Running head: DISCUSSION BOARD FORUM 2 1
Problem Solving Case – Forever 21
Discussion Board Forum 2
Odalys Perez
Dr. Karen Sturtevant
BMAL 500-B02 LUO – Summer 2022
DISCUSSION BOARD FORUM 2 2
Define the Problem (Step 1)
“A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favor is better than silver or
gold” (Proverbs 22:1, ESV). Often, one sees how many changes people or even situations. At no
moment am I saying that Mr. and Mrs. Change became greedy as Forever 21, however I do
believe forces around them did which is why the company is at the state it is now. Low morale,
turnover, lawsuits, and completely not exhibiting what it was meant to be. Once I began reading
the problems in the case, it was not hard for me to see there was a detachment of the values the
company promoted from the way genuine care for their employees was being exhibited.
In attempt to establish a set of values for our department, we did a training/workshop to
help identify what values aligned most with our type of business and each individual employee.
Using Disney’s definition, I presented values as “A set of principles or standards that we use to
operate and to make decisions” (The Disney Institute, 2014). The definition in our texbook
defines values as “abstract ideals that guide our thinking and behavior across all situations.”
(Kinicki, Angelo & Fugate, 2018, p. 279). Very similar and easy to understand. The difference
between values and let us say a mission statement or a vision is that your values should never
change.
This was clearly the problem in the Forever 21 case. Those they state as their “Key
Values” are not those that appear to be the values of the company right now. In review of the
Organizing Framework for Understanding and Applying OB (Figure 7.1) of our text, I was able
to recognize the problem in this case is under Person Factors (Kinicki et al., 2016 p.251). There
has been an obvious decline of mindfulness by the company leaders and an inability of taking
control of the factors that have caused the store to diminish the values for which the company
DISCUSSION BOARD FORUM 2 3
originally stood for. Clearly, poor leadership is to blame here for not taking these issues seriously
additionally did not address them immediately which caused them to become the company’s
culture and process of operations. By not paying attention to the inappropriate company
practices, these behaviors slowly devolved into accepted corporate practices.
Identify the Cause (Step 1)
As Christians we learn early on that one of the 10 Commandments is “You should not
take the name of the Lord your God in vain” [ CITATION Mik \l 1033 ]. The bible speaks often
about vain. Regardless of the extent of temptation or No matter how tempting or common certain
practices around us may be, as Christians, we must maintain our Christian principles in all
aspects of our lives. “Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you.
Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the
Lord is not in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:58).
The case study identifies organization processes which align with the absence of
mindfulness by company leaders, which created a work culture which overlooked these
practices. This can raise assumptions that good intentions and ideas Mr. & Mrs. Chang had for
their company was only a vision but only that. The business would be run as a corporate
powerhouse with no care for their employees and putting money first. I have concluded the
situation factor contributing to Forever 21’s problems are their set organizational practices that
started in their stores spread all over the business. Statements by former employees such as
“employees to be on call for shifts but does not compensate them for it”, or “These on-call shifts
are no different than regular shifts, and Forever 21 has misclassified them in order to avoid
paying reporting time in accordance with California Law” along with all the law suits from fifty
DISCUSSION BOARD FORUM 2 4
of their stores against the company are proof that the company values were not present or even
important.
Make Recommendations (Step 3)
One can apply different orgnazational theories to this case study because the problems
have become company problems, not those found in stores only. I would recommend that Mr.
and Mrs. Chang remember the “why”; the reason(s) they wanted to open the business in the first
place, and be involved in every aspect of their company. This means that respecting the
company’s values and culture starts at the very top with Mr. & Mrs. Chang and stems down all
the way to those new employees on their first day. Never I have seen two companies in which
this culture starts with the owners and stems down to the last person on the organizational chart
and even the fans. Many critize Jerry Jones, owner of the Dallas Cowboys for being involved in
every aspect of the company. From the corporate side, being the general manager and making
draft decisions. However, that is the way it is for the Cowboys and that culture is respected.
The New England Patriots have the same type of culture. As one of the speakers at the
Disney training I attended, Stephen A. Smith, Sports Analyst/Caster for ESPN was a guest
speaker talking about the importance of company culture. I remember he said “Everyone in the
Patriots organization knows they are there for the organization, not themselves and that starts
with Mr. Kraft and ends with those at the bottom of the work pole. This is why they win.” Robert
Kraft is very involved with the day to day operations of his organization an altough he may not
be the general manager making decisions such as draft picks like Jerry Jones does, he is side by
side the General Manager, Head Coach, and even former start quarter back Tom Brady. Author
Glen Llopis writes in a Forbes article “Kraft, Belichick and Brady need each other and play
distinct operational, strategic and talent (roster) management roles. They represent the
DISCUSSION BOARD FORUM 2 5
organization’s foundational core and they define and set the tone for the culture that is referred to
as The Patriot Way. For them, it’s simple: either you naturally fit the culture, you can be coached
to fit the culture, or you don’t fit” [ CITATION Gle19 \l 1033 ].
I recommend Mr. and Mrs. Chang review those “Key Values” mentioned in the case
study and if they do not feel as strong about them as they did the day those values were created,
then rewrite them. After they do that, start by having trainings, workshops, etc., with all
leadership to ensure they know and act on these values consistently and lead by example. Those
leaders should be expected to pass those values and practices to their teams as well. Once all the
personnel of the company is aware of these values and new practices, have a monitoring system
in place to ensure they are met daily. Have a clear understanding by all that if there is not a
constant disply of these values in everything done in the stores, in every leader, and every
employee, there will be consequences.
References
Benette, M. (n.d.). 10 Commandments List. Retrieved 2020 June 2 from LifeHope&Truth:
https://lifehopeandtruth.com/bible/10-commandments/the-ten-commandments/10-
commandments-list/
Institute, D. (2014). Disneys Approach to Selection, Training, and Engagement. Lake Buena
Vista: The Walt Disney Company.
Kinicki, A. &. (2016). Organizational Behvior - A Practical, Proglem-Solving Approach. New
York: McGraw-Hill Education.
Llopis, G. (2019, February 6). The New England Patriots: The Mastery Of Teamwork In A
Climate Of Constant Change. Retrieved 2020 June 3 from Forbes:
