Case Application 1: Going to Extremes

1. Find a list of all 10 of Zappos corporate values. Pick two of the values and
explain how you think those values would influence the way employees do
their work.
Create Fun and a little weirdness: I think living out this value at work would
mean joking with coworkers, playing pranks every once and a while, or maybe
even playing games during off time.
Do more with less: This is a real positive way to help employees want to
do the best they can with what they’re given. Even if it not much, that will make
the most of it.

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2. Using this list of corporate values and Exhibit 2-5, describe Zappos

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organizational culture. In which areas would you say that Zappos culture is

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very high (or typical)? Explain.

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I would say that three dimensions stuck out to me as strong areas after

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reading their 10 core values; Innovation and risk taking, people orientation, and
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team orientation. Workers at Zappos are clearly encouraged to be creative and
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think of new, innovative ideas. At least two or three of their value mention not
only being creative and open-minded, but embracing new ideas and change as
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they come along. This openness toward new ideas makes it a very comfortable
place for workers to come up with fresh ideas on how to get their work done. The
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other two dimensions, people and team orientation, are see through their other
values. Being encouraged to work as a team and having a good attitude about
their work is part of working at Zappos. They are also encouraged to build open
and honest relationships with each other, which not only shows how much they
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care about their employees, but how much they want their workers to connect
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with their fellow employees.

3. How did Zappos’ corporate culture begin? How is Zappos’ corporate
culture maintained?
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It really began with Tony Hsieh, who according to the text became CEO in
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2000. He wanted Zappos to be a place where weirdness and having fun were
just as important or more as getting results. He had current employees compile
the top 10 values that they wanted the company to emulate and strive toward. He
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also wanted these values to not just be written down, but to be lived. This culture
that was created is maintained by a constant self-evaluation of the health of the
company and its employees. Surveys are given monthly and if a problem comes
to light, the company works to heal and repair the department where the problem
occurred.

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 4. The right culture with the right values will always produce the best
organizational performance. What do you think of this statement? Do you
agree? Why or why not?
I really like this statement because I’ve seen its truth. I’ve worked in
companies that have really strong values and a great culture. These cultures
encourage fun and laughter and yet at the same time are more, not less,
productive than cultures that are more work driven. A great example is my job
here on campus. We are completely free and talk with each other and have a
good time. Often people with bring food in to share with others and we even have
planned potlucks with each other. At the same time though, we know that we
each have important responsibilities and tasks. Because it’s a positive
environment, those task that may have seemed boring at first, are now suddenly
not so bad because it’s a fun place to be. On the contrary, over the summer I
worked at a place where the manager did not encourage fun very often.

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Whenever he walked in, any fun that was going on kind of died down. It made it

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kind of a dreary place to be and as a result, I felt like my work suffered. Both of

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these example support how important having the right culture is to being

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successful as an organization.

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5. What could other companies learn from Tony Hsieh and Zappos’
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experiences?
Other companies will surely notice that not only are Zappos’ employees
and managers enjoying work there, but that the company as a whole is very
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financially successful. A place that is both fun to work at and gets the job done is
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an easy company to look up to. My guess is that many companies have tried to
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copy the outline of company culture that Zappos has established. I think that
other companies could learn that having employees who enjoy what they’re
doing makes that many times more productive than before. While it is easy to
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only focus on accomplishing tasks and meeting requirements, Zappos has shown
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us that caring for employees and their feelings is the much more advantageous
route.
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