Whole Foods Market Core Values And Company Culture

Great Essays
"Whole Foods Market"

Strayer University
Composition Management
Professor Keith Lipscomb

July 26, 2014

Introduction

Whole Foods Market began in Austin, Texas by “John Mackey and Rene Lawson Hardy” in 1978. Within few years the couple partnered with Craig Weller and Mark Skiles to merge their store SaferWay with Clarksville Natural Grocery which was Craig’s and Mark’s store which led all four to opening the original Whole Foods Market on September 20, 1980 with only 19 employees. In 1984 Whole Foods Market expanded outside of Austin, Texas and by having major growth they acquired other natural food chains in the1990’s. The foundation of Whole Foods Market core values and company culture has always been to sell natural and organic
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The culture for employees is for them to value their jobs at Whole Foods Market and find fulfillment in their jobs. Whole Foods Market has designed a great working environment which encourages a safety for motivated employees to flourish and reach their highest potential.

Team members are viewed as a valued contributor to the company’s vision for future success to build a trusting relationship with the team members. Individual differences and diversity is honored coupled with a strong community sense and dedication to the company. Team members are provided a balanced work life which allows for leisure time, family and community involvement. Within the Whole Food Market structure there is no room for the “U versus them” thinking so contribution and involvement is encourage at all levels within the company and they try to obtain this through:
• Teams are self-directed which meet regularly to discuss and solve problems.
• Good communications allows for an open book, open door and open people practices.
• Incentive programs such Labor gain sharing is
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Whole Foods Market motto is “Whole Foods, Whole people, Whole Planet” this is their vision that reach way beyond them just being a food retailer Whole Foods Market wants to be successful in satisfying their vision through customer satisfaction, team member happiness and excellence, return on capital investment, improvement in the state of the environment and providing support for local and larger communities. In most workplaces, employees pay a lot of attention to how the compensation system works. An organization can say a lot about its values and its purpose by are their action matching what they are saying.” Motivation in a company can be quickly drained by the perception that the compensation system is unfair and rigged. When an organization speaks of a higher purpose, praiseworthy customer service, and other ideals but if its compensation system is uneven with those ideals things will not be

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