I need help with editing my paper in APA format

The organization that was chosen by the team was the Amazon company, which was formed in 1994 and has grown to be a well-recognized and successful business. Amazon provides online shopping for consumers and provides 'to your door' shipping through a host of shipping providers. Amazon carries the mission statement with a stated desire “to be Earth’s most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices,” with a high degree of value placed on customer satisfaction and employee morale. With that in mind, this paper will compare: the evolution of personal and workplace values; how individual values drive actions and behaviors; an analytical view of the alignment between values and actions/behaviors; the degree of alignment between Amazon's stated values and the actual plans and actions; an explanation of the differences and analayztion of the degree of alignment between the personal values and Amazon's values as reflected by Amazon's plans and actions.

Values are our core concepts that derive from experience, aspirations, and society. Personal values pass from one generation to the next through verbal and visual examples, and help people commit, determine, or drive their actions, which produces human accomplishments. Organizations statements appear as commitments to certain core values, and can connect individuals, and organizations to concerns, which apply, and impact business, and its environment in ever day operations. Values are the foundation of the way organizations operate daily, can motivate participants, and maintain a desired image. Values address concepts used in meeting the organization’s established goals, and link productivity, and success between employees and the organization. Values are absolutely required for the growth of individuals, organizations, and community and will, in most since of the definition, determine the survivability of the company and individual that work within. Values are not concrete and can evolve with the lapse of time or changes in cultural concepts, time, and place. Today, people emphasis their need for personal freedoms and practice them both in and out of the work environment. We desire a need to be not only a part of something bigger but to be respected with in our peer group. Much like my own personal set of values the online superstar of ecommerce, Amazon, has its core values. Customer obsession, frugality, bias for action, high hiring bar, innovation, and ownership makes Amazon what it is today in the business world. These rudimentary fundamentals hold a timeless meaning and will always equate to success. This company evolved with its customer base and never looked back. Although it is broad in abilities its operational template stays the same which is to provide great customer service and satisfaction.

Sometimes the connection between individuals and corporations can be blurry.  The corporation carries an image of its own separate from any individual within its walls. Yet collectively the corporation itself is only the sum of the individuals who do its work. For example, Amazon.com as a company values innovation and customer focus.  According to "Amazon.com" (n.d.),The company’s mission is “to be Earth’s most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices,” (About Amazon).  This section of our work will discuss how individual values drive Amazon’s corporate values, actions and behaviors.  It is critical for both individuals and companies to know themselves. The individual founder or Amazon sought to offer variety at low prices.  Jeff Bezos, Founder of Amazon, as an individual must have valued freedom of choice, innovation, and technology.  These values formed a company that offers of the greatest variety of products (Freedom of choice) known to the modern world with the lowest prices online (technology).  These corporate actions tie to the values of the individual who founded the company.  Innovation continues to be of value to Amazon as they continue to expand into new markets with innovative products like the Kindle Fire (Innovation as a value and behavior).   So we can see how the values of an individual become the values of a corporation and how those values drive actions and behaviors.

With a mission that has the customer front and center since 1997, Amazon continues to make their customers happy. Amazon continues to develop innovative ways to serve their customer by relying on their teams of employee suggestions and partnerships with other seller’s, content creators, and developers ("Amazon Investor Relations", 2014). One way Amazon has improved customer satisfaction was to introduce frustration free packaging. They worked with suppliers and together they reduced the amount of packaging needed on products that Amazon ships, this has reduced packaging waste and excess packaging materials. Another way Amazon continues to make their customers happy is by quick fulfillment of products ordered. Fulfillment centers around the world are able to pack and ship expediently. The number of third-party sellers that Amazon works with continues to grow, offering more variety to the Amazon customer. What began as an on-line marketer of books, dvd’s, and cd’s has expanded into offering anything the consumer desires.

Amazon collaborated with employees and leaders to paint what values they hold as a business. In doing so, they learned what was central to their personnel. Amazon supports innovation, quality customer service, low prices, expansion, employee satisfaction, and reducing environmental impact. These values are put into action in various ways. Amazon searches for and develops new and efficient methods of online shopping. For example, customers can now purchase items through their Twitter account; therefore giving the customer more convenient options for shopping, this also speaks to Amazon’s value of customer service. Employee satisfaction is seen in a variety of ways. Amazon has a work from home program, allowing families with diverse needs to meet their personal needs. Additionally, Amazon has competitive wages and offers a benefit package, proving Amazon’s value for employees and their family. Online shopping is all about reducing the impact on environment. Shoppers do not have to drive to their local mall in order to shop, thus reducing pollution. Additionally, Amazon engages in community efforts to better the lives of individuals by being involved with a variety of charities: Red Cross chapters across the United States; Boys and Girls Clubs; and Big Brothers and Big Sisters groups. Competitive wages, environmentally conscious, family oriented, financially responsible, and innovative practices illustrates how Amazon’s values align with personal values.

The Amazon company has striven for the last 20 years to, first and foremost, value customer satisfaction and employee well being. This has led to the company becoming wildly successful with a high market penetration in an increasingly global business environment. Amazon can also attribute a high level of the company's success to a focus on the value of innovation, which has led to the introduction and constant evolution of their technology and subsequently, others. In a world where the division lines between values and actual practices frequently become skewed, Amazon has managed to adhere largely to the stated values and to gain an edge on the competition in an increasingly 'online' world.

References