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Logos Bookstore Final Executive Summary

Chris Kardos
5/5/22
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Introduction
Logos Bookstore is a local bookstore that has primarily focused on religious materials since
1974. The store also has started an art supplies section that not only appeals to the rising bible
journaling trend, but also can bring in non-religious crowds for extra business. The owner and
main manager is Ann Kardos, my mother. There is another "Owner" which is my grandmother.
She is retired but keeps in the loop and stays involved with the store. There are about four other
employees who work there. My role since around March 2020 is more of an all-around assistant.
I help with inventory, customers, and loading the van for whenever the store goes on the road for
conferences and shows. This will go over strengths and challenges the store faces, and what I
think we should do to improve upon this.

Strengths

Culture and Demographic

Logos does a fantastic job having the culture, symbolic elements, and product match up with the
main demographic, while having something for all other demographics that do not fall into the
main demographic. A good organization knows the culture of themselves but also the main
market of their customers. As the book says, “Social knowledge does not consist of facts in the
sense of objective truths but rather consists of a shared understanding about what is significant
and meaningful to the organization and its members” (Mumby and Kuhn, p. 133).” It is
important and meaningful to connect to the main audience. The employees know how important
it is to sell the material they sell. Whether it’s a congratulatory card for a new married couple, or
a somber book for a grieving family member, the employees know that the mood for each
customer can vary rapidly and should be handled according to the situation.

While it is obviously not 100% true, it is widely agreed upon the majority of the Logos customer
base is middle aged to elderly Christians. The majority of which are women. This is clearly not a
fact; all are clearly welcome at the store. But it is generally understood when considering things
like inventory. Which is selected mostly with that demographic in mind. There are plenty of
selections at the store that match this audience. Items such as Bible journaling items, which are
not only very popular for the demographic of middle-aged Christian women, but also are popular
for anyone interested in journaling or scrapbooking. This is great for Logos because the main
audience has plenty of options that appeal to them. But this is not all the store has though, with
plenty of products for anyone and everyone. How the Logos employees learn that each customer
has a much different reason for being there and knowing the demographics that shop there all
lead to a solid workplace culture that mixes well with customers.

Stories and Leadership

Another major strength Logos has is its leadership and how growing up around the store shaped
how to lead. The head manager, Ann, is the daughter of the former owners. She learned from a
young age what it means to own the bookstore. Ann’s maiden name is Gorczyca. This has been
the last name of the store owners since it was founded in 1974 by my grandfather, Donald
Gorczyca. “Gorczyca” is Polish for mustard seed. The meaning of being a mustard seed when it
comes to Logos is based on the parable from the Bible. This parable discussed how even though
the mustard seed is very small, it grows into a very large bush. This led to her growing to own
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the store and knowing how important it is to acknowledge that Logos is not the biggest store.
However, like the mustard seed, it can still be mighty thing.

Ann is a great leader. She is very kind and strives to have a bond with each of the coworkers. It
is not a big store like a Target or Kohls. It is just five employees. "A system—biological or
social—is made up of components that function systematically " (Mumby, pp. 94). Logos
functions very well due to the leadership of Ann. Everyone at Logos feels that their job is
meaningful, and she helps make sure that motivation is there. Motivation to sell religious or non-
religious material to whoever may need it, no judgement, just helping everyone who walks in.
The employees feel loved because Ann truly cares for them. She will be reasonable with
anything and everything that comes up. She truly holds their needs above her own even. Being a
mustard seed and leadership go hand in hand with Logos.

Post-Fordism and Logos

Logos has a very post-Fordism mindset by having flexible structure, adaptability to changing
technology, and accepting uncertainty. A good example of this from the lecture is work security.
“Work security provides workplace safety and health regulations, and limits on working time”
(Lecture notes, Module 4.) Logos is very flexible with employees. Employees that just
communicate what is going on can be helped and their schedules can be adjusted according to
whatever is going on in their lives with no pushback as long as the situation is true. This applies
to customers, too. Sometimes Ann will even wait up to an hour after closing waiting on a
customer that called and wanted to pick up an order. Logos accepted uncertainty and adapted by
having me and my brother deliver orders to local customers during the start of the COVID-19
pandemic. All the employees could not work due to being high risk, so Ann adapted and was
aware of how risky changing the way Logos operated was.

This is important for Logos because trust is key for a small business. “Post-Fordist work entails a
high trust, differentiated labor process where workers are given significant decision-making
autonomy” (Lecture notes, Module 4.) This absolutely applies to Logos and the post-Fordist
mindset the store has with its operation.

Challenges

Power Dynamic
Logos old owner, my grandmother, still struggles to let Ann do her job from time to time. This
can lead to the occasional power struggle and miscommunication around the store. The mindset
of a 53-year-old and a 75-year-old about running a business can be very different, even though
they are very similar people. My grandmother has a bit more of a pink-collar approach (Lecture
notes, Module 5.) Not wanting Ann to do some of the heavy lifting and more physical tasks, even
if Ann says over and over that she can do it just fine. This can lead to irritation on both sides that
can interrupt tasks. Fixing this could lead to a lot less miscommunication on tasks and overall
workplace satisfaction.

Recommendation of Conversation
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My Recommendation is to communicate this issue more. Ann sitting down with Becky (my
grandma) could squash this issue easily. Both are very stubborn but are very reasonable when
discussing solutions. An easy fix is Ann just expressing that my grandmother thinking Ann could
not do the physical tasks is just a social construct of gender. "Difference is a social construction
that has been used to classify human beings into separate value-based categories" (Mumby &
Kuhn, p.228.)

Reaching New Demographics

One of the biggest struggles Logos has had is reaching newer demographics as the primary
demographic and generations age. There has been some recent success at this with adding
journaling craft items to the inventory. But more can be done to ensure long term sustainability
that many bookstores around the world have not adapted to, leading to many closings globally.

Recognize New Demographics

Logos is good at adapting to the times and changing world in some cases. But changing the
inventory could further be improved upon. Just because there are new demographics does not
mean they are inherently different. As the book states, “Differences are not individual traits;
rather, they are embedded in institutions and organizations." (Mumby & Kuhn, p. 230.) Look
around the community, figure out what more demographics want from bookstores. Even if that
means adding more non-religious components to the store, this could be good for the store and
show the adaptability I have been praising.

Conclusion
In conclusion, Logos has great culture, leadership, and overall post-Fordist mindset. Power
struggles and adaptability to new markets are some of the challenges the store must address in
the future. I am always available for any questions. Reach me at ckardos1@kent.edu and 330-
274-6740.