.