Zappos and Lululemon
hacw_1y
11-8cWork-LifeIntegration.pdf
1/18/2021 Print Preview
https://ng.cengage.com/static/nb/ui/evo/index.html?deploymentId=5835051934529006900868413293&eISBN=9781337614467&id=1034289167&nbId… 1/1
Chapter 11: Zappos: Taking Steps toward Maximizing Stakeholder Satisfaction: 11-8c Work-Life Integration Book Title: Business Ethics: Ethical Decision Making and Cases Printed By: Toure Williams ([email protected]) © 2019 Cengage Learning, Cengage Learning
11-8c Work-Life Integration
One of Zappos’s core values is “Build a positive team and family spirit,” so the company expects employees to socialize with each other both in and out of the office. In fact, managers spend 10–20 percent of their time bonding with team members outside of work. Zappos outings include hiking trips, going to the movies, and hanging out at bars. Hsieh says this increases efficiency by improving communication, building trust, and creating friendships.
Along with creating friendships, employees are encouraged to support each other. Any employee can give another employee a $50 reward for great work. Zappos employees compile an annual “culture book” comprising essays on the Zappos culture and reviews of the company. The culture book helps employees think about the meaning of their work and is available unedited to the public. This is based on the principle of transparency.
As with its customers, the foundation of Zappos’s relationships with its employees is trust and transparency. The company wants its employees, like its customers, to actively discuss any issues or concerns that come up. Hsieh does not have an office; he sits in an open cubicle among the rest of the employees. He believes “the best way to have an open-door policy is not to have a door in the first place.” Zappos’s management is open with employees by regularly discussing issues on the company blog.
However, this positive work environment comes with the expectation employees will work hard. Employees are evaluated on how well they embody the core values and inspire others; Zappos fires people who do great work if they do not fit with the culture of the company. This helps maintain a culture of integrity. The organization wants employees to be dedicated to the firm and believes appropriate conduct will not occur unless employees share the same visions and values of the organization.
Chapter 11: Zappos: Taking Steps toward Maximizing Stakeholder Satisfaction: 11-8c Work-Life Integration Book Title: Business Ethics: Ethical Decision Making and Cases Printed By: Toure Williams ([email protected]) © 2019 Cengage Learning, Cengage Learning
© 2021 Cengage Learning Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this work may by reproduced or used in any form or by any means - graphic, electronic, or mechanical, or in any other manner - without the written permission of the copyright holder.
