Business Ethics Assignment

 CASE 13

1. Whole Foods really focuses on quality and healthy products to sell to their customers. The
company states that their values are to satisfy and delight the customers by selling only the highest
quality, natural, and organic products available. This commitment has contributed to the success
of the company because it has created wealth to its shareholders through pro&ts and growth. Whole
Foods’ values have allowed them to develop long-term customer relationships and this is what
keeps a business successful
2. Customers are the highest priority at Whole Foods and because of this the company adopted many
strategies to meet the needs of this stakeholder group. Examples from the textbook include:

 Whole Foods retail stores maintain an inviting environment, complete with eateries and tables both
inside and outside the store for visitors to dine.
 Free sampling is common at Whole Foods locations to allow customers to try the products.
 Employees are instructed to treat customers like a valued part of the family.

Whole Foods’ adoption of a stakeholder orientation has paid o-. According to the textbook, “In the
American Customer Satisfaction Survey, Whole Foods was voted the second highest in the
supermarket category a1er Publix.”
3. As whole food started to grow, the company encountered many ethical issues. These issues include:

 Some of the growth has come from acquiring other stores, which has caused some criticism from
those that did not want their smaller community grocery stores to shut down. For example, in a
neighborhood of Boston, Whole Foods decided to acquire a local store when it moved into the
community. Many local residents objected, considering Whole Foods products to be too expensive.

 In 2009, Whole Foods also started to let go of some of their values and started to sell unhealthy
foods. According to the text, “John Mackey admi8ed that Whole Foods had strayed from one of its
core values: healthy eating. In an interview, Mackey admi8ed that “We sell a bunch of junk.”
 Whole Foods is also against unions. According to the text, “Mackey has cited unions as creating
“an adversarial relationship in the workplace.